The team behind the team

Behind every great team are student managers. To the coaches and players, they are indispensable, arriving well before the first whistle and staying long after the final play. Their duties are broad and are constantly evolving, from analyzing statistics to filling up water bottles. They embody the same commitment and passion as the athletes they support. They are the team behind the team.

To the managers themselves the role is more than a job — it’s a way to stay connected to a sport they love (and sometimes played themselves), contribute to something bigger than themselves, build relationships, and for some lay the foundation for a career in sports.

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Debora Ortega-Maldonado ’26

Football Team

Ortega-Maldonado, who took her high school manager’s job to Harvard football, is proud of the two Ivy Championships the team has earned during her watch.

“The most rewarding part of my job is getting to see how all the practice the team does and all their hard work is transferred over to game day,” she says.

Ortega-Maldonado is at every practice and game. Unlike the players, who follow strict schedules, managers set their hours themselves, balancing their responsibilities with an equally, if not more, time-consuming commitment.

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Michael Poirier, J.D. ’25

Men’s Basketball Team

“I’ve wanted to work in the NBA since I was a kid, so this has only reinforced that dream,” says Poirier.

A former player at Lakehead University, Poirier now plays a pivotal role in the inner workings of the men’s basketball team while balancing his studies as a 3L at Harvard Law School. His managerial work ranges from watching game films and tracking statistics to assisting with recruiting materials. Even small matters like setting up chairs during timeouts fall to him.

“It’s one of my favorite parts of my Harvard experience,” he says of his role as a student manager.

Tommy Amaker, the Thomas G. Stemberg ’71 Family Endowed Head Coach, emphasizes the vital role students like Poirier play in the program: “Our student managers are as important as anyone in our basketball program. They work incredibly hard and show an unwavering commitment. Our success is directly tied to our managers.”

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Claire Pak ’26

Women’s Lacrosse Team

For Pak, the best part of working with the women’s lacrosse team is the relationships she has built with players and coaches. She has “gotten incredibly close to many girls on the team,” says the Quincy House resident.

Pak supports the team “in every way,” managing equipment, filming practices, inputting and analyzing key statistics, and making sure the snack bin is always full. The work requires sacrifice. She spends from eight to 12 hours each week with the team and sacrifices her weekends to travel to games.

“It’s all worth it,” she says.

Devon Wills, the Carole Kleinfelder Head Coach for Harvard Women’s Lacrosse, says, “Our student managers, especially Claire, … are the backbone of our team, ensuring that all the little details are taken care of at practice and on game days so we can focus on performing.”

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Andrea Tchinda ’27

Women’s Basketball Team

Tchinda had played her sport in high school and arrived at Harvard knowing she wanted to work with the women’s basketball team. The summer before her first year, she emailed Carrie Moore, the Kathy Delaney-Smith Head Coach for Harvard Women’s Basketball, to be sure she would be able to start as a manager on her first day. She stresses the importance of believing in the team’s mission and working toward maximizing their goals.

“A lot of times this means putting the team before yourself, even though you are not a player or a coach,” she says.

Moore recognizes this commitment, explaining that Tchinda “has a love for the game of basketball, but also a genuine love for our players and staff.”

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Andrew Arkow ’27

Men’s Tennis Team

As the men’s tennis student manager, Arkow finds himself handling everything from video analytics and logistical support to operating the scoreboard and picking up freshly strung rackets.

Arkow is also a member of the team, but his connection to Harvard tennis runs even deeper — his brother, David, played for the Crimson from 2020 to 2024.

“Tennis has always been a big part of my life,” he says. The extra work as student manager is worth it — to help make the coaches’ and players’ “lives a little less stressful.”