York’s soccer managers sign off after the season

Gallery • 3 Photos

Unknown

Managers Evelyn Popoca and Sofia Malagon sitting down before attending their manager duties.

Managers out. Senior Evelyn Popoca and Sofia Malagon share their experience managing the boys’ varsity soccer team since their junior year at York before graduating, which opens their positions for interested students.

The two seniors would keep stats, take photos, and run the soccer team’s social media accounts. Even though Popoca and Malagon managed their junior year by themselves during their senior year, Javier Jimenez, another senior at York, decided to join them for their last year to support former teammates and childhood friends.

“Some of the main reasons that led me to want to manage the soccer team was the fact that many of these guys were my teammates for years and I wanted to see them play their last year out,” Jimenez said. “After seeing a lot of them make the team I really wanted to watch them play and see [the] great things they were going to be able to accomplish at the varsity level.”

For Popoca managing the soccer team began as a way to spend more time watching and being a part of the sport she loves. Having it be a big part of her high school career, as she played it in the spring and managed it in the fall.

“I came to the conclusion that managing was a good option for me, given the fact that I play soccer myself and I really enjoy watching it as well,” Popoca said. “It’s been a huge part of my life so I thought you know what, why not do it and incorporate a new aspect of it into my life.”

Managing the team for another year was a great opportunity for Popoca and Malagon to incorporate the sport they love and play more into their lives. It also gave them the opportunity to spend time with their close friends and meet new people.

“Some of the reasons that led me to manage the soccer team this year was to do it with my best friends but also taking more of an interest in doing social media and coordinating the instagram,” Malagon said. “Getting to learn more about that with the announcing but mostly just the social aspect [of] getting to make friends last year and this year.”

When it comes down to managing a boys soccer team, it is not an easy task even though you get to spend time with people you may know, and get to ride on the bus for away games. Managing a boy’s team while being the only two girls on the team can have its difficulties.

“As great as the social aspect is, being one out of two girls with a ton of boy’s can be really difficult to be accepted at the beginning,” Malagon said. “But overtime I am grateful enough to call some of them closer friends.”

Interacting with others can sometimes be easy; however, there are times where it is really stressful when it is with a big group like York’s boys varsity soccer team. Having to get used to the boys and create conversation, whether it be at practice, games, the bus ride or even warmups was necessary. Running the social media accounts had its difficulties at the beginning.

“The most difficult thing was figuring out what to tweet,” Popoca said. “At times I felt like I was just repeating the same tweets over and over again. Especially because they kept winning so I had to keep coming up with winning tweets, so that became difficult at times but it was pretty easy to fix after a while.“

Once obtaining the experience with managing the social media accounts, it became easier to be creative with the posts, in which the team’s accomplishments were celebrated with their supporters. Eventually everything seemed to fall into place, and the nerves would go away, allowing beautiful bonds to flourish as the season progressed.

“I think it was really great to have Sofie, Evelyn, and Javier as team managers because they really did fit the description. They were really supportive and they understood us, they were always there whenever they got the chance to be there,” Captain Hernandez said. “Whenever I needed some people to talk to for support before the games apart from soccer like mentally. I knew I could always count on the managers. They were there for me, I really liked it and was really grateful to have them on the team.”

While the managers attended games to help with social media and smaller tasks, they were also there to support the team and players. Helping out in any way they could, from being the personal photographers of the team to giving individual pep talks to anyone who was in need of one. Spending so much time with the team created many fun and special moments that were shared along the way.

“We were coming back from a game. I forgot what game it was but I think it was during the playoffs where we were all singing and you know we were just dancing so it was fun.” Captain Herrera said.

Celebrations after winning came in different forms, whether it was sending out a quick tweet, or posting a picture of the scoreboard to having small concerts in a yellow bus. Everyone gathered around sharing the music they love and cherishing that special moment. When deciding to take on the role of a manager, there are certain qualities that the team and the coaches are looking for. The social aspect is only one part of the job; there are responsibilities and expectations given to them just like the players on the team.

“For a manager the number one thing I’m looking for is a go-getter, someone that obviously be able to do things without being told,” Coach Stopka said. “Understand what’s needed and just kind of do it without me having to tell them is a big thing for me and also just outgoing and easy to get along with because over time we kind of form a good little relationship and once the expectations are known it’s a pretty easy job. But you have to prove to me that you can do it the first time.”

As fun as getting to hang out with friends or watch the sport the managers love, they had responsibilities they needed to fulfill throughout the season. Managers are an extra set of helpers to the coaches so no time is wasted and the coaches can keep their focus on the game or practice. Attending games and showing up for the players to cheer them on is something important to establish close bonds.

“Just the dedication to go to the games [to] be able to you know be on the bus rides like it was fun going back from games,” Captain Herrera said.

Popoca and Malagon were gladly able to offer help during their junior and senior years, along with Jimenez, who joined them this year. Establishing great content for social media with the help of Elmhurst parents and creating different memories that will continue to be a part of them.

“We’d always have these little candid conversations and laugh about inside jokes and such. I got along so well with both of them,” Coach Stopka said. “I think once we’d formed that bond and that connection it’s kind of natural from there on out, so I enjoyed almost every interaction I had with those two girls. They were wonderful.”

It’s the act of putting yourself out there and deciding to participate in the community at York that makes managers special. The fact that no one came to them but rather they went looking to help around the school in any way they could. Popoca and Malagon were the only two girls on the team both years they proposed to themselves to surpass any nerves that arose to make their last year of managing special.