You need to love the game of football and working with student-athletes. You never know when a helmet will go down in practice or a game. Your helmet company sells them. Additional tips √ Uniform washing after games. My suggestion is if the school has commercial washing machines on site, wash the uniforms as soon as you collect them or get them home after a game. Fresh stains come out very easy when you use detergent with enzymes. A second wash on more soiled items may be required with a spotter for grass and black field turf burns. Warm water of 119 degrees works best. Hang dry when possible, because heated dryers can do harm to uniforms. √ Examining communication systems. Communication systems today are wireless, and the features are great. If you're not using wireless sidelines communication, it's time to give serious consideration to making the change. The wireless systems have longer battery power, require no base station or belt packs, and some will switch channels automatically to avoid interference. You also can connect more than 15 coaches. Some wireless systems take all night to charge, but some units need three hours or less. Regardless, it's a good idea to make sure that sometime during the week of the game you charge the batteries rather than wait until the night before. These are the major concerns I need to address in the life of a high school equipment manager. It's really a 12-month job that takes a lot of organizational skills. You need to love the game of football and working with student-athletes. The job and functions you perform to support your coaches and team are essential needs for football operations. Kevin LeFevre is the equipment manager for Deerfield (Illinois) High School athletics. SIGN UP NOW coachad.com/signup COACHAD.COM 41 Choose #124 online COACH AND ATHLETIC DIRECTOR Get More fromhttp://www.coachad.com/signup http://www.COACHAD.COM