Strong manager, strong team: Volleyball team Welcomes its New Manager

This year, the junior varsity volleyball team welcomes Aadi Teckchandani (’27) as the new manager. Since volleyball is a sport that requires strength, endurance, and most importantly, teamwork, his role will be crucial to the team’s performance.

Journey to Manager 

Aadi initially wanted to become a player for the team, but got nervous at the last minute and decided to leave. “I was supposed to go to volleyball tryouts, and I actually went. But at the last second, I got cold feet and ran away.” However, as he left the gym, Drake’s song, “Die Trying” played in his mind. This song deeply resonated with him, and the lyric “I can’t decide if I should stay and say I tried, or I should leave and say goodbye” deeply struck him. The very next day, he emailed Ms.Young, the volleyball coach, apologizing that he missed the tryouts but still wanted to be a member of the team. He was not accepted as a player as he missed the tryouts, but Aadi continuously showed up to all of the practices until Coach Young offered him a role as the JV manager. 

Aadi’s role 

As a manager, Aadi has many roles to push forward and support the team. “A big part of my job is pushing players to be the best, both physically and mentally. Many players feel more comfortable talking to me about their problems with volleyball, so I serve as a middleman between the coach and the players.” Aadi not only supports the physical well-being of his players but also the mental well-being of his players. Aadi also helps the coach, especially when she is giving out routine drills and exercises before practice. Whenever there are games against other schools, he is in charge of the scoreboard as well as creating chants to cheer up his players. “My player, Rafael, and I even came up with the “We Love Ireneus(A member of the team)” chant, which has become quite popular. My job is to encourage and inspire players to be the best they can be, and I want them to exceed my expectations.” However, managing a team also comes with challenges. ” One challenge I face is sometimes feeling like I’m not completely part of the team. I can’t feel the same pressure they do since they’re the ones actually playing on the pitch. I often question if I’m doing enough for them or supporting them effectively.”  Despite these challenges, he continuously shows up and shows dedication to every single practice. Thanks to his dedication, his teammates clearly see his efforts.  Joshua Matthew (’27), a player of the team, stated that Aadi “Tries to put the team morale high. 
And he’s trying his best. He’s been supporting us from the beginning, and I hope that he makes varsity manager as well.” Aadi has fostered a mutual relationship between himself and his teammates, where they constantly help each other and give each other advice. 

 

Aadi’s passion and dedication show that anyone can support others even when theyre not directly involved. Aadi will continue to support his teammates so that they can enjoy volleyball and reach their full potential.