The tireless work and attention to detail that goes into managing a high school volleyball team may seem tedious and unrewarding to others, but for junior Liam Day, it’s a world of  teamwork and collaboration. Day dedicates a large portion of his time managing his team, ensuring them with their best chances for success.

After finishing his volleyball season in 2024, Day found himself with plenty of freetime. To occupy himself, he decided to manage the Durango Girls Volleyball team.

“What inspired me to become a volleyball manager was to meet a bunch of people,” Day said.  “I wanted to build bonds with the current people I knew at Durango, and to just do something in my down period in between seasons. Practice usually consists of me helping our coach with the drills, and on game days, I would help keep stats of the team such as mistakes, what they did well, and basically write down everything they did.”

Initially, managing was a daunting experience for Day. Juggling his new responsibilities and the interpersonal aspect of his role proved difficult.

“When I first started managing, it was definitely nerve-wracking,” Day said. “There were a lot of people I had to meet and it was always stressful having to quickly get to know everyone. I had to observe everyone closely, paying attention to what they were doing, what they might be struggling with, and where they could improve. My job was to figure out how to help them fix their issues in a way that would be productive for the team.”

As a manager, Day had plenty of tasks to carry out, some more enjoyable than others. The less arduous duties allow him to take a break from his difficult daily responsibilities.

“What I enjoyed the most was running concessions,” Day said.  “It felt like a bit of a break compared to all my other tasks. Basically, my job was to sit around and wait for customers to come in, then I’d assist them when they needed something. It wasn’t as crazy or intense as other responsibilities, so it gave me a sense of relief in the middle of all the chaos.”

Through his involvement with the volleyball team, Day has not only grown as a manager, but as a person as well.

“Liam growing up was very introverted,” Day’s mother Edelyne Day said. “Since he joined volleyball, he’s become more and more sociable. He didn’t talk much about what went on in his everyday life, but he showed excitement whenever he went to play. And as for the challenges he faces, I can say there’s nothing much aside from being tired sometimes that’s why we [his parents] always tell and remind him to rest whenever he can. [With] his studies, he is always on top of his homework and grades. Overall, he balances well with his studies and being a manager in volleyball.”

Day’s time as a manager leading the team has taught him the importance of staying on top of his duties and hard work 

“[Being a manager] taught me the importance of keeping up with my responsibilities and living up to expectations,” Day said. “It helped me develop a strong work ethic which I believe helped me grow as a person. I remember my coach being upset with me for goofing off during practices and those moments made me realize how I could be better if I changed how I work.”