Challenges For Female Equipment Managers

By Kristen Beer, E.M.,C

Female equipment managers face many challenges when working with football teams. For many decades, the sport has been dominated by men with women playing only minor roles, if any. As society and football continue to grow, women are starting to emerge in a variety of roles that once were thought to be reserved for males.

Positions in football have been, in particular, among the hardest for female equipment managers to obtain. Many coaches and support staff have been nervous to hire females in this role because they work so closely with both coaches and athletes in a variety of settings, such as staffing the locker room, hustling out at practice, and fitting equipment.

However, a female equipment manager can handle all of these situations and overcome these skeptics. By showing respect to the coaches and players and having confidence in her ability to perform the necessary tasks, any properly trained female equipment manager can be a successful football equipment manager. Below, I discuss different obstacles female equipment managers have faced in the football world, and how they overcame these challenges to have a working and successful equipment program.

Being Pre-judged

The single biggest challenge women face as a football equipment manager is being pre-judged. Many people who work in football have apprehensions about hiring a female for football equipment management. They can be very critical in judging the female equipment manager’s ability to get the job done. They will question how she will be able to work in the locker room. Will the players be mature enough to handle it? How will she be able to pick up the laundry in the coaches and player locker rooms? Will she be able to handle her emotions when dealing with an upset coach or player? Can she handle the physical demands of the job?

The first thing a female equipment manager can do to set doubters at ease is discussing these issues and how she will handle them. Talking with the coaching staff the first day on the job is a great starting point for settling any doubts or issues. Discussing a game plan that shows how she will handle each situation of concern to a coach or administrator demonstrates that she is prepared for any scenario and will handle it with the utmost respect, maturity, and confidence.

The next big step is acting on the game plan set forth in the previous meetings. The equipment manager needs to show she can do the job because she is the right person for the job, and that it has nothing to do with being male or female. The female equipment manager can best overcome doubts by simply doing the job she knows she can do and doing it well.

Gaining Respect from Coaches and Players

Gaining respect from coaches and players is a challenge for females, but it’s not impossible. The best way to gain respect from players and coaches is by exhibiting appropriate football knowledge and putting that knowledge into action. Coaches need to know that the female equipment manager can handle working football. But they don’t want to be told that their female equipment manager can do the job, they want to see it for themselves. They need to see that the equipment manager can help out at practice, is calm under stressful situations, knows football equipment, handles being in the locker room, and carries an understanding of the game.
Ways to soothe a coach’s concern are by discussing practice schedules with them, asking questions about game day, and just being proactive overall. This will help coaches build trust in the equipment manager and the way she makes sure the equipment operations run smoothly.

Players need to know that the equipment manager, especially a female, can help keep them safe and outfitted in the appropriate gear. As a female equipment manager, it’s good to always be discussing the players’ protective equipment with them each time they have questions, concerns, or change equipment.

Keeping the same rules for all players is another way to show them respect. They need to know that they will be treated fairly and equally. No player wants to be treated as less then a teammate and if they are, this will just add to a prejudged notion and a loss of respect. Players need to know that the female equipment manager is knowledgeable so that they can trust and respect her. Once she gains that respect, it becomes an easy and rewarding job. They will treat her just as they would a male equipment manager and will be comfortable coming to her for equipment issues and needs.

Fitting
Fitting football players for protective equipment is sometimes mistakenly viewed as a difficult for female equipment managers because women typically don’t play football. However, many male equipment managers have never played football, so this is not a factor in fitting. One does not have to have played football in order to be proficient at fitting it.

When fitting protective equipment, full success is possible only when a male or female equipment manager has gained the player’s trust. Whenever I fit a player, I always explain what I am doing and why I am doing it throughout the whole process. I ask the player questions about how the equipment feels, whether we’re working on a helmet, shoulder pads, or cleats. I check each piece to make sure it properly fits and explain to the player what I am checking for. This educates them on how their equipment should properly fit and shows them that their safety is your number one priority.

The more knowledgeable you can make the player, the more trust and respect they will have for you. The more trust a player has in the ability of the equipment manager to properly fit them, the more likely it is they will be comfortable going to that equipment manager when they have questions or issues.

Working in the Football Locker Room

The locker room is often seen as a problem area for female equipment managers. However, the setting is no different for a female equipment manager than it is a male equipment manager, a female trainer, a female reporter, or even a female doctor. The female equipment manager has a purpose in the locker room, which is to help players with equipment needs and issues—the same purpose a male equipment manager has. Of course, female equipment managers should demonstrate the same level of professionalism as a male equipment manager. She has to make sure she is in there only when she needs to be. Showing she is in the locker room only to do her job helps the female equipment manager gain the trust of the male athletes and their coaches.

One thing I always tell coaches and athletes is that at some point in school, everyone has taken anatomy or sex education. We all know what makes us physically different from each other and thus there are no surprises in the locker room. It is just like a female doctor dealing with a male patient. What makes the female equipment manager successful in the locker room is the level of professionalism and respect that she shows the other staff and players.

In conclusion, the challenges facing female equipment managers in football are not insurmountable. Gaining the respect and trust of coaches and players, having knowledge of protective equipment and the basics of football, displaying confidence, and being able to perform the job at a respectful and professional level will allow any female equipment manager to be successful. Getting the opportunity to prove themselves is probably the biggest challenge female equipment managers face. Once given the opportunity, any determined female equipment manager will be able to show why she is an integral part of the football program.

Kristen Beer became the Head Equipment Manager at South Dakota State athletic staff in 2015 after a spending six years at UCLA and four as assistant equipment manager. She is the primary equipment staff contact for the Jackrabbit football team and oversees the other 20 athletic programs’ equipment needs.