Managers Make Things Easier For Teams

Madeline Godfrey gets up every morning to go to cross country runs. However, she does not participate in the running. Instead, she does things like fill up water bottles and help take times of the runners. Godfrey is one of many students that serve as managers or trainers of sports teams. Even though they work behind the scenes, the managers and trainers handle many details that allow the team events to run smoothly.

For football, the team has both managers and trainers.  The managers take care of the equipment, whereas the trainers help tape ankles or wrists and keep the players hydrated.

“As football trainer, I go in every day for fourth block and if any of the players need something taped up before practice, I do that. Then, I fill up all the water bottles and take them out to the field for the players during practice,” junior Drew Mayfield said.

Even though no one sees all the work that the trainers and managers do, they make a huge difference to the team.

 

“Our managers and trainers help a lot. They do the work that no one else wants to do,” David Hayes, a junior football player, said.

Cross country runners agree. They appreciate their manager more than ever in this scorching hot weather.

“Our trainer helps us so much. As a member of the cross country team, we need water a lot. Whenever we need it, Madeline is there and she helps more than we expected,” Chandler Clarke said.

The student athletes are not the only ones who appreciate the managers and trainers.

“The managers make all the difference…without Emily Hoffman and Georges Habib it would be very difficult for me to do my job on the field every day,” football coach Billy Gates said. “The most helpful things they do for me is organization and distribution of all uniforms.”

Although they do work behind the scenes, the trainers and managers do not mind.

“My favorite part of being a manager, especially in cross country, is that even though I’m not a “runner,” I am still just as much part of the team. It’s cool being sort of the assistant coach and knowing things before the team does, and I love being there for the girls,” Madeline Godfrey said.