When people think of team sports, such as flag football or track, their minds often go to players or coaches. But behind every successful team is a student whose efforts often go unnoticed: the team managers. They may not score the game-winning points or create team plays, but their role is crucial for the teams’ success.
As a team manager, students do a variety of different things to contribute to the success of the team, such as leading practices or advising the players on how to improve. For junior Connor Hsiao, his coach offered the role of cross country and track manager after he fractured his left shin in his freshman year. His new role on the team allowed him to stay connected with his teammates while in recovery.
“It’s a way to have interpersonal skills as well as management because I’ve learned a lot about [them] like their PR’s and who prefers what,” Hsiao said. “For example, one of our [them] prefers to have two miles to have high mileage the day before meets, and some of our other [athletes] only prefer one to two miles pre-meet. I think it’s just a way to know how to track everyone, and it’s a way to keep everyone intact. Through this, it keeps me accountable and teaches leadership.”
There are various ways to become a team manager, flag football team manager, and senior Sanaa Bullock began her position this year. Bullock said she wanted to be involved within the team without having to play on the field. Bullock hopes to maintain her bonds with the players while helping head flag football coach Julie Primero and assistant coach Desmond Hamilton during practice and keeping score during games.
“They would come to me just for like different problems that they would have and how they would be able to fix it,” Bullock said. “It also helps [me] learn how to connect with people even if [I am] not on the field like how to connect with them on the sideline and help them with whatever they need. It helps [me] just be a leader.”
The players are not the only people that benefit from team managers. Team managers help run the team more efficiently and promote team spirit, according to Primero. Primero said that team managers like Bullock help coaches organize different plays and serve as a role model for incoming players.
“She formed really strong relationships especially with our incoming freshmen,” Primero said. “They looked to her as an older sister. I’m just grateful because without them, I would have so much more work to do. My focus would be away from coaching. ”
