Participation in sports is one of the most popular ways for students to integrate themselves into the Morgan community. However, being a player is not the only way to be a part of the team. Managing teams at Morgan is another option for students who don’t want to play the sport. Managers for different teams have different responsibilities. It all depends on the coaches and what they need for their teams. Some teams don’t have managers or the need for them. Deciding to become a manager is a responsibility that many enjoy. There are different ways to end up becoming a manager. Some decide that they would like to manage instead of play, but in other instances, injury leads the athlete to become a manager.
This year, The Morgan Boys Basketball team has 2 managers: seniors Ari Salgar and Emely Andino. As team managers, their main role is to keep score in the book during away games. They travel with the team via bus and stay for both JV and Varsity games. Upon arrival at the game, they meet up with either the opposing team manager or whoever is working the book for the home team. The opposing team gives one of them their team’s roster, where they then write down their names in their team book and vice versa. As the games start, they keep track of how many points each player scores. Keeping track of fouls and timeouts is another essential part of the book. An additional role that Ari takes on is photographing the players during the game. While it’s not a necessity, Ari said, “It’s something that I enjoy, and the players enjoy seeing their action shots.” Emely said “Managing this team is something that I wish I had started my freshman year. The connection between the players and coaches is one of the best connections I’ve seen, and I’m glad I got to be a part of that bond.”
Senior Chloe Jackson was a part of the Morgan Girls Soccer team for all 4 years of high school. Her senior year looked much different than she expected. Due to injury, she was unable to play. Before the season started, she decided she wanted to continue as a part of the team and become the manager. She emailed assistant coach, William Lindsay, and she inquired about becoming the manager for the team. He was more than happy to have her on the team in any capacity. In her responsibilities, she managed the book and also scouted the opposing teams. Chloe recorded all of the fouls, yellow cards, shots on goals, actual goals, and assists. Chloe shared the differences between being a player on the team and managing. She stated, “The comradery was the same, but there was a much different perspective.”
Freshman Brandon Avila Hernandez was one of four volleyball managers. His process of becoming a manager was different. Brandon and some fellow friends attended almost every volleyball game. Head Coach Jessica Lynch, was looking for managers for the volleyball team and noticed that Brandon was always there. Coach Lynch approached Brandon and his friends and asked if they would like to be managers. He said he would be more than willing to do it. “I wanted to show the team how I could help them, ” Brandon said. His job as team manager was keeping score in the book, working the scoreboard, as well as filming the games for the team. Although he was never obligated to go to practices, he still showed up. He was there to help out whenever he was needed. He enjoyed writing pep talks for the team and hyping them up before any games. Senior Captain Ainsley Corgan stated, “He is a very involved manager who also motivated us before going on the court, reminding us to stay focused and together.” He wanted to be a support system for the team whenever it was time for game day. He said, “I like helping in general, and helping other people honestly makes me feel better about myself. I also made a lot of friendships along the way.”
Managing any sort of team takes time and commitment. Teams play on average 2 games a week. For students who don’t want to participate in sports, managing is an interactive and enjoyable experience. The Morgan Fencing Team, Girls Basketball, and Wrestling Team also have the pleasure of having team managers.
