[dropcap]F[/dropcap]ilming games, keeping score, setting up drills, and decorating lockers. These are just few of the jobs and responsibilities of a varsity sports manager at Kinkaid. Since Kinkaid requires each student to have at least seven sports credits, students have found that managing is a great alternative to playing. With so many responsibilities and expectations, the job of the managers can be hard at times, but for Brittany Williams (11), the girl’s varsity volleyball manager,  it’s a“good way to bond and enjoy other people’s company.”

Although it may seem to be an easy way to receive sports credit, managers perform tasks that are vital to the success of the team, with jobs like taking stats during games, filming, and moving practice equipment, the duties vary depending on the team. Williams’ responsibilities include “line judging and sometimes tracking substitutes in the games.” Whereas Elizabeth Mitchell (11), one of the managers for boys varsity lacrosse, said “usually we do the stats and keep track of the scoreboard.” Without managers, coaches wouldn’t be able to put his or her entire focus on the game and coaching the team.

Managing a varsity sport also gives students the opportunity to create friendships and bond with other students that they never would have gotten the opportunity to meet. Kat Smith (11), one of the boy’s varsity basketball managers, explained that while managing is a serious job, the managers and the team have a lot of laughs together.

“The funniest thing that has happened was when Julia Davis (11), another manager, had to stretch out Josh Williams (9) and Jervon Monroe (10) before the first home game,” Smith recalled. Mitchell added that one of her favorite memories was having a rap battle with Barrett Neath (12). Mitchell recommends managing for “the unathletic yet social type because it’s a fun way to meet friends and get a credit without having to play a sport.”

Coaches agree that the managers are just as much a part of the team as the players. Coach Stacey Marshall, the head coach of girls varsity basketball, said, “The managers are a crucial part to my team. They are the behind-the-scenes people that help everything run smoothly.” Coach Jeremy Platt, the head coach of boys varsity lacrosse, similarly noted that his managers “take away wasted time. Everything that they do helps the coaching staff and the team.”