This year’s spring sports managers have put hard work into promoting and supporting the teams they are a part of.

“game day. panther park. 6 pm.” reads the @pfhsbaseball instagram photo caption, under thematic and skillfully edited photos of Potomac Falls’ baseball players. The posts, along with frequently updated stories, have garnered the Potomac Falls Baseball’s instagram account over 300 followers; a relatively large following when compared to the other accounts dedicated to specific school sports teams. 

But who takes the time to promote the team and earn them their relevant social media credit? It would be none other than the student managers who help out in more areas than just the team’s marketing. Junior Ellie Campbell is a manager for baseball this year, and the talent behind the Instagram account as well. “I feel a lot of creative freedom when it comes to creating content for Instagram,” said Campbell. 

Calling her role as the social media operator a “fun side hustle”. Campbell also partakes in other managerial tasks that she must complete in order to keep operations running smoothly. Managing duties consist of “plugging stats into Game Changer during the game, controlling the scoreboard, making the warmup playlist, and anything else that the coaches need,” said Campbell. 

Campbell has had a connection to Potomac Falls Baseball since long before her career as a manager, as her brother, alumni Jack Campbell was a varsity baseball player who got his senior season cut short in 2020 due to the pandemic. “It’s special to me because Jack and my Family had such a good connection with all of the coaches and everyone was bummed when he couldn’t play his senior year. I just felt like it was something I could keep the family name apart of.” said Campbell. 

Including Baseball, there are nine other spring sports with managers across the board. Sophomore Antonia Phonseya, who managed boys basketball, took her enjoyment for managing out to the field, where she now manages boys lacrosse. “I chose to manage because I wanted to still be involved with the sport of lacrosse even though I’m not playing this year,” said Phonseya. 

Phonseya, with her experience with managing both basketball and lacrosse in what she describes as “completely different environments”, has realized that she enjoys managing lacrosse more because she feels like she can fit in more. 

Inspiration to begin managing can be drawn from different sources, whether it is a passion for the sport, because of friends on the team, or because of the dedication and hardworking nature it displays. “I was inspired to become a manager because I had friends on the team encouraging me too, as well as having one of my best friends, Ani Dykes, who wanted to join too,” said junior Maya Kassir, who manages boys soccer this year. 

Kassir has watched the team grow from her role on the sidelines. “Managing soccer is special to me because of the sportsmanship seen from the team.” Players have made her feel welcome, despite the fact that she is not playing on the field alongside them. 

“I try to connect with the team by always joining in conversations and making friends with the players. I have already built tons of new friendships with the players, which makes me feel really connected,” said Kassir.

Kassir also prides herself on running the Boys Soccer Instagram account, @pfhsboyssoceer, another sport account that has gained a large following. Keeping the school’s motif present through only using colors like black, white, and purple, Kassir emphasizes keeping her posts consistent. “I have a certain template for every type of post like final score posts after a game, or game day posts, or the day before a game post,” said Kassir.

The dedication displayed by managers does not go unnoticed by parents, coaches, or players. Whether it is spending time doing the simplest of housekeeping tasks to watching games play by play, managers have to bring their game faces alongside players. 

Junior Riley Shipley, who manages Girls Soccer, described what her typical tasks look like as a manager. “I basically help with anything that the coaches or players need at the time. I make sure the ball bag is there. For home games I play the warm up music, then I have to collect the Roster from the opposing team. When the game starts I announce the starting lineup for both teams and play the National Anthem. Once the game starts I run down to the sidelines and I am in charge of the clock,” said Shipley. It is a job that keeps these students on their feet, and always prepared to help out.

Without the commitment of a manager, the team would not have the same sense of efficacy and togetherness.“I think that my skills have been reflected on the team by them knowing they have someone who will do anything they need in the moment they need it, no matter what it is,” said Shipley. 

Junior Asly Arif, who manages baseball alongside Campbell, also thinks that their managing skills have made an impact on the team as a whole, serving as inspiration for how both the managers and players should aspire to be. “I think our managing skills are reflected on the team because of how our persistence rubs off on the players creating a determined environment, where slacking off is prohibited,” said Arif. 

While the managers may not be the one scoring the goals or getting the homeruns, the sense of comfort they bring to a team is essential. Building camaraderie and developing relationships with players have helped these students realize the joys of managing. Building a team is one thing, but maintaining and supporting a team is another side to sports that these managers have become experts in.