Will Watson: Managing Machine

Jake Recker | Staff Writer for The Mount

He can be seen riding the bus to cross country meets, washing the wrestling mats, and painting the soccer field. He religiously follows Mount Michael sports during every season and is at almost every sporting event with the teams. However, he does not play a single sport. Instead, senior Will Watson has been a team manager for several sports teams since the winter of his freshman year.

Will Watson

In the fall of his freshman year Watson went out for tennis but that was only because all freshman have to play a sport in the fall. “It was good to go out for a sport and meet new people but tennis was not really my thing. I wasn't too serious about it and stopped playing once the season was over,” Watson said. With tennis over, Watson had nothing to take up his time after school and as winter approached he became nervous he would suffer from extreme boredom. One day after school, he saw a sign that a manager was needed for the wrestling team. This started a managing career for Watson that would last his whole time at Mount Michael.

“I enjoyed being the manager for the wrestling team but I didn't think I would end up managing again so I was surprised the following fall when Mr. Gathje asked me to be the cross country manager,” Watson said. Watson’s sophomore year athletics became his work study so it was not a hard decision to manage for multiple sports teams. That year, he managed wrestling and cross country. By his junior year he added soccer to his repertoire and his senior year he filmed football and basketball games on top of his other duties for the athletic department. Over his years at Mount Michael, Watson has become a valuable asset to the athletics of the school. The countless time spent by Watson has made life so much easier for both athletes and coaches. He also hopes his legacy will open the way for other less-athletic students to stay involved in the sports program. “Being a manager has helped me to learn patience, leadership, and a sense of dedication,” Watson said. “It has also shaped me into a more rounded person because it has given me more insight to different aspects of sports as well as a way to feel like I am a part of each sports team.” Looking to the future, Watson would even consider managing for a team in college. He would be able to continue doing something he has grown to love.