Behind McLean’s athletic victories, there lies unrecognized helpers, aiding the teams in small, yet significant, ways. Often seen cheering from the sidelines, a multitude of McLean’s sports utilize the skills of their student managers to make sure all of their games and practices run smoothly. Some of the many responsibilities of sports managers include taking care of equipment, conferencing with referees and working the scoreboard.

As one of the many managers for the varsity girl’s lacrosse team, senior Lexi Reddy mixes her responsibilities with her social time, all the while ensuring she does her best to secure her team’s success.

“I have a lot of friends on the team, and I am friends with the other managers as well,” Reddy said. “I’ve also always been interested in lacrosse because it requires so many unique skills.”

Taking on the role of team manager was Reddy’s response to a long-term shoulder injury that prevented her from continuing her softball career. Reddy chose to continue her involvement in McLean’s sports by joining the lacrosse team as a manager, as she is close friends with many of the players and other managers. She has been able to take this opportunity to give back to the team and prove that she is an essential member.

“Cheering on the team is definitely my favorite part,” Reddy said. “I love getting to know all the players and cheering for them in the middle of an intense play.”

The girls that Reddy works with admire her for her dedication and work, noting the motivation she puts to use with the team.

“[Reddy] takes steps that help people work harder towards their goals and really achieve what they want to achieve,” sophomore goalie Brooke Buurskink said.

Similar to lacrosse, soccer is a complex sport that requires a great deal of attention from managers. Managing the varsity boy’s soccer team is a task easier said than done, proved by the hard work and resolve of junior Runa Chhay, one of the team’s five managers.

“By managing, I get to meet more people and I get to know the team better, both upperclassmen and underclassmen,” Chhay said. “I also get to learn more about the sport, since I’ve never played soccer.”

Team managers are mainly concerned with technical responsibilities, including small tasks that may not be at the top of every player’s mind.

“Before games is where most of our responsibilities come into play,” Chhay said. “I exchange the roster with the team we’re playing, mark the players that are starting and give the lineup to the referee.”

Chhay highlights some of the more stressful aspects of the job, where managing is transformed from a lighthearted task to a serious responsibility.

“I like working the scoreboard the least, which I do when I have to fill in for the manager that usually mans the scoreboard,” Chhay said. “It gives me so much anxiety [because] it’s all manual, and if you mess up or miss when the referee is looking at you because you’re distracted, parents will go crazy and yell at you.”

While managers are not technically not on the team’s roster, it requires just as much of a time commitment, as they must be able to attend games and practices when needed. However, Chhay underscores the advantages of having multiple team managers, rather than having all the responsibilities fall on her shoulders.

“During some game days, I have a lot of homework to do, so I can’t make it to the games,” Chhay said. “But it all works out in the end because there are five of us, so we can pick up extra responsibilities to make up for a person’s absence.”

While lacrosse and soccer are played across wide fields, sophomore Izzy Vanegas is able to keep a close eye on her team as they play on the softball field. Vanegas is the sole manager of the JV softball team, tirelessly working to improve the team in any way she can. Vanegas points out that just because a team is junior varsity, it does not denote the importance of their playing time and games.

“I like getting all of the team really excited, really pumped up with their walk-out songs,” Vanegas said. “I also love hanging out in the dugout with them and cheering for them during games, as well as doing all of the small traditions, like taking pictures at the end of the game.”

Sharing the fun side of her role, Vanegas speaks on some of the advantages of being the sole team manager.

“I get to hang out with the coaches, I get to know the gossip and I get to break the rules a little bit more than the players because they can’t suspend me,” Vanegas said. “It’s a lot of fun.”

Vanegas’s players share the same loving sentiment, stating that she is a large contributor to the overall team spirit, supporting them when they’re down.

“She is almost a teammate herself,” sophomore pitcher Hannah Hoffman said. “She cheers us up and always cheers for us. Even though she doesn’t play in any of the games, she is our biggest fan.”

Vanegas shared some words of wisdom to any prospective sports managers at McLean, focusing on the positive side of managing a sport and how a manager can transform a group of athletes into a team.

“You don’t have to actually play the sport, but you can still be part of a team,” Vanegas said. “If you’re managing a sport your freshman year, you can get a feel for the community and how it works and really feel like you’re actually on the team.”