They watch from the sidelines with eyes glued firmly to each player. They record every move made by the team. Every point is quickly jotted down into a small notepad to be surveyed by the coach at the end of the game. They attend every practice, bond with their teammates and seek advice from coaches, but never set foot on the court. As team managers, recording stats and providing encouragement are all in a day’s work for sophomore Minna Ramirez and seniors Elise Cassidy and Parker Dagenais.

“It started in eighth grade,” Dagenais, manager of the varsity boys basketball team said. “I’ve always had a love for basketball, but because of my medical condition, it is hard for me to play competitively. I still wanted to be involved with the team, so coach Sczepanski, my eighth grade basketball coach, asked me to be manager of the basketball team. I was really happy and excited for the opportunity.”

The managers look for alternative ways to contribute to their teams without entering the game; although they work with different sports while looking to contribute to their teams, all three managers often have similar experiences.

“Obviously, waking up every Saturday morning at six wasn’t my favorite part of being team manager, but it was definitely worth it,” Ramirez, manager of the wrestling team, said. “I didn’t feel like waking up that early, of course; I hated being in a gym all day every Saturday, but it was worth seeing how much everyone improved and how much they grew on me. I loved seeing them wrestle with passion and every time they won it made me so proud.”

From waking up early every Saturday morning to giving up their free time to go to practice, team managers become involved with teams to help the team grow or just to stay close to a sport they love.

“Being the manager of the boys swim team has allowed me to be around the sport I love and stay involved,” Cassidy said. “I get to help out the team with whatever things need to be done.”

Cassidy also has advice for future team managers: just have fun with it and try be close with the team.