By Stephen Dumeyer | Reporter

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Why did you choose to manage football over other sports?

Nicole Pedroza:  I’ve just always enjoyed watching football and the players make it a great experience. It’s just a fun thing to be a part of plus it’s one of the only sports that doesn’t collide with my sport season. 

Audrey Warren:  I chose to manage football because I love the sport and love being on the field and being able to see what goes on during practice. 

Claire Roever: Well I am currently the football manager for the freshman JV and Varsity teams. In the future I really want to go into sports medicine so I thought being a sports manager would one, look good on a resume and two, is fabulous real-world experience.

Alisse Hutcherson: I chose to be a manager because I absolutely love football. I also love the community, the players, and the coaches that surround me. We are like one big family! We are Avon we are one! 

Jennifer Pedroza:  I’m going to play football next year and so I was thinking of the best way to get to know the players. Being a student trainer was my best option. 

Ashley Monroe:  I choose to manage football because my friend was also managing it and because I enjoy football quite a bit more than other sports and I like being outside and stuff. 

What ties do you have to football? 

N. Pedroza: My older sister was a manager for the football team and at my old school my oldest brother played on the football team.

Warren: My brother has played football since kindergarten or first grade so I was exposed to football form a young age.

Roever:  Football has always been a big part of my life and my father taught me the love of the game at a young age and ever since it’s been in my personal favorite. There is no other feeling quite like standing on the sidelines on a Friday night.

Hutcherson: My brother that passed away had played football since 3rd grade all through middle school and I was a cheerleader for his team. Ever since I’ve loved football. I‘m trying to keep the game in the family.

J. Pedroza: I played 7th grade at Avon Middle School South at defensive end and my sister Sabrina was a manager, and my other sister Nicole is a student trainer. I played defensive. 

Monroe:  I watched football a lot with my grandpa but other than that none. 

What types of things do you help with at practice? Games?

N. Pedroza:  For me since I am both a manager and student athletic trainer I make water and keep bottles full for the guys at practice, fix helmets, help with any equipment they might need for practice and if someone gets a minor injury I can help with that as well. During games I keep water bottles full and carry a crate along the sideline for the players, and at timeouts I take water on the field, I also take care of minor injuries that I can help with and if a player needs their helmet pumped with air or needs something else along those lines I take care of that. 

Warren: During practice we get all the equipment and water out for them, and film practice, then we put it all away when practice is done during games we carry crates of water down the sideline. 

Roever: During practice players can review and improve before that week’s game. 

Hutcherson: At practice all of the managers normally get out all equipment the coaches need for that day of practice and get out water for the boys. We also film the practice that the boys watch with the coaches and set up the endzone. Friday nights are a lot easier than practices there isn’t a lot we have to do except make sure the boys get water. All managers have a job assigned during the game. Two of us will run out and give the boys water during timeouts and the referees, two of us will fill water, and two of us will make sure the boys coming off the field get water.  

J. Pedroza: I tape wrists at the beginning of practice. During practice I just make sure the water bottles are full and at the end of practice I wrap ice on players who need it. I tape wrists at the beginning of games. During games we take turns doing multiple jobs with the water. And at the end of games I still wrap ice. 

Monroe: At practice I help fill water bottles and the water boy and bring out all the equipment that they use during practice and sometimes I go up to the press box and film practice. At games I help with wrap wrists and bring out the water and walk on the sidelines to make sure the players stay back and run water out to the referees and the players out on the field during timeouts. 

Did you know a lot of people in football beforehand? 

N. Pedroza: I knew of most football players but I didn’t really have a friendship with many besides those I had classes with. Now I am friends with most of, if not all, the player on the team and I feel like it’s just a great thing to be a part of. To me they are all like my family, a bunch of big brothers I can count on.

Warren: I knew a couple student trainers and I knew several football players beforehand I have met so many people doing this and I wouldn’t trade anything for it. 

Roever: I knew a few people before I started. I had met Coach Bless and [a] few other coaches as well as well as Val, who is the athletic trainer for football. I met so many new people and this whole experience has been both beneficial and fun.

Hutcherson: Beforehand I knew a few freshman football players then I met Coach McGrath because he is my older brother’s teacher of record and then I got into managing that way. I started managing the freshman team then I moved up and now I do varsity and JV. I only help freshman when they absolutely need it. I’ve met all the football players on all teams and all the coaches and I would say that is a pretty large amount of people. 

J. Pedroza:  I know a lot of the freshmen but not as many guys in 10th-12th grade.  

Monroe: I knew a few people on the football team and a few of the managers before I became one but since I joined football I’ve met a lot more people and they all make football a lot more fun.