Tales from a watergirl

TIFFIN - I've seen players go from being awful to amazing. I have heard a lot of football talk and witnessed many plays. I've been run down and had my toe broken.

I am a watergirl.

Moving onto the high school field at Clear Creek Amana with a new team has been a change for me, the coaches and the players. My best friend, freshman Zoe Dolezal, and I have worked with this group of freshmen since we were all in seventh grade, but the upperclassmen and their coaches still are adjusting to having the extra help.

It started as A.V. (Audio/Visual) Club for middle school, the coaches liked me and asked me to come back, then everyone started to come to me for managing. So for me, the game began in a whole new way.

The new environment with new players has been a struggle. The players are much bigger than me and I've learned my way around the field and how to stay out of their way so I don't break anymore toes.

On the field, my eyes are peeled. I have to focus on who is coming on and off and who needs water.

I'm still learning what each player does and needs. Four varsity players who call themselves 'Aerial Supremacy” gave me their thoughts on my job and how the game has changed for them.

'I don't really care (where you are), I just want water,” senior Travis Bowman said. But if I'm not around, Bowman notices. 'I'm kind of mad when your not here to give me water.”

These four players have unique approaches to the game. Senior quarterback Nile Rourke 'always wears the same socks.” Senior Keyan McAreavy said he gets a 'No. 1 from Jimmy Johns and wear my half sleeves” for each game.

Senior Tanner Bandy and Rourke both said 'the game has definitely slowed down a lot.”

For a water girl, the game doesn't really slow down. As part of the high school team now, we are put into full speed immediately.

We run back and forth, making sure the players have water and sometimes we even have to force them to take it. If it doesn't taste right or it's something other than water, it ends up on our shoes.

The game may have slowed down for the players, but it's only getting faster for us.

I like that everyone needs me. I like the group of guys I'm around. They treat me like one of them.

Most of all, though, I would say I do it because I love the game.