Team managers: the unsung heroes
January 15, 2017
“Who are these people?” senior wrestler Carson Murphy thought when a few non-wrestlers started regularly attending practices last year. Fast forward to today, Murphy is nothing but grateful for them.
Being a team manager gives students the opportunity to learn about the tactics of a sport, help coaches whenever needed, form new friendships and earn health and fitness credit.
Sophomore team manager Alyssa Cheng said that she and her sister, sophomore Marissa Cheng became team managers because they were not part of any other programs at the high school.
“I had friends on the team, and since I wasn’t really involved in the school, it was a good way to get involved,” Alyssa Cheng said.
According to Murphy, team managers have a variety of jobs to accomplish such as filling up water bottles, keeping score at matches and filming videos of wrestlers.
“They come on all of our bus rides, and they don’t miss any practices,” Murphy said. “Any matches we have to wake up at 6 a.m. for, our managers are there. They are definitely a part of our team.”
Alyssa Cheng said that for their work on the team, the team managers receive health and fitness credit, which has its pros and cons.
“I feel like since we are not doing the sport itself, it shouldn’t really be a credit,” Alyssa Cheng said. “But you are still part of the team, and as long as you are taking part and doing something, then I feel that you can receive credit.”
According to Marissa Cheng, being a team manager can be very rewarding because she gets to act as a coach and see wrestlers improve.
“Even if it is a freshman’s first year in wrestling, you can see how much they are learning at meets and matches and compare that to the end of the season,” Marissa Cheng said. “During practice, we watch what the coaches are saying, so we are getting the hang of the technique and can help the rest of them on what they need to improve on.”
The managers all agree that they have a strong relationship with the team, according to sophomore team manager
Lorraina Hew.
“During the break we went to Framingham for a tournament,” Hew said. “One of the captains asked me to record him dancing for his video, so that was really funny.”
If Murphy had to describe the managers in one word, it would be “invested.”
“Last year, on our last practice, they got bubble tea for us,” Murphy said. “They went all the way downtown. Not the Allston Kung Fu Tea or the bubble tea in Cleveland Circle. They said, ‘No, we know the good stuff.’ So they went all the way down to Chinatown.”
According to Murphy, the team managers’ work is something that everyone can treasure.
“It definitely takes a huge load off of the coaches, and the team definitely benefits, and they help out the parents as well,” Murphy said. “They care about what we do and how we are. They keep track of us, and they care. I appreciate it.”
Alyssa Cheng compares being a team manager to being a coach:
Marissa Cheng describes her relationship with the team as very close:
Lorraina Hew talks about why she became a team manager:
