In any given athletic program, there is an obvious casting of characters: the intense head coach, the mellow assistant coach, the comforting athletic trainers, the cringey team captains and the regular players. But a note-worthy position is commonly forgotten: the team manager.
Throughout Westfield athletics, the name “team manager” has a different connotation for each sport. For instance, field hockey manager Quinlan Doherty said, “I just go to games and do the book for varsity. Sometimes if the JV needs, I’ll do the book for them.”
Other sports require a more rigorous set of dedication. Boys basketball head coach James McKeon said, “[They do] everything.” Team managers in McKeon’s administration “help set up practice,” and take stats during games. They are “put in drills” and act as “an extra coach when [he] needs passers.” Overall, “depending on what [he] needs on a daily basis, [he] gives them different jobs.”
Following the same outline, boys lacrosse head coach William Wertheimer said, “[If] we need goals moved or balls in a certain spot or things set up, and sometimes they get a practice kit where they actually– if we need an extra person and they [have] played the sport before– could go in there.”
For the girls lacrosse team, there is a similar task list with the addition of social media coverage. “Maddie [Caherly] came to practice everyday and…did our silly interviews. This way, we could run practice but still get the social media aspect of our page going,” said head coach Kathryn DaSilva.
As an example of this type of manager, senior Kate Fischer spends every day of her winter ensuring the girls basketball program runs like a well-oiled machine. She grabs the balls from the closet, plugs in her phone to broadcast her practice playlist and helps play defense as players charge at her to work on finishing contested layups.
Fischer’s loyalty earns her a varsity letter each season and she was even recognized by the state, earning Manager of the Year by nj.com.
DaSilva also gives letters to her team managers, but she expects nothing short of excellence. “They still represent my program so even if they’re not on the field they still get a varsity letter, so I expect them to act like an athlete.”
Although Fischer works diligently, she gains more than just an activity to put on her resume. “I have a relationship with not only the girls on the team, but also the coaches. Getting to be a part of such a close family is super rewarding.”
In accompaniment with personal fulfillment, and in addition to an extra set of hands, team managers boost the environment and dynamic of the group. McKeon said, “[They are] another person that shows a joy for the game…in a different way than just being a player. They want to be there, they love the sport…they like to be around it, so it just shows that people can have a passion for things in different ways.”
On the other hand, some instances allow for managers to have a negative impact on a team. According to Wertheimer, some managers crumble to their “natural” instincts of being a teenager and are “just distractions.” However, since he has taken over as head coach, he has not been burdened with this situation.
This behavior would not be condoned at the next level, which some high school managers look to pursue. Fischer said, “In the future, I could definitely see myself in something sports-management-related and being a part of a team environment for my career.”
There have already been multiple high school managers that continued their experience in college. McKeon said two of his previous managers have worked at Vanderbilt and Indiana.
Doherty showed a similar interest, “I would definitely consider doing something like this in college, like doing the book for softball or something related.”
Like any other vital member of a sports program, the team manager offers a wide range of contributions and should not be overlooked. “When you don’t have [a manager] you realize how much they do for a team,” said McKeon.
