Sports managers are generally the unspoken heroes of the sport. Without them, practice would go as slow as molasses and games and meets would be as hectic as a tornado. All of the managers have their own story as to why they manage and why they joined, just like the athletes.

“It’s fun because you’re still around everyone, but it’s not as stressful as playing,” junior and JV boys Volleyball manager Kaitlin Eifert said.

Managers help organize practice and workouts. They also keeps stats from previous games. If there are not any managers on the team, coaches would have to do all of this on their own, which takes their focus away from the athletes.

“At the beginning of the season, it’s a lot of work,” senior and track manager Lacey Norman said. “It takes a lot of time, but it’s worth it. It’s a lot of fun.”

The managers of the sports have their own individual stories that relate to the sport and managing. For example, anyone who plays tennis is managed by State champion, sophomore Risa Takenaka. Then, the volleyball players have the Eifert sisters, junior Kaitlin Eifert and senior Maddie Eifert who both manage. Also, anyone who runs track is managed by seniors Sara Elder and Lacey Norman, who are considered irreplaceable by Head Track Coach Gregory Hennenfent, also known as Doc.

Next year will be the last that Doc is the head coach of FHN track. For his last year, he decided that he will not have managers for the whole track team because his current managers, Norman and Elder, will graduate. Doc decided that rather than trying to find managers that are as skilled as his current managers, he will just have the individual events managers.

“My managers are awesome,” Distance Coach Dan Lamb said. “They do a great job, they deserve all of the credit.

Coaches aren’t the only ones who highly regard the managers. The students on the team are also appreciative of their managers, and everything they do for the team.

“They are definitely very tolerant, and I respect that a lot,”sophomore track runner Justin Levins said.

Most managers agree that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, and they enjoy managing for the sport.

“It has helped me get better and I get to hang out with cool people,” senior and boys Tennis manager Jasmine Wahlbrink said.