When people think of team sports, they usually assume the coaches or star players have the most important roles on the field or court. However, a central role in every team goes overlooked: the team manager.
“I generally go to a lot of practices, I’ll help track balls, I’ll help set up the gym and for games, I’ll line judge, I’ll ref or I’ll do stats,” Miami Palmetto Senior High sophomore, boys volleyball player and girls volleyball team manager Carlos Ortiz said.
For girls’ volleyball specifically, there are three managers, all of whom switch roles and responsibilities when handling the team.
“So usually, we have a role and one of us will do it,” Ortiz said. “A lot of the time I’ll take the responsibility of line judging, and some of the older managers … will do stats and they’ll do roster checks and books.”
In addition to assisting the team in practices and games, team managers have a significant role in the team’s spirit. As the team managers spend more time with the players, they become a part of the team and leave their mark, helping define the team’s culture.
“They’re all really funny and really nice and it makes me feel like I’m a part of their season,” Ortiz said.
A passion for helping out on the volleyball court is not limited to the boys — the effort is mutual, with players on the girls team lending the boys a hand.
“They do the same for us in return. So some of the girls that are on the team, they’ll manage the boys when we have our season. It’s cool,” Ortiz said.
According to MPSH senior, girls volleyball player and boys volleyball manager Ava Graziano, having a coach in common and having close friendships between the boys and girls teams makes managing more of a fun extension of their season than a job.
“I get to keep my season going to help out with them. I’m close with a lot of the players, and it’s the same coach that I have, so it’s a fun opportunity. A lot of the girls from the team do it,” Graziano said.
Having the same coach is not the only common thread between the teams. Simply having the experience of playing the same sport allows the volleyball managers to excel in all of their biggest responsibilities, especially when taking stats in such a fast-paced environment.
“When we have to take stats, it’s every little thing that happens. It all happens so fast, and we have to keep track of it and make sure it’s accurate, because at the end of the season players can get awards and stuff,” Graziano said. “So, it helps a lot to have knowledge of the game.”
For co-ed sports like badminton, the process of choosing a manager is not so easy. It is the careful decision of both coaches and previous team captains to determine who this responsibility falls on. Overseeing all kinds of behind-the-scenes work, the role requires someone with patience and dedication.
“It’s definitely a lot of work. I wasn’t expecting it to be as much, but it’s a lot of work. It’s kind of difficult trying to find how we’re gonna get sponsorships and stuff to pay for our jerseys, which always sounds expensive,” senior, badminton team manager and girls doubles player Alexandra Morgado said.
The effort proves worth it for Morgado, who had a very simple and similar answer to Ortiz and Graziano when asked about her role on the team, also being a player and manager in one.
“I mean, we’re all friends on the team, so it’s nice to play with all of your friends,” Morgado said.
