Football
Name: Caroline Allen ’20
For how long have you managed the football team?
I started managing last spring, so my freshman spring, and I’ve been doing it ever since.
Why did you apply?
I want to work in sports when I’m older so I thought it was a good opening opportunity, but I also applied
to football specifically because I really like football and I knew they had a really good community and
that it was a great team to be a part of.
What are your responsibilities on the team?
I film games and practices, so I help set up before practices, and then I also travel with the team. For that,
I make sure that I get to the hotel first and make sure the hotel and all of the other logistical stuff is in order.
How many hours of work is it in season versus out of season?
It’s probably 20 hours a week in the fall, but that doesn’t include travel time, so if that was included
probably like 30 hours a week. Nothing in the winter, and then in the spring it’s 10 hours I think, upwards
of 10, somewhere around there.
How many other managers work with the team?
I’d say I’m the only really consistent manager; other people come to film, but they’re usually here for one term. Injured players are also managers, but I play a different role than they do.
What is your favorite part of being a manager, and what is the hardest part of being a manager?
My favorite part of being a manager is being a part of the team. Every time we win I feel like I won too, and I don’t think any of the players would say otherwise; they think of me as part of the team. I played a lot of sports in high school so I really loved team things, and I didn’t get to do that at Dartmouth, so becoming a part of football has been extraordinary because I get to be with them. I also enjoy just watching the games. We had an amazing season, so it was just really fun. The hardest part of the job is the weather; it’s really cold.
What is your favorite memory?
The Yale game this season. My main role as manager is I film games, so I’m next to the other teams’ filmers. During the Yale game, when we were losing 21-0, one of the Yale guys was like, “Oh, do you think we can still be friends after this game?” And I was like, “Haha,” and was really upset with the game. We then came back and won the game. It was Homecoming and it was the best feeling ever, and I turned to the guy and I was like, “Can we still be friends?” and he said, “No.” That was the most exciting time as a manager because I felt like, ‘Yeah we won.’ Coming down to the field at the end, being there while the team sang the alma mater and just feeling like a part of the team and walking out with all of them is just the best feeling. It’s cool that I get to be on the field with them when we all win together.
Men's Soccer
Name: JoJo Boyle ’20
For how long have you managed the men’s soccer team?
I started my second week of freshman fall, so almost two years now.
Why did you apply?
I knew I wanted an on-campus job and was looking through the Jobnet positions. I came across the soccer manager application and thought that would
be a really fun and rewarding job. I grew up playing soccer, but quit when I got serious about dance. I always missed team sports, but still kept up with soccer and went to all of the games at my high school. Being hired for four years was a daunting decision to make, but I figured I would prefer a job that I could find a community in rather than a part-time gig at a coffee shop or sitting alone at a desk.
What do your responsibilities include?
I work with the coaches in the office most of the year. I help with organizing their recruiting camps, preparing for the upcoming season and other office work like reconciling corporate expenses. In season, I organize all pregame and postgame meals. The 30 guys constantly need food and snacks, so that’s actually a huge job in and of itself. I help with organizing details of travel games, including the hotels and transportation, and I film all of those games, too. Mainly, I help the coaching staff make sure everything is organized and all the logistics are running smoothly so they can focus on coaching and the guys can focus on training.
How many hours of work is it in season versus out of season?
In season, it depends on how many games we have in a week and whether or not we are traveling. Each home game requires about eight hours of my time. Some travel games take eight hours, some take a whole weekend. On top of all of the games, I work in the office about eight hours per week. I’d say an average week in season is about 25 to 30 hours, not including sleeping if we travel. Out of season, it’s eight to 10. The coaches are lenient about me choosing my hours and they always let me work around my class schedule. I don’t have to attend practices or lifts unless I choose to.
What is your favorite part of being a manager, and what is the hardest part of being a manager?
My favorite part of being a manager is getting to be part of a sports team on campus without all of the hard work and time Division I athletes have to put in. I love knowing and spending time with the guys on the team. Coaches Chad Riley, Brian Plotkin and Ryan Fahey have became kind of like uncles to me. It was so fun working with them; the three of them just recently transferred to coach at the University of Notre Dame. The hardest part is getting all of my homework done on the weekends we travel. Being on the bus takes up a lot of time, and it’s hard to concentrate when all you want to do is take a nap. It has really opened my eyes to how difficult it is for student athletes to juggle the full-time job of being on a Division I sports team and the demanding coursework of an Ivy League school.
What is something you know about the team that most people wouldn’t know?
Sometimes, if we win a game on the road, we’ll watch a movie on the ride back to Dartmouth. The last time this happened, the guys collectively voted on watching “Frozen” and sang all of the lyrics to “For The First Time in Forever.”
Men's Basketball
Name: Josh Tanenbaum ’20
For how long have you managed the men’s basketball team?
I’m a sophomore, so this is the end of my second year. I started the first week of my freshman year.
Why did you apply?
I love basketball and I was looking to learn as much as I can about it. I’m hoping to work in basketball some day.
What do your responsibilities include?
Anything they ask me to do. I’ll do anything from mopping the floor during practice, managing the equipment,
pumping up balls, loading up the shooting machines, running around doing errands or doing laundry — the glory work.
Do they travel with the team when they go away?
Yup, on the road I manage all of the equipment and the food.
How many hours of work is it in season versus out of season?
It depends on the season, but we usually have six practices a week, and then I’m rebounding for guys individually
whenever they text me. Something like 25 hours a week, and more on the road, but I don’t really count that.
What is your favorite part of being a manager, and what is the hardest part of being a manager?
My favorite part is just being able to hang out with all of the guys, I’d say. They are all great guys and I’m grateful that they have accepted me and have given me the opportunity to learn and have a lot of fun. The hardest part is managing all the different responsibilities that I get. I don’t really report to any one person, so sometimes I get three different requests from different coaches and players, and sometimes it’s actually impossible to do all of the things, unless they added extra hours to the day.
What is something you know about the team that most people wouldn’t know?
One of the biggest kids on the team — he’s about six feet seven inches — is afraid of spiders. There are occasionally spiders in the gym, and in the middle of practice, he spotted one and flew into the air. One of the coaches stretches a lot, that’s another thing I can think of. When I am in the office doing paperwork, I’ll walk by this coach’s office and he is on the floor in some advanced yoga pose.
What keeps you coming back to the job?
If you aren’t doing anything, it is easy to fill that time with a lot of nothingness. Most of the time it helps me focus and keeps me efficient. You can’t mess around when you do have time off — you have to get your work done.
Anything else you want to add?
One of the aspects of being a team manager that is very different from the typical student day or Dartmouth experience is that it’s very humbling. You have to work with other people and just do what you are told, and I feel like that has made me a better person.
Name: Jack Kurtz ’21
For how long have you managed the men’s basketball team?
I started working at the beginning of this term.
Why did you apply?
I was really into basketball; that was my favorite sport growing up. I watched it a lot and I wanted to get involved
in any way that I could.
What do your responsibilities include?
During practices or workouts, I rebound for the guys. I help out with the drills, really anything that the coaches need help with.
In the office, I help send out emails and do some office work.
What is your favorite part of being a manager, and what is the hardest part of being a manager?
I think my favorite part of being a manager has just been being a part of the team and just helping out and getting to see how
practices are run. I’m learning a lot about basketball and more advanced concepts. I think the hardest part is definitely the time
commitment. There is a lot of time involved, so you have to be good about balancing your work and managing responsibilities.
What is something you know about the team that most people wouldn’t know?
I guess you get to see a different side of the coaches and the guys. A lot of people will think that all the coaches or players are pretty serious, but they will joke around after practice and are all pretty regular guys.
What are you looking forward to going forward as a manager, and into season?
Next winter, I’m looking forward to helping out in-season. I definitely want to get involved with more statistical work and try to help the team get better in any way that I can.
