Student managers at Saint Viator have become more and more popular as various sports begin to seek additional help to run practice, keep stats, or talk with the athletes. It’s a great way to bridge the gap between students and coaches and have a friendly face on the sideline.
“I can’t wait to see what Andy brings to the team,” said senior Ryan Camblin of boys basketball team manager Andy Tyrjan, “and how he can help us better prepare for some games.”
Student-athletes are often required to do additional work outside of school, including practices and studying film to help prepare for the adversary. Bringing along another person on the staff to help students analyze film or explain it in a manner for them to understand. Sometimes asking a student for help can be much less anxiety-inducing than a coach, and so student-managers can help provide that friendly face in times of need.
Coaches often spend long periods of time at home helping to prepare their team for the upcoming games, but sometimes that work load can be heavy. From hours of film to reciting new dance sets, all coaches feel the weight that a sport can bring to their lives outside of the practice. Being able to alleviate that burden a bit by spreading out the workload can help bring better quality as well as better efficiency to the table.
Team managers are not only useful for coaches and athletes, but beneficial to the person as well. “It allows me to be a part of the sport,” said Tyrjan, “in a new way that I always wanted to explore.” It is a great way for a student who wants to be a contributing member of a team, but may not want to actually play the sport. The bonds that are created from sports are unparalleled, and it is important to give students a chance to create those bonds in a way that they can feel important.
Student managers are increasing in popularity at Saint Viator due to their huge contribution to the team and the importance they bring to both the coaches and the players.