The University Academy football and volleyball teams have experienced successes throughout the fall season, but success doesn’t come by itself. Behind the scenes, there are student managers who work hard to make sure the players are in the best of shape for games and practices. From things like filling up water bottles and line judging to score tracking and filming games for the coaches and players, it all gets done by managers.
To become a sports manager is different for each sport, but for football specifically, Coach Andrew Blakemore, the head coach, interviews potential managers to make sure they are there for the right reasons. For any other sport, the first step is to talk to the coach of that specific sport.
Markeiaja Wilson, a senior volleyball manager, has been a manager for a year. She wanted to become a manager to be able to contribute to the school in a different way other than playing a sport or joining a club.
One of the jobs of a manager is to go to games and just support the team, no matter the result.
“I make sure I am as loud as possible, cheering for the team especially when we aren’t at home,” Wilson said. “The energy that the players play in matters. Being a cheerleader for the team is my favorite part of being a manager.”
While managers do have to go to games and support the team, they also have to stay on top of their grades to remain eligible. If a manager has an F, just like any player, he or she isn’t allowed to participate in any activity after school, management included.
Jurni Wilson, a junior football manager, has been a manager for two years. Starting her sophomore year, she wanted to become a manager because she found that it was a simple and a beneficial activity to do after school.
She is in one of her hardest years of high school now and needs to be able keep her grades up in order to actually be a manager. To do that, she goes to Mr. Blakemore’s room between school and practice for tutoring or to do her homework.
Being a football manager is a fun way to be active in school without playing a sport. It is also a way to make new friends and become more social. Some of Jurni Wilson’s favorite things about being a football manager are that she gets into games for free, but also that she’s become a more social person.
“I’m glad that I made the friends that I made throughout my time of being a football manager,” she said.
Some tips for anybody looking to be a football or volleyball manager in the future is to make sure you’re there for the right reasons because you are a part of the team. Also, stay on top of your grades.
“Being a manager is just like being a player. You still represent the school when at games or schools,” Markeiaja Wilson said.
Sports managers are a very important part of any team. There are sports managers in every team you see, not just high school football and volleyball. Next time you’re at a UA sports event, look out for managers behind the scenes filling up water bottles, recording games or even just cheering for their team.
