As a lifelong ISU fan and former basketball player, Stacy Moeller decided to continue her passions when she came to Iowa State.

She signed on as a sports manager for the ISU women’s basketball team.

Managers’ contributions often get overlooked, but assistant coach Latoja Harris said the managers are one of the most important parts to the team.

“If we didn’t have managers our program wouldn’t be successful,” Harris said. “They mean everything to us.”

When hiring basketball managers, Harris looks for applicants that have experience with the game. She said she often asks students on the scout team if they are interested. The Academic Advising Center is also involved in the process. They send over students that are in the sports management program.

Moeller, who is one of the three women’s basketball managers, is in her third year on the job and said she loves it.

The duties sports managers handle depend on the class schedule of the manager. Currently, Moeller works two hours a day in the office, helps with the one-on-one sessions and attends meetings.

It adds up to about 20 hours per week for each manager, but when the season starts it becomes a full-time job. Moeller said she will work from 12 to 6 p.m., not including travel and actual games. “We do anything the coaches need,” Moeller said.

Harris said the managers duties go beyond just the basics.

“They help out by rebounding for the girls, do laundry and mop floors,” she said. “One of the managers wants to get into coaching, so he asked to help out with recruiting.”

Harris said managers are also in charge of exchanging game tapes with the competition and combining highlight videos of opposing teams. This footage is used to monitor the tendencies and moves of the competition.

During tournaments held at Hilton Coliseum, the mangers spend all day in the arena answering questions and taking care of the other teams participating.

While the job is enjoyable, Moeller said it does throw a kink into academic schedules. She said managers often miss classes.

“The professors are pretty easy going when you have to miss class,” Moeller said. “You just have to get things done ahead of time.”

Even though the managers don’t see playing time on the court, Moeller said it doesn’t seem like she’s an outsider at all.

“The girls appreciate everything we do and don’t take us for granted,” Moeller said. “I feel like we are part of the team — in fact, I live with Lindsey Wilson and Holly Bordewyk. The whole team hangs out together during road trips.”

Despite all the long hours, commitment and sacrifices that go with the job, the managers have fun on the job.

“How could you complain?” Moeller said. “We get to travel and get paid to be a fan.”

While Moeller had no problems getting her job it was much tougher for Nick Determan to become a sports manager for the ISU football team.

Determan, a Sioux City native, had a neighbor who was a former ISU assistant athletic director. He still had connections at Iowa State and knew that Determan grew up an ISU fan and loved football.

The neighbor helped Determan get the job, and he has been on the staff for the last four years.

Determan said the 10 football managers handle jobs similar to those of the basketball managers, and also handle the equipment, getting it to practice and testing it for problems.

Determan said each manager is designated a unit for a specific coach. Each unit is in charge of about five drills each practice.

During the off-season the managers help out with conditioning and spring practices. Determan also works full-time during the summer in the equipment room.

The job can become very time-consuming, Determan said. He said each manager puts in about 40 hours per week, plus travel time.

“You put in a lot of time, so you have to love your job,” Determan said. “Winning helps; my first year we went 4-7 which was frustrating and no fun because everyone fought with each other.”

After two consecutive seasons in which the team advanced to a bowl game, Determan said the wins also make him proud to be associated with the program.

“I feel like I am part of the team; when the team wins, I feel like I have won,” Determan said. “Coach Mac says that we are part of the family and often gives us recognition.”