14 The Michigan Daily- Friday, October 23, 1998 - FRIDAYFOCUS
Many people have probably seen the previews for the new Adam Sandler movie, "The Water Boy." At
tomorrow's football game, one might equate the 14 students on the Michigan sidelines as being simply water boys
or girls. This assumption would be wrong. These 14 football managers have more important jobs than just giving

Michigan tight end Jerame

Tuman water when he's thirsty. These individuals are out there giving their heart and

soul to Michigan football. When the men's and women's basketball seasons begin, one will see other managers
behind the benches of Crisler Arena, helping things run as smoothly as possible. Now, most students at the
University are not aware of what exactly managers do, but the players and coaches know ...
'These guys do everything'
By Tracy Sandler u Daily Sports Writer

I

Interview process
allows teams to
select the best
It is not easy to become a manager. qualities make his or her way behind
Each team has its own process to the bench?
pick out the best managers possible, "We hold a formal meeting at the
but each team is pretty much looking beginning of every year," men's bas-
for the same type of person. ketball manager Chris Highfield said.
"We're looking for self-starters and "At that time, anyone can show up, and
highly motivated people," said Brady they will fill out a form. We look at
Hoke, Michigan's defensive line coach those and have callbacks. Then, we'll
and the coach in charge of football have a formal interview and choose

managers. "They also have to have a from those people."
love for
M i c h i g an
a n d "We're looking for
Mi c h i g an
f o o t b a l l, se.istarters and
because they
are going to highly motivated
be spendingh
a lot of time people5
with no pay.
It's not easy to have a love for
with class-
es. ls Michigan and Michigan
So, if one is f

Women's
basketball coach
Sue Guevara is
looking for very
much the same
qualities in
managers as
Ellerbe.
"I look for
somebody that
number one has
played the game
so they under-
stand the game,"
Guevara said. "I
look for kids
that maybe were
players before,

is a highly
motivated,
self-starter
who wants to

Fuutuau
- Brady Hoke
Michigan defensive line coach

Managers earn respect
through commitment


one outside of the Athletic Department
really understands just how important these
students are to the University's athletic
teams, Michigan men's basketball coach Brian
Ellerbe said. The managers work as hard as the
players, and the teams would not run as smoothly
without them, he said.
Michigan defensive line coach and coach in
charge of managers Brady Hoke said the duties of a
football manager include preparing the field for
practice, getting equipment on the field, placing and
marking the ball and posing as the opposing players
at times. On game day, the managers help with the
pregame warm-up and chart the offense and defense.
In addition to the above duties, Architecture and
Urban planning senior manager Adam Clous said
the managers are responsible for picking up the
coaches' dinners at South Quad Residence Hall and
bringing them down to Schembechler Hall.
"I work with the running backs coach, Coach
Fred Jackson," said football manager Sean Merrill,
an SNRE sophomore. "I take care of him for about
half the practice, just making sure that he's got
everything that he needs. Then, after that, we all
kind of share the duties. We make sure we've got
the balls around and make sure that the coaches
aren't yelling, basically."
The women's basketball managers are pretty
busy, too. Whether they are practicing with the
players or setting the court up for practice, they are
on the court working just as hard as the players.
"They're gophers," Guevara said. "They get the
court all set up. They make sure all the balls are out,
that we have the pads, the cones and the rebound-
ing rim. They keep stats for us, run the clock, film,
clean up the court after practice and they partici-
pate in drills."
The men's basketball managers do the same
types of things as the women's basketball managers.
"The most important thing is practice time,"
Highfield said. "We've got to get here before every
practice and make sure everything is set up. Most of
us step into the drills. At game time, we take stats
and do all of the behind-the-scenes work."
Aside from normal managerial duties, Ellerbe's
managers have the opportunity to experience recruit-
ing, as well as get involved in the community.
"These guys are getting experience in a multi-
tude of ways," Ellerbe said. "They get involved
with recruiting visits, getting involved with scout-
ing, in terms of video exchange between Michigan
and our opponents, and getting involved with social
organizations.
"They're all involved with the things that are
important to me. A couple of weeks ago, they were
involved with the fundraising for the Alzheimer's
Memory Walk. This year, they're going to be

Women's basketball manag-
er Robyn Scherr, a Kinesiology
sophomore, said the experience
has helped her master team-
work.
"I've learned what it's like
to be a part of a team and work
together," Sherr said. "I've
learned what it takes to be com-
mitted to something that takes
up so much time and to put your
hardest effort into it."
There are times when the
players like to have fun with the
managers.
"The first thing I ever did as
a manager was a preseason
workout," Maron said. "Jerod
Ward had me running all over

become a Michigan football manager,
he or she must endure an interview
process. The first person to give an
interview would be the head manager
- this year that would be Architecture
and Urban planning senior Adam Clous
- then equipment manager John Falk
and finally Hoke.
Hoke said after the interviews, he
will call the student's high school foot-
ball coach, principal or counselor "to
get an idea of what kind of person they
are dealing with." If you make it
through, you're in.
At Crisler Arena, the men's basket-
ball team is seeking young men and
women with "a true zest and enthusi-
asm for the game," Michigan men's
basketball coach Brian Ellerbe said.
"Preferably, we are looking for some-
one who has played basketball, maybe
on the high school level. Without ques-
tion, they have to be a sound student
with a very well-rounded personality."
So, how does one with the above

and they're maybe not skilled enough
to play at this level but still want to be
involved in basketball. I look for kids
that love the game, that are responsible,
that have demonstrated that they could
handle the academics here at Michigan
and kids that are fun."
The process of becoming a
women's basketball manager is a little
different. The prospectives work with
the team in practice to see how they do.
"They come in, and they almost have
a tryout too," Guevara said. "We always
look for people that are kind of like radar
- always thinking one step ahead. They
come to practice, see how they do and
how they interact with the kids."
Definite perks come along with being
a manager, including travel, team gear
and rings. Last year's football managers
all own a national championship ring.
"You get to travel," said women's
basketball manager Yolanda Cole, an
LSA sophomore. "I love basketball, so
the whole experience is good."


the gym, because
he wanted me to
get him a juice.
He knew it was
physically impos-
sible for me to get
a juice (because
the room where
beverages are
kept was locked),
but he ran me all
over Crisler any-
way. The only
person who had a
key wasn't here."
During foot-
ball games,
Michigan quar-
terback Scott
Dreisbach wears
a headset, which
requires a cord
attached to him
and wrapped
around him. On
gamedays, it is
the job of football
manager Sara
Rontal, an LSA
senior, to hold

COURTESY OF TH:E ATHIEnic DEPARTMENT
During a men's basketball game, the team's managers sit behind the bench and watch the action. During the Michigan State game, foot-
ball manager David Eklund jumps up in excitement as he holds the headset cord for defensive coordinator Jim Herrmann.

that cord and pretty much follow Dreisbach around
the field.
"He'll tell me 'We're going here now, ' or
'We're walking this way now,"' Rontal said. "He'll
warn me a few seconds before moving across the
field. But, he has this habit, every time the defense
is on the field, of walking to the complete opposite
side, so he's not in anyone's way."

lot of different people to contribute to success.
"We don't waste a lot of time at practice,"
Dreisbach said. "That's a direct reflection of our
managing staff. There are a lot of people that go
into a team and a season, and they're definitely a
part of it."
The managers understand what they are doing
does not come with glory and fanfare.

"They're not people that you can just walk on
and expect to do things for you, unless you treat
them with the respect they deserve," Dreisbach
said. "1 don't expect them to do anything that goes
unnoticed, so I'm always saying thank you."
Clous said the football managers have definite-
ly seen more visible recognition.
"Prior to Coach (Lloyd) Carr being the head