Highlighting a devoted group of Cortland students who help the Dragons win football games.
In every organization the demand for leadership and assistance is vital. Despite this, most would say their corporation is understaffed in these two key areas.
That is one thing the Cortland Red Dragon football team cannot say.
Led by a staff mixed with seasoned and up-and-coming coaches, the team is in good hands. Included in the staff is the program’s set of student assistants or managers. These Cortland students get the chance to build a resume while they assist in the preparation of equipment, film, and on-field procedures.
In many instances managers are former players, whether in high school or college. They often still have a fire for the sport and operate daily activities to work toward common success.
That’s the case for head manager Dom Isabell, who helps the Red Dragon quarterbacks prepare week in and week out. He said, “managing has provided me with the basis for my football knowledge and approach to the game.”
In the case of running backs coach Joseph Mack, the same is true. After enduring a challenging journey as a former player to the managerial staff, Mack was named an assistant coach for the Dragons this spring.
When speaking on a normal week of preparation, he said, “I would watch the film with the position group, help with quarterback drills, and signal during team periods. Essentially being an extension of the coaching staff.” Mack went on to say, “becoming a student assistant/manager was one of the best decisions I made for my career goals and aspirations.”
While these two offensive gurus share the same aptness for football, others play an even more crucial role for the team. CJ Johnson and Alyssa LaBelle team up on the digital creation side. They create everything from game day posts to funny videos each week during the season. These videos serve as comic relief for much of the team, but are also a simple way to accentuate the Dragons to fans and future recruits.
Johnson, who is also a social media and content creator for SUNY Cortland, said, “we wanted to project the behind-the-scenes content within the Cortland football program by showing the ins and outs of the lives of our student-athletes. This made our fans feel like they were a part of our team.”
Because of the consistency the student-assistants perform with, as well as their prowess in their roles, they have developed vital relationships with players. Some are encapsulated by football, or nurtured in relation to winning, while others are more peer-on-peer connections. Both are needed and appreciated.
LaBelle, one of two female members of the managerial staff, claimed, “I made friends and relationships to last me a lifetime. There was no better feeling than seeing all those players achieve what they worked so hard for.”
A set of twenty Cortland students had the opportunity to go to Yankee Stadium because of their efforts as managers. In front of 40,000 fans, these students were crucial contributors to the Red Dragons’ on-field success.