Team Managers

Team Managers by Greg Jacobs

Think about all the small jobs that need to be done to help out a football team. There are a lot of these. Someone needs to fill up water bottles before practice and during practice, then the water bottles need to be cleaned up and put away. What about the footballs themselves? Someone has to take charge of giving out balls to various coaches and players who need them for practice, then collecting them after practice, finding any that got thrown into the bushes, and putting them away where they belong.

Managers are critical to the team's success, so a good coaching staff will bend over backward to let them know their importance. Managers pack up for away games with the rest of the equipment staff. They prowl the sideline on game day, filling whatever role is needed. Some will fetch and (on bad-weather days) clean the game balls.

So You Want to Be a Manager?

Perhaps the best way for a young person to get involved with a football team is as a manager. High school teams have occasionally used managers as young as nine or 10. Even if you don't know anyone on the team, show up to practice a few times just to watch. Look carefully at what goes on and figure out something you could do to make practice go smoother for everyone.

For example, maybe one of the coaches is having trouble carrying around his clipboard and running a drill at the same time. Before practice one day, go up to the coach and ask him if you could carry the clipboard for him. Start small, asking to do one or two specific things. During practice, try to be as quiet and useful as you can.

If you're a hard worker who learns how the team operates, you'll be surprised how quickly you will be asked to take on more jobs. The coaches will come to rely on you to take care of things, so you'll be asked to come to the games to work. Ta-da—you're a student manager!