Selecting the Right Team Manager

If you are on a limited budget and cannot afford an assistant coach, a student team manager can mean the difference between an enjoyable season and an administrative nightmare.

In addition to handling equipment concerns, a team manager can coordinate player conditioning, a variety of communications, match statistics and any other number of administrative duties you have that might be better delegated. The team manager's responsibilities can include the following:

Conditioning
If you have a conditioning routine that is followed on a regular basis, a team manager (or a team captain or co-captains) can lead the daily conditioning. This will free you up to begin a JV practice or private work with a team member while the team does their conditioning. You will have to meet and go over the conditioning routines with these workout leaders prior to the start of the season, and most likely lead the first few sessions of conditioning yourself.

Public Relations
If you are required to or would like to submit your team's results to the local paper after each match, the team manager can take this responsibility off your shoulders.

Team CommuniquÈs
If you have a calling chain or other system of getting messages to your team, one call to your team manager will set everything in motion. If you are using the USHSTA's new Team Web pages (available in early 2003), your team manager should have access to your password to post team notes. Additionally, if players need to get messages to you regarding absences or other concerns, they can communicate with the team manager during school hours.

Statistics
If you keep track of individually charted matches, as well as dual-match results, personal match results, conditioning results (such as the USTA Fitness Protocols), a team manager will be indispensable here.

Paperwork
If players need to submit waiver forms to you or the AD, have self-evaluation forms due, votes that need to be cast and tabulated or you have other non-critical paperwork that can be delegated, this is a job for the team manager.

Equipment and Facility Management
The team manager is responsible for making sure all ball baskets, targets, jump ropes, medicine balls, water jugs, score cards, ball machines and other practice and match needs are set up and ready to go for each practice and match. This equipment must also be put away and inventoried on a daily basis to make sure nothing is left out and lost. If there's too much equipment for one person to bring out and put away each day, the manager will be responsible for creating a schedule or chart which shows each player their days for helping with the team equipment. The team manager is also responsible for making sure the facility is policed after each practice, and before home matches. A chart assigning players their clean-up days will help here.

How to Recruit and Select a Team Manager

Step #1 -- The first step to bringing on a team manager is to meet with your athletic director to determine if a manager is allowed. Your team manager will need to travel to matches, sleep over on travel dates, eat with the team, receive a team jacket or other uniform item and possibly earn a letter.

Step #2 -- Once your AD has given you the go-ahead to bring on a manager, you'll need to determine exactly what you need this person to do so that you can write a comprehensive job description. This will ensure that you give candidates for the position a fair idea of responsibilities and how much of their time they will have to budget for this extracurricular activity. Make sure you list the benefits and rewards of being a team manager.

Step #3 -- After you have written your job description, you'll have a better idea of the qualities you'll need for your team manager. To make your selection process easier and more fair, prepare a simple application that candidates have to fill out. In addition to name, school year, and contact information, you'll want to ask about other sports they've played, any jobs they've held and require at least two teacher references. Ask potential candidates to show the job description and application to their parents and make sure you have a parent signature on the application when it's submitted to avoid spending time on candidates who are ultimately not allowed to take the job once a parent finds out what it entails.

Step #4 -- Announce the job by posting flyers around the school and by having the position announced over the PA during morning announcements. If the position will require leading and participating in daily conditioning, mention in your job description that being a team manager might be beneficial to anyone interested in studying sports medicine, exercise physiology or coaching. Let students know if the team manager will earn a letter. Give a firm deadline for applications.

Step #5 -- Review all of the applications you have received by the deadline and select the candidates you feel are most qualified for the team manager position. Remember, high school is a critical time for teens in terms of self-esteem, so be prepared to reject those who will not be interviewed gently and with an objective reason. If you can take more than one manager, or offer non-letter or assistant manager status (leading to full manager status the next year), consider doing this. Don't be surprised if you get male candidates for the manager of the girls team and vice versa.

Step #6 -- Interview qualified candidates to get a feel for their desire for this position. Make sure you ask them why they want this position, since this will be one of the most important factors in trying to determine whether or not they will take the job seriously and finish what they have started.

Step #7 -- Interview the teacher references given by your finalist candidates. Find out how these students interact with their peers; if they're responsible and get their assignments in on time; if they are respectful of authority or not; and most of all, if they are team players.

Step #8 -- Bring your team in on the decision, since the team manager may be assigning them tasks, interacting with them as your liaison, leading their conditioning, etc. This is not a popularity contest, so let your players know what the job will involve and make them tell you why they approve or disapprove of a certain candidate. Again, high school is a sensitive time for players, so your objective, adult opinion will be the one that matters most. If the entire team recoils at the thought of a particular candidate being part of the program, however, this is something you should find out before introducing the team's new manager.

Step #9 -- Extend your offer to your final candidate and ask them to sign any contracts, waivers, etc. you or your school require. Introduce them to the team, letting the team know that this person has your complete support and is an extension of you and your authority in the areas you specify.

The right team manager can make any high school tennis program more enjoyable for both the coach and team players and provides a wonderful, life-enriching opportunity for any teen-ager.

Using a thoughtful selection process, complete with comprehensive job description and application will ensure you get the best person for your team manager. A good team manager will decrease your workload, help team players enjoy a more organized season and will help your program reach its full potential.