It may appear that the most valuable part of a sports team is the players themselves. However, one aspect of a team that is often overlooked is the student managers. The position comes with responsibilities and experiences that build lasting relationships with the coaches and players.
Sophomore Isabella Herzberg manages the Junior Varsity and Varsity football teams. The long hours spent working with the players have helped her to form many friendships with the team.
“I’ve gotten really close with some of [the players]. They’re like one big group of older brothers. They’re a lot of fun and it’s been cool to get to know them,” Herzberg said. “It’s definitely been a bonding experience.”
Senior Karthik Dhanireddy manages the girls Varsity field hockey team and shares similar views on the season and experience.
“I feel like I’ve gotten a lot closer with the people on the team. They’ve had a positive influence on my life and I’m pretty sure I can say I’ve had a positive influence on theirs,” Dhanireddy said. “I’m definitely going to miss it. All the people I’ve gotten close with are like my second family and my role as a manager has definitely become a part of me.”
These relationships are built during the countless hours spent preparing teams for games, practices and
other events. Herzberg’s responsibilities include a wide range of tasks, from getting the water bottles to purchasing the 100 bananas the players need.
“My main responsibility is to get the bananas for the pre-game meal. I have to get stores to donate a case of 100 bananas every week,” Herzberg said. “I also hand out water on the sidelines [during games] and during practice, I get balls and anything they may need.”
Herzberg’s responsibilities don’t end after practices or games. Managers also take care of housekeeping duties to ensure the players are ready for game day. Herzberg washes jerseys after practice and passes them out to the players before Friday games.
As managers for a field hockey program with over 50 players, Feenick and Dhanireddy take care of many duties, such as getting the field ready for games.
“We have to get out the goals and keep track of the substitutions, score and penalties. We also have to keep the clock,” Feenick said.
“We were basically on whatever Kiki [head coach Christina Carroll] needed us to do,” Dhanireddy said.
The managers’ duties may vary from team to team, but the bonds between manager and player hold similar importance for all.