Football managers support team through hard work
October 20, 2016
From the outside looking in, it might seem that a team is made up of just players and coaches. Coaches call the plays and players execute, but there’s an important link on every team between the coaches and players. Team managers play an important role on athletic teams, but especially the Pony Football team this year.
Seniors Lucas Braun, Sydney Slusher, and Megan Felsch are the three managers for the football team. They have various roles as a way to support the team and the coaches throughout the football season. Managing a large football team and a large staff of coaches, as far as numbers go, leaves a lot of duties for these three managers to perform.
One of the main reasons managers seek this role is because of their relationships they have with the players and coaches. Over time, coaches depend on managers and players look to managers throughout the practices and games in the season for various needs. In doing so, relationships become an important part of why managers enjoy serving the team in this role, and doing things that Coach Beau LaBore needs to be done. The managers join in on the fun with the players after winning games on the bus ride home, and these new friendships are amazing.
Braun explained, “A lot of the players are some of my good friends, and it’s been a great experience being a manager for the team even though I’m not playing because of my injury last year. It’s awesome being able to be on the sidelines with them and still be able to participate in some way.”
The team managers feel as if this experience will help them in the future too. The experience has enhanced their problem solving skills and knowledge of how to run and manage a team. In addition, these skills are going to follow them throughout their school career and into their college careers depending on whether or not they decide to go into a related field.
Slusher explained, “Leadership skills have definitely been developed and that should help us managers out a lot in the future. Megan and I were pretty lost on the first day, but as we’ve progressed throughout the season, we know our responsibilities.”
The managers get a high level of satisfaction from managing the team. They often get praise for the jobs they do and the way they do them from not only the players, but also from the coaches. Since the managers do a lot to make sure they are always doing their best job, they feel great when they are thanked countless times by everyone on the team.
Felsch explained, “The players and coaches are all really nice and they thank us which is awesome. It has been a really fun experience for Sydney and I in our last year of high school, because the whole team is fun to be around.”
The team managers have had a wonderful experience throughout this football season. They love hanging out with the team and interacting with the coaches and players. These relationships have propelled the football managers to enhance certain skills by running the team, and hopefully the experience will help them in the future. The duties of carrying out the water are key to what the managers do and Braun explained, “Filling up the water bottles and bringing them out is quite the task, let me tell ya,” showing the fun he has with the team.
