By Gracie Maurer
You could easily spot a player with a big number on the front or the back of their jersey. But you might not be able to easily spot another member of the team. They may not score the points but they help the players that do.
“They are an extension of the team,” varsity volleyball coach Kylie Johnson said.
Managers don’t get much attention or recognition but they play a key role in many of our sports.
Senior Hailie Woodring is Delta’s football manager for varsity.
She played volleyball, softball and lifted weights, but decided to free up her senior year and only continue to manage football.
“As manager for the football team, my main responsibilities are to prepare for the game beforehand,” Woodring said.
Woodring would fill up waters and see if the athletic trainer, Jen Detweiler, needed help with other duties. She would then film the game.
Woodring served as manager for her sophomore, junior and senior years, but senior Luciana Reger only started managing this year.
“I needed something to do during the school year,” Reger said.
She managed varsity and JV volleyball after being invited to do so by Coach Johnson, the culinary teacher.
Reger helps keep the team confident and cleans up after the volleyball girls.
She also folds the jerseys and reports situations such as injuries to the coaches.
“I got recognized just by everyone knowing me and having a great time being able to talk to me whenever,” Reger said.
Reger isn’t unfamiliar with sports; she played soccer, swam and wrestled.
“Managers that take pride in taking care of the players can make the players really value a manager’s position,” Johnson said.
She looks at managers with more of “mutual respect” among the players and the managers.
Freshman Bethany McCoy was the manager for the girls’ basketball team that won the first ever regional championship in the history of the school. McCoy’s relationship on the team is to make sure the team has everything they need. She fills up water bottles and helps the coaches.
“I like helping the team, but I don’t really like playing sports,” McCoy said.
She cleans jerseys and packs the tote for away games that carries the items the team needs such as jerseys and shooting shirts.
Being a manager could be stressful during a big game when the action gets loud. She must make sure everyone has everything they need to play their best.
“I just breathe through it and tell myself it’s not the end of the world,” McCoy said.
She traveled with the girls to a semi-state game where they got a hotel and went out to eat. Unfortunately they did not win their semi-state game. That loss doesn’t affect McCoy’s favorite memory: “Going to the semi-state with the girls basketball team,” she said.
McCoy isn’t the only freshman manager.
Freshman Reid Cardemon helps manage the girls’ tennis team. He helps by filling up water bottles and giving tips to the girls.
Being a manager can be a big time commitment.
“I try to get all my work done at school,” Cardemon said.
Not only does he help manage tennis he also plays it himself as he’s a part of the boys’ tennis team. He gets recognition from the coaches and players by “making sure they’re doing the right thing.”
He said he doesn’t really have much stress as a manager.
“It would only be stressful if they didn’t listen,” Cardemon said.
