Moments on the court, the ice and the field can be unforgettable, but there are unsung heroes of our athletic department, our team managers and staff. These hardworking people make everything gel together to make operations run smoothly.
This week, I interviewed the head manager for the women’s basketball team here at the University of Maine and we took a deep dive into what life looks like as a manager.
Quincy Clifford is a fourth-year student, and she has always had an affinity for the world of athletics. She played sports in her childhood and got into team management early in life.
“Athletics is where I feel most at home … I had injuries like all of growing up, from sixth grade through my junior year of high school. I wanted to be involved athletically, and [my former coaching staff] wanted me to be involved too.”
Although Clifford dealt with injuries that would keep her sidelined, she still used her voice and passion to contribute to the game, managing both her basketball and softball teams in high school. She carried that experience to college to lift her to an important role today.
“It varies day-to-day … I come to practice, I run the shot clock and a lot of times book a lot of restaurants all at once. Sitting at practice anytime I’m not running the shot clock, I’m researching where we’re going … everyday I’m just trying to work through those little things.”
Practice is one thing, but gameday is where Clifford’s work really gets hectic. From locker room management to assistance with athletic training, the job can be busy, and if something goes wrong, team managers are on call to fix it.
“All those little things that seem pretty miniscule or tedious, I strive to make sure all of those tedious things happen, so that things go efficiently.”
It is true that these tasks can seem easy or unimportant to fans just focused on the game, but what they might not understand is how all of these things add up to the bigger picture. Without a solid manager, teams can be left scrambling for necessities like hydration, food after games or travel plans. Managers’ work is essential to everything off the court.
And even on the court, their work is still demanding. Coach Amy Vachon, the winningest coach in UMaine women’s basketball history, leans on Clifford for on-the-fly needs for her players.
“Well, I love the coaching staff here, I think the team is really a family … Coach Amy never fails to greet me or any of the other managers here, but she expects a lot out of everyone at practice, from the top player down to the scout team. In practice, she’s just as demanding as she is on the court. Practice is live and she’s expecting the same thing she expects out of us in a game.”
Being a team manager has proven to be not just a title, but a key piece of the women’s basketball team. Clifford and the rest of our team managers at UMaine all play important roles in the success of our athletics, and the effort is apparent. For Quincy Clifford, that effort is what matters the most. Putting her all into every task she handles sets her team up for success and leaves behind a standard for those who come after her. She was even awarded with a ring of her own after the Women’s basketball team won the America East championship in 2024.
“Right now, the dream would probably be to be hired by a university where I can keep taking classes and pursuing my interests, to keep learning and growing on those. Content creation and operations are two things that kind of constantly call to me in the athletics world, because I just love people, I love to talk to people, I love to create things so as much as I can be in an event space, whether that’s filming or just helping run an event, that’s what I really want to do.”
You can follow Clifford’s journey not only as a basketball manager, but as a supervisor for our university’s club sports @umaineclubsports on Instagram.
