According to Thomas, managing a team can allow students to still be active in a sport without the time-intensive commitment of playing on a varsity team.

“I played lacrosse in the past and I really loved it, but this year I didn’t have time to make a full commitment to a sport,” Thomas said. “I wanted to stay involved with the team as much as I could because I really love the team.”

The girls’ varsity lacrosse manager, junior Ella Thomas, said she enjoys helping the coaches complete various tasks for the team.

“My job during the games is to keep track of the player stats, which helps the coaches know where to put the players. (I also) pick the starters and (help) strategize,” Thomas said. “This helps the coaches focus on coaching.”

Park athletic director Andy Ewald said he believes student sports managers have the potential to have a big impact on each team.

“Some sports have consistent sports managers every year, and some have it for one year and not the next. A lot of it comes down to if there are students who want to take on that role, and the coaches who would love to have the help,” Ewald said.

Coach Kyle Sweeney said Thomas has contributed to the lacrosse team immensely.

“We need someone to take (stats) and Ella used to play lacrosse, so she knows really what all of that means” Sweeney said.

Thomas said she has been able to be involved in many different aspects of the sport such as the team bondings and supporting the players by using her past experiences.

“I go on the buses with them to go to away games and I’m involved in all the team huddles,” Thomas said. “I’m part of the team because I know the sport very well and can help out with tips and things that I see.”

Ewald said the only requirements of being a manager are communicating with the coaches and helping the team as much as possible.

“Ultimately it’s a mutual agreement between the students and the coaches, and then they have to fill out some paperwork with us — just doing the checks and balances,” Ewald said.