One of the things people think is especially cool about being a manager is that we get to travel with the team. As I explain to said people, not every manager is on every trip, but there are managers on every trip (did you follow that?). I also have to explain that while yes, it is pretty fun, we're also working and that no, I don't get paid for "sleeping time." We also miss class but are fortunate to be excused with the same policy which excuses varsity athletes. So far this season, not counting bus rides to Raleigh and Chapel Hill and a preseason scrimmage in South Carolina, I've traveled with the team twice. At the end of January I was on the trip to Tallahassee for our game against Florida State and this past weekend I was in Knoxville for our big game against Tennessee. Generally speaking, we travel there the day before our game and come home immediately after.
Like most big name programs (in men's and women's basketball), we usually fly charter. This means that we take a bus to the airport but instead of going to the commercial areas the bus takes us directly to our plane. When we get to our destination there is another bus waiting for us to take us to our hotel.
On our trip to Tallahassee I didn't actually miss any class because of how our travel schedule and my class schedule matched up. I also got to see a good friend's parents at the game. Unfortunately, we lost in overtime...
In Tennessee we got to play in front of a huge crowd and against an esteemed program. Say what you will about Tennessee not being up to par this season, that they're young and inexperienced...they're still Tennessee, they're coach is still Pat Summit and it's still a pretty big deal. We went to dinner at Coach Brown's house which was fun and really cute...and delicious! I video blogged the trip for the team/goduke.com, so as soon as I'm done editing it down I'll post a link here. Also, our hotel basically shared a parking lot with the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, so in a spare moment between shoot around and pre-game meal I wandered over there with our video coordinator (who is fabulous) to take a gander. Pretty neat stuff, I tell ya. Oh, and how could I forget to mention that we WON.
I'll likely travel next with the team to Winston Salem for our game against Wake Forest (next Wednesday) and will be in Greensboro helping with the ACC Tournament (in early March).
Until next time...Go Blue Devils!
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