Many sports teams at RM have at least one student manager who assists coaches and supports athletes on and off the field. They do work that often goes unnoticed, but teams feel their impact.

With all sports teams in general, they consist not only of the athletes on the field, but also of trainers, coaches, and student managers who handle the behind-the-scenes aspects, which truly make up the entirety of a high school sports team.

 Student managers help keep teams organized by helping out the coach at practice and game days and keeping stats for the team. They also help teams become more cohesive by supporting athletes on and off the sidelines. “I was able to give people motivation and cheer. I would hype up people on the sidelines and bring things like pom poms to have a positive environment,” senior girls varsity soccer manager Julia Lavan said. Managers have shown that knowing the sports and connecting with the team makes managing more fun. 

Many student managers have either tried out for the team they are managing or have some personal interest in the sport itself. Sonia Pinto is a junior who is the student manager for the Varsity field hockey team. “I always thought field hockey was kind of a cool sport. I wish I had learned to play earlier so I could have been on the team, but I like managing because I get to spend time with Gabrielle [fellow manager], and also I feel like the girls on the team are very nice,” Pinto said. 

With managers having to be on top of scheduling and making sure coaches have all the help they can get, managing is a good way to develop life skills like time management and problem-solving. “It has shaped my, I guess, leadership skills, and you know, like being helpful,” freshman Emilia Nevin said. This season is Nevin’s first time helping out with the RM swim and dive team, where she is in charge of tasks such as taking members’ times for the coach and taking team attendance. 

While RM student managers have expressed their love for their job and team and how fun it is to be a part of adrenaline-filled games, they really provide a support system that the athletes and coaches can rely on for extra help. Lavan is entering her second year managing the girls varsity soccer team and has expressed the many responsibilities she has to keep practices and games running smoothly. “I would help the coaches during practice by pumping balls or setting up drills. I would also walk injured players to the athletic trainer or just help coaches by bringing them things during games,” Lavan said. 

Becoming a student manager is an opportunity that is open to all students interested. The first step of entering the role is reaching out to the coaching staff of your desired team. “I would say start off by emailing the coach to see if they have an open position and if they do or the coach works at RM, I would say try and talk to them or find a player to talk to them and then just go from there,” Lavan said. 

“I feel like it really gave me a lot of friends and connections,” Lavan said. “And I’m really glad I did it and I met a lot of good people from it.”