This is a weekly series in which our staff will pick a manager of a different sport to interview and highlight. Our first manager of the week is boys soccer manager Rachel Lees.

The Voice: What sport do you manage?

Rachel Lees: Boys soccer.

TV: Why did you decide to manage this team?

RL: I decided to manage the boys soccer team because the majority of the team are seniors I know very well. I don’t have a fall sport so I wanted to get involved my senior year.

TV: What are your duties as Boys Soccer Manager?

RL: I record the goals, get the boys water on timeouts, and attend every game. Sometimes I will do little things like tape minor injuries. My most important job is the shot chart. I get to experience the team atmosphere and see the season from the boy’s’ point of view. I was able to learn the game this season.

TV: If you could go back in time, would you manage boys soccer for all of your high school career?

RL: Yes, definitely. I would definitely manage boys soccer because you get to see a different competitive side of your friends as well as spending countless hours with all of them. It was a really great experience. The boys made me feel just like family from the start, so it was an easy adjustment.

TV: What did you learn?

RL: The biggest thing I learned was the concept of off sides. I did not fully understand this concept until the last game, when it finally clicked. I learned how to give support and how to help the guys even if it meant just being there for moral support.

TV: Who is one boys soccer player you didn’t know well coming into the season but now know well?

RL: Greg Lewis and Robi Ullah. Both of these boys were underclassmen so I didn’t know them as well as I did the seniors. Robi is very quiet but extremely sweet and Greg is very funny and has a good personality.  

When asked about manager Rachel Lees, senior soccer player Henrik Ernst said that “she was definitely there all the time. If you’re putting in the effort to show up all the time, that definitely means something. She definitely did the job right and learned the game as the season went on. Might have got scared at some times. She was a great manager. We definitely appreciated Rachel a lot, as a manager. I’m excited to see her at the banquet in a few weeks.”

Being a manager gives Triton students the opportunity to experience a Triton sports team atmosphere without the demanding time requirement of a varsity sport. Managers attend games and fulfill a number of different responsibilities, varying sport by sport. With the winter season approaching, students have the opportunity to volunteer to manage one of the programs that Triton has to offer. See winter sports coaches for more details.