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AEMA Certification

AEMA Convention Preview

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The 45th annual Athletic Equipment Managers Association Convention begins June 3 so we asked a few District Directors and other officials about what they are looking forward to in Indianapolis.

Sam Trusner, AEMA Office Manager tells us there will be about 500 Equipment Managers at this year’s convention – similar to crowd sizes in the past.

“The biggest thing this year, and most years, is the standardization of equipment and safety,” Sam says.

For years, the focus has been on football helmets, and that will continue.

“Helmet issues change daily,” Sam says. “I think it is changing for the better and we need to get the information out. Manufacturers, everyone, are doing a better job and providing a better product and now we have people involved — chemists, engineers, and neurosurgeons — who are helping get a better product.”

Sam, a member of AEMA for 34 years, said NOCSAE (National Organizing Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment) officals will be talking about standards being established for football shoulder pads—a new endeavor.

Officials for NAERA (National Athletic Equipment Reconditioners Association) and from the NCAA Rules Committee also are slated to present.

Equipment Managers Certification Exam

Plus, the exam.

AEMA will sit 104 Equipment Managers for the Certification Exam. About 70 percent pass, Sam says.

“It’s important because it raises the awareness of what we do and how important this job is,” Sam says. “Almost every school now says you must be certified or get certified within a year to be an Equipment Manager there.”

Helmet Tracker offers an Exam scholarship that reimburses one Equipment Manager the cost of the exam and the study book. (It's not too late to apply – and it's easy).

Convention Timing

Another issue that may rise is the importance and timing of the AEMA Convention itself.

“There are so many football camps and stuff going on that it becomes increasingly hard to schedule a time of year when everyone is free,” Sam says.

Budget restrictions and the increasing popularity of AEMA District meetings, as well as NCAA conference meetings, also play a part.

Indianapolis

Still, this year’s AEMA Convention in Indianapolis will be popular.

“There is always something going on there,” Sam says. “It’s probably my favorite place to have convention and it’s right in our biggest district. It’s probably the most centralized location for the majority of our membership that we have.”

AEMA President Clifton Perry

Clifton is busy preparing the Princeton Women’s Lacrosse team for the quarterfinals and wrapping up the baseball season, among other tasks.

“Every convention is a little bit different. I enjoy going to convention more because of the camaraderie and the people I don’t see throughout the year,” he says. ”It’s a great chance to reconnect with people you haven’t seen in a while”

“Sometimes the convention is more about the personal catchup times than the professional connections, but it’s all important,” Clifton says.

Vendors

He looks forward to meeting with vendors and exploring new products.

“Some of the vendors the last few years are doing a great job of developing new things that make our lives easier,” he says. “There were a few last year that really kinda blew me away. I bought them as soon as I saw them and I don’t really do things like that.”

He said his goals for the AEMA is to be as transparent as possible. “This has been the most challenging year I’ve ever had on the board of directors.

“This is my 12th year on the board and I don’t think people understand what it takes behind the scenes.”

For most AEMA members and those who attend the convention, Clifton says it’s important to continue to learn.                 `

“The best thing as professionals is that we need to stay current to make the changes we need to make in our equipment rooms to be the best we can be.”

Helmets for WLAX and Soccer

For example?

“I like the fact we are talking about wearing helmets in women’s lacrosse and in soccer, but at what point does it become so expensive that administrators start thinking about dropping the sport?”

Kathy Saltis, District I Director and Westfield State Equipment Room Manager

“The best thing about the convention is seeing other people and comparing notes. I am not a traveling Equipment Manager and many DIII Equipment Managers don’t travel with their teams, so at convention we get to hear about what is going on in the rest of the equipment world, see new products, and hear about new ways of doing things.”

Being an Equipment Manager at a smaller school, Kathleen says connecting with Equipment Managers from similarly-sized schools is valuable.

“By intentionally networking you learn new tricks on how to do things and how the rest of the world operates,” she says. “In DIII, the range of the people who work this job is huge. Some have training as a custodian, or groundskeeper, or are former coaches.

That’s why certification is so important. It gives us more credibility.”

She told us she looks forward to exploring Indy and its many monuments.

Mike Royster, AEMA Executive Director and Assistant Athletic Director of Athletics Facilities and Equipment at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

“Equipment guys and girls don’t get a lot of time off so when you get some time away its good to relax a little bit and we try to make the convention a relaxing atmosphere,” he says.

“We have good vendors coming – I think we have about 115 or so,” he says.

Another issue on everyone’s mind is the NFL helmet testing.

Kevin Jurenko, District III Director and Stetson University Director of Equipment

“This is my first convention as a district director and I’ll be going to some of those AEAM meetings for leadership,” he says.

“But I will definitely check out the vendor booths at the convention – I make out a list of who to see.”

As with most everyone going to convention, Kevin looks forward to connecting with colleagues and seeing some of Indianapolis.

“I will try to see the Colts facility and make it out to Victory Field to see a game.” The Indians, the AAA ballclub of the Pittsburg Pirates, play in a downtown facility within walking distance of the convention. They have a home game Sunday, June 2, but are out of town the rest of the convention time.

Kerry Connor Jr., District IV Director,  Director of Equipment Operations for the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns.

“I started going to the AEMA convention in 2004 and as soon as I arrived I said to myself – I cannot miss another one.”

Kerry said the connections he’s made with other Equipment Managers form a cornerstone for the convention.

“Every year I look forward to seeing familiar faces and guys I admire and respect. There are people I like to hang out with and grab a beer and tell stories about what has happened with us.”

He also enjoys meeting vendors and finding out what the next thing or service is that will help him do the job more effectively.

“The last time we were in Indy, I didn’t get a chance to see the Colts’ Lucas Oil stadium or visiting the Indianapolis 500 Museum, so I hope to see those this year.”

Chris Dountas, District IX Director, Stanford Assistant Athletic Director-Equipment Manager

“This will be my 17th convention,” he says. “I look forward to going every year to the classes. The CEU credit classes are important and there is a good lineup this year.”

Chris is presenting a workshop on International Travel with Rob Jones, Assistant Athletics Director, Equipment Operations at UC Davis.

“He hired me as an intern about 15 years ago, so it’s going to be a big deal for me to present with him,” Chris says.

It’s those connections that form the highlights of the convention for most Equipment Managers.

“Everyone is so busy all the time. You might go to your own conference gathering, but seeing all the old friends and see what they are up to and connect – that’s one of the great things about convention.”

“I tell everyone that going to the AEMA convention is a great way to meet people. Our industry is very tight knit, it’s personal.”

Taxing Coaches Apparel

Hot buttons this year?

“There is a lot of talk about the public and state institutions having to charge sales tax and how to go about charging the coaches and staffs,” Chris says. “That will change everyone’s accounting.

Helmet Tracker wrote about the issue last month.

“And, helmets are always a big time discussion and this year the shoulder pads could be a big deal as the NFL is talking about announcing a shoulder pad ranking like they are doing for the helmets.”

Troy Jepsen, District VI Director and Head Equipment Manager at Drake

“I look forward to visiting the Adidas facility and to get a handle on the ins and outs of their operation so that when I need something it will help me understand how to do my job better.”

The Bulldogs are an Adidas school.

“I also look forward to visiting with friends and colleagues — to see what is going on and catch up on their lives,” he says. “I look forward to that.”

Troy says those connections are what make the AEMA special.

“Equipment Managers are one big family. We take care of each other.”

He says the personal and professional connections become quite intricate by the time an Equipment Manager has been to 20 conventions, like he has. But it’s just as important for young Equipment Managers to begin to build their friendships and networks as well.

“It’s never too early to start.”

Future Conventions

  • 2020– Fort Worth, TX
    May 31-June 4

  • 2021– Atlanta, GA
    June 6-June 10

  • 2022– Las Vegas, NV
    June 5-June 9

Introducing 3 more Helmet Tracker AEMA Scholarship candidates

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Helmet Tracker supports the men and women who take the most important step in their Equipment Manager journey by tackling the AEMA (Athletic Equipment Managers Association) Certification Exam.

Each year, Helmet Tracker awards one Equipment Manager who passes the exam our scholarship. The scholarship reimburses the Equipment Manager for the cost of the exam and the study book.

Here are the three latest scholarship applicants

Rodney Pack

From coast to coast, Rodney chases his dream of becoming a major sport team General Manager.

The next step: AEMA Certification.

Rodney, now in Seattle, plans to take and pass the exam in Indianapolis, then find a job in an equipment room while he works to finish his masters degree.

Rodney earned his Sport Management degree from George Mason where he was first introduced to being an Equipment Manager for the Patriots.

“I worked mostly as a men’s basketball team equipment manager as part of an internship, then for two years I worked a paid position,” he said. “Then, it was off to Indianapolis.”

Triple A Indians

Rodney worked with the Triple A Indianapolis Indians in inventory management and organization, mostly in their merchandising department.

After that, it was a stint with Cal Ripken Baseball, traveling with a youth baseball clinic team for a season from Florida to West Virginia. The Ripken team set up shop numerous times to put kids from 5 to 12 years old through several stations. Rodney worked them all.

He is now working toward earning his masters degree in Business Analytics from Grand Canyon University.

Rodney initially was interested in athletic training—so it’s always been about staying around sports—since he competed in football and track at Thomas Dale High in Richmond, Virginia. But studying to be an athletic trainer wasn’t for him. He shifted his focus to Sports Management.

Once he earned his degree at George Mason, he worked at the Virginia Beach Fieldhouse, organizing inventory, managing, and helping to run the football and soccer programs.

Seattle – “Incredible work ethic…”

Now on the other coast, Rodney works in Seattle, Washington in a program called the After-School All-Stars. Founded by Arnold Schwarenegger, After-School All-Stars provide an extended learning day for middle school students in low income areas.

“He has a incredible work ethic, is organized with his assigned projects and tasks, and is passionate about our mission to provide comprehensive after-school programs that keep children safe and help them succeed in school and in life,” writes Ranna J. Daud, the Executive Director of After-School All-Stars in Seattle.

“As the Operations Coordinator, he is responsible for general office management, HR paperwork and onboarding of new employees, coding of expenses, assistance with researching funding opportunities, and volunteer management,” she wrote. “He has been a welcome addition to our team and I look forward to seeing his growth and professional development with our organization.”

AEMA Certification

Rodney learned about the AEMA certification from a friend and as his interest grew, he began to poke around, looking at job openings.

“Most said you must be certified, so that’s what I am going to do in Indianapolis – get certified,” Rodney told us. “My equipment experience isn’t recent, but I will get my foot in the door, then make the moves I need to make.”

In May, his days will be spent studying for the exam while not working and in between episodes of Game of Thrones.

Jason Seidman

Jason loves the Colorado Springs area, but was not associated with the military until he landed a job at the Air Force Academy.

“I had an internship at Drake in Des Moines (Iowa) then moved into a full-time job there,” he said by way of introduction.

We asked him to back up a bit and learned that he played hockey and baseball at Coronado High School in the Springs. Down the road, he earned a degree in Sport Management from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs in 2015.

High School Equipment Manager Goal

Jason said he had a goal of being an Equipment Manager since high school.

“It’s something I’m good at. I’m very organized and pay attention to detail.”

He worked the visiting clubhouse for the Colorado Springs Sky Sox (who are now in San Antonio). Then had an internship with USA Hockey.

“I loved it – I loved it all.”

Sky Sox to Drake to Academy

He returned to the Sky Sox and worked in the clubhouse for two years, then landed the unpaid internship at Drake where he worked with all sports.

“It was tough,” he said, but worthwhile. He said he learned gobs from Head Equipment Manager Troy Jeps0n. “You have to make sacrifices.”

Troy had worked in the equipment room for Air Force Academy Associate Athletic Director of Operations Dan Siermine and when a job opened up there, it was a good fit for Jason.

“My three main sports are men’s and women’s soccer and men’s lacrosse. I also support fencing, water polo, boxing, men’s and women’s gymnastics, and the spirit squad (cheer and dance team),” Jason said.

Equipment Managers Exam

Jason will take the AEMA Certification Exam in Indy next month.

“It’s important to be certified. The AEAM is a great organization,” he said. “I went to convention last summer in Phoenix and it was a great experience for me.”

Dan Siermine has confidence that Jason will pass the exam.

“I know Jason will do tremendous on his exam. He is a very bright spot in the future of the AEMA and the equipment profession,” he wrote.

“deserving, loyal, hard-working”

“I can think of no individual more deserving than Jason to be awarded the Helmet Tracker AEMA Certification Scholarship,” Dan wrote. “Jason is a loyal, conscientious and hard-working employee. His coaches and athletes have complete confidence in him. He goes over and beyond the call of duty for all his sports.”

Elijah Boswell

This Elijah’s third season in the equipment room at the University of Idaho. He will finish his degree in Geography next semester.

“Eli Boswell is an up-and-coming equipment manager with passion and drive,” wrote Anthony Castro, Assistant Athletic Director for Equipment Operations at the University of Idaho. “He joined our Idaho team as a Football equipment manager spring of ‘16.”

As important as knowing the equipment and how to care for it, knowing how to interact with others is also critical for an Equipment Manager.

“… learning, dependable, super leader…”

“Eli has come in with an open mind and is learning how to deal with the complex make-up and the demands of equipment management. Eli is responsible, along with dependable and is becoming a super leader by managing and guiding other student workers/managers. He leads by example by continuously providing good customer service, cooperation and respect amongst staff, athletes, coaches, and everyone,” Anthony wrote.

Eli played varsity football and threw the shot put and discus for the track team at North Salem High School in Salem, Oregon.

Idaho Vandals

When he got to Idaho, he heard about the jobs in the equipment room and went after it. An unofficial tryout during Spring ball lead to a position as a student manager.

“When I visited here, I just fell in love with Moscow,” he said. It’s not too big or too small.

“I love it and have had an absolute blast.”

Backup plan

Though he plans to earn his masters degree in urban and regional planning, that’s a backup plan.

“I love being around sports. Experiencing the game-day atmosphere and traveling with the team is a great experience and the people I work with are just fantastic!” he said.

“This is an awesome profession.”

Equipment Managers Exam next month

Eli will take the AEAM Certification Exam in Indianapolis next month.

“Being an Equipment Manager is becoming a more respected and well known profession,” Eli said. “Ill be looking for a GA job and now – many schools require AEMA certification.”

After earning a masters degree, he hopes to stay in the equipment room somewhere and work his way up to run his own program someday.

When he’s not studying or working in the equipment room, you’ll find Eli taking scenic walks with his girlfriend or relaxing with movies, football, or video games. “I do try to get around to reading, too,” he quipped.

Apply Today

Planning to take the AEMA Certification Exam in Indianapolis next month? It’s not too late to apply for our scholarship. Just fill out the form here and we’ll walk you through the rest.

Southern Miss Asst. Equipment Manager wins Scholarship

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Harley Warren, Assistant Athletic Equipment Manager for the Golden Eagles of Southern Mississippi, earned and won Helmet Tracker’s 2018 AEMA Certification Exam Scholarship.

“That is fantastic!” said Harley when we called to tell him. “I paid for it myself and I was so stressed about it. Thank you.”

Harley and every Helmet Tracker Scholarship candidate this year passed the Athletic Equipment Manager’s Association Certification Exam. 100 percent! We extend our congratulations.

Certified EQMs Matter

“The importance of safety in sports is in the forefront right now. Everyone wants to provide the safest environment possible,” Sam Trusner, AEMA Office Manager told us recently. “The AEAM Certified Equipment Managers are the ones who know the equipment. They know how to fit the new, technologically advanced helmets, and have the knowledge needed.”

Sam said more and more colleges and universities are requiring their Equipment Managers to be certified, or earn certification within a year of hiring.

“Certification tells you this person can be an Equipment Manager at any level and they know what they are doing. Certification with the AEMA is not sport-specific, but covers every sport.”

Sam tells us that 82 of the 95 men and women who took the exam at the Phoenix convention last month passed.

“Being certified puts you into a network of the most knowledgeable people in the sports equipment and maintenance industry,” he said.

Equipment Managers – Noticed by everyone, seen by few

Here at Helmet Tracker we find ways to connect with and support Equipment Managers. Our products make the work of an Equipment Manager easier, more efficient, and better organized. Our AEMA Certification Exam Scholarship repays one Equipment Manager the cost of taking the exam and the cost of the manual. Candidates must submit a short recommendation letter, photo, and be interviewed by Helmet Tracker. Then, they must pass the test. After that, it's a random draw. Sam pulled Harley's name out of a Chicago Bears helmet late last week.

“I was very relieved that I found out I passed the test,” Harley told us earlier this week. “It took a lot longer to hear about the results than I thought it would and I was starting to worry that I failed it.”

“It feels good now and no one can really question me about what I know—this proves that I know what I am doing.”

What Harley is doing this week is unpacking hundreds of boxes from Adidas. He assists Patrick Stewart, Assistant Athletic Director for Equipment Operations, with football, and works directly with all soccer, track, and tennis teams.

He tells us that once the Golden Eagles figure out their QB for the season, they will contend. “We are young and we are fast!”

More here

Read about Harley’s support of Helmet Bowl here.

Read our story about Harley’s AEMA Scholarship candidacy below.

You can already apply for the Helmet Tracker 2019 AEMA Certification Exam Scholarship here if you plan to take the exam between now and July 2019. The AEMA 2019 Convention is in Indianapolis June 2-9.

 

Meet Helmet Tracker Equipment Manager Scholarship Candidate Harley Warren

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Athletic Equipment Manager at Southern Mississippi
Harley Warren spreads the Golden Eagle spirit as Assistant Athletic Equipment Manager at Southern Mississippi.

Harley Warren’s card says he is the Assistant Athletic Equipment Manager at Southern Mississippi, but he serves as a Golden Eagles ambassador wherever he goes.

Helmet Bowl I

Harley sent Helmet Tracker an updated Golden Eagle helmet design at least a half dozen times during the 2017 inaugural Helmet Bowl I season. He led the team and others to vote Southern Mississippi to an early lead in the Conference USA championship.

“This is the perfect year for us. It is the first year in six years we’ve changed our helmets a bunch. The fans love seeing the different looks, and we get the votes!” he told us in November.

The Golden Eagles were poised to make a deep run in the National Championship bracket and didn’t disappoint. They demolished the Southern Connecticut Owls in the first round, then handily dismissed the Southeastern Savage Storm. For the South Region championship, they faced a Kennesaw State Owl helmet that suddenly had a powerful following and lost just two steps away from the championship. Harley says that won’t happen again.

“I loved the National Championship bracket,” he said. “We’ll be even more active for the next one!”

Equipment Manager – Dream Job

Harley long admits his admiration for the Golden Eagles program and calls working there his dream job. His first job, being a teacher, wasn’t suited for him and he quickly altered his route and found success.

Southern Mississippi football Helmet

He got his start in the equipment room when a coach discovered a young desire in Harley and his twin brother Michael to walk the sidelines, call the plays. He suggested the duo start in the equipment room.

They both enrolled at Mississippi Gulf Coach Community College and began learning the ropes of the Equipment Manager. Michael now teaches in a nearby middle school and coaches football, soccer, and track.

Harley, meanwhile, transferred to Southern Miss and began to build his career.

“My Dad was always a football fan, and we grew up going to Southern Miss games all the time. He was a big Brett Farve fan.”

He worked as a student equipment manager and earned a degree in sports coaching/education with a history minor. “It didn’t take me long to figure out I didn’t want to teach.”

After an internship with the New Orleans Voodoo in the Arena League, then with the NFL Saints, he was offered a graduate assistant spot at Southern Miss and took it.

“Then I got hired full time. I was finally getting paid!” Harley said. “I like all of the behind the scene stuff – getting everything ready, working with uniform designs – I like all that.”

New “Hobby”

Southern Mississippi football Helmet

A little less than a year ago, Harley and his wife welcomed their first child into the family, a daughter.

“I suppose that’s my hobby now—being at home, being a dad.”

When not at home, he enjoys being in the equipment room and serving as an Equipment Manager. Someday, he says, he may end up in coaching, but even if that happens, working in the equipment room gives him special insight and knowledge.

“Even in high school, the coaches need to be knowledgeable about this stuff, and my work here would allow me to bring something else to the table other guys may not.”

Equipment Manager Certification

Harley knows that the Athletic Equipment Management Association certification is important for his career and plans to take the exam in June at the AEMA Convention in Phoenix, Arizona.

He has the support of his family—both at home and at work.

“Harley has worked for us as a student starting in 2011 and progressed through a GA and now the Assistant, he has always demonstrated a love for equipment managing,” writes Patrick Stewart, the Golden Eagles’ Assistant Athletic Director of Equipment Operations. “He has good relations with coaches, and staff and completes his projects in a timely manner.”

Stewart is in his 24th year at Southern Mississippi.Southern Mississippi Helmet

“I feel like Harley will be a good candidate to continue in this position for a very long time with his even temper and laid back way of everyday life.”

AEMA Scholarship

Harley now joins the candidates for Helmet Tracker’s AEMA Scholarship. The scholarship reimburses the winning candidate the exam and exam book fee.

Many colleges and universities require AEMA certification for Equipment Managers, others prefer it. Some foot the bill for the exam, and others leave that to the individual.

Last year, Michael Dryer at the University of Nevada won the scholarship. However, Damien Garnett, Assistant Athletic Director of Equipment at Nevada, asked Helmet Tracker to pass it on as the Wolfpack had paid for Michael’s exam. We did, and Eddie Hardin, now the Assistant to the Director of Equipment Operations at Tennessee State University, received the reimbursement.

“I am grateful,” Eddie told us at the time. “It means a lot going from an intern to my first real job—having bills to pay!”

Harley will take the exam at the Athletic Equipment Managers Association convention in Phoenix.

Meet Equipment Manager Nii Sowa-Doku

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If you are fortunate at the AEMA Convention in Phoenix next week, you’ll encounter Nii Sowa-Doku. Nii plans to take the AEMA Certification Exam and continue his journey as an Equipment Manager.

Equipment Manager Nii Sowa-Doku
Georgetown Equipment Manager Nii Sowa-Doku

And, what a journey!

At Helmet Tracker we love to meet young (and sometimes not-so-young) Equipment Managers beginning their careers, then learn about their journey and ask about their dreams. We are grateful to offer a scholarship each year to one such Equipment Manager lighten the cost of taking the Athletic Equipment Managers Association Certification Exam.

Geography Lesson

Better get out your map to follow Nii’s path. It begins in Ghana where his parents were born and grew up. Ghana is on the south coast of Africa, between Togo and Cote d’Ivoire, not quite in the inside “elbow” of Africa in the Gulf of Guinea on the Atlantic Ocean. They immigrated to the U.S.

“I grew up in the Kansas City area until I was 12-years-old,” Nii says. “Then I moved to the United Arab Emirates and got involved in soccer, basketball, track and field. I was the vice-president, then the president, of the Athletics Council at the International School.”

Ok, so the United Arab Emirates sits on the south shore of the Persian Gulf, near Dubai.

“I always loved and have been involved in sports. This has pushed me into this career path,” Nii says.

Kansas Basketball Equipment Manager

He returned to the states and enrolled at Kansas University, where he found Larry Hare, Assistant Athletic Director for Equipment. He asked for a job. Specifically, he wanted to work with the men’s soccer team.

Instead, he was initially sent to work at one of Basketball Coach Bill Self’s camps. “I worked some long nights. We worked with kids and prepared some student athletes who acted like kids!” Self and others must have been impressed. He was offered a job as a student manager with the basketball team. The KU Jayhawks basketball team with 15 Final Four appearances and three National Championships.

“I worked with the basketball team for two years and I learned a lot through the team there. I travelled on every trip and had responsibilities at practice and to make sure the chairs are out for time outs during the games.”

If you watch KU basketball on television, you may have seen Nii working just before or after a time-out.Equipment Manager Nii Sowa-Doku

In his final year at KU, Nii worked the equipment room for Olympic sports, softball, and tennis. He graduated with a degree in Sports Management, then looked for a job in an equipment room.

“I’ve always been interested in sports. Most people focus on the game itself, but I wanted to know how the athletes prepared, who prepared them, how the equipment was supplied, who made decisions about the equipment and the uniforms.”

Georgetown Hoya Equipment Manager

Georgetown University had a job with the women’s basketball team, volleyball, and women’s rowing. Nii jumped at the chance and was hired. That was nearly a year ago.

“At Georgetown we have two equipment rooms and there are three of us. We have 29 sports. I did help with football when I got here. The first home game of the season a student athlete came over and said he needed some air. I didn’t understand he was talking about his helmet. I didn’t know much about football, but now I can change out chin straps, facemasks, and do all sorts of maintenance on helmets.”

Sam Greil, Director of Equipment and Transportation at Georgetown Athletics, wrote Helmet Tracker to say Nii is one of the hardest workers he has ever worked with.

“He is always looking to learn and grow both as an individual and as an Equipment Manager,” wrote Sam, an AEMA Certified Equipment Manager himself. “Nii often goes beyond the call of duty to assist and work with teams outside his of those assigned to him by taking the opportunity to learn more about the Equipment needs of these teams. He is efficient, innovative and has a keen eye for detail, which are skills required to succeed in his position.”

Always Learning

As for Nii, he enjoys the work and enjoys the learning.

“I enjoy all the work that goes on behind the scenes. I have pride in that. I’m not a flashy person who needs to be known out front. I enjoy seeing the athletes enjoy that spotlight.”

Equipment Manager Nii Sowa-DokuHe told us his goals include working overseas.

“My main goal is to be an Equipment Manager for a professional soccer team.”

Nii is a Liverpool fan and follows the Reds in the Premier and Champions League.

“I would prefer to work in European soccer first. I speak French and Spanish. Then eventually I could come back to the US.”

“Living in so many varied places in the world has given me a different perspective on life and the ability to interact with people from different walks of life,” he said. “I know how to deal with coaches, players, and especially those student athletes from other countries.”

For now, though, he travels this weekend to Phoenix to attend the AEMA Convention and take the certification exam.

“I think it is very important to be certified. Some people don’t take our area of work seriously. For me, I think we need to show people that there is a lot going on in our world that people don’t know about. Equipment Managers at all levels need to learn about the comprehensive world of equipment. I learned so much from Larry (Hare, at KU). He holds a high standard for his student workers and many great Equipment Managers come from his equipment family tree.”

AEMA Exam Scholarship

Nii is a candidate for Helmet Tracker’s AEMA Certification Exam Scholarship.

Helmet Tracker reimburses one Equipment Manager for the cost of the exam and the study book–if they pass. If the selected equipment manager pays for the exam and book, they get reimbursed directly. If the selected scholarship winner is sponsored by a college or employer, will reimburse the institution.

A year ago, University of Nevada’s Michael Dryer won the scholarship. However, Damien Garnett, Assistant Athletic Director of Equipment at Nevada, asked Helmet Tracker to pass it on as the Wolfpack had paid for Michael’s exam. We did, and Eddie Hardin, now the Assistant to the Director of Equipment Operations at Tennessee State University, received the reimbursement. “I am grateful,” Eddie told us at the time. “It means a lot going from an intern to my first real job—having bills to pay!”

As for Nii, he continues to look for challenges.

“I think I am a hard work and I am willing to learn. I will take any projects.”

When he is not in the equipment room, Nii likes to explore by bike (“I ride to work”) and attends as many Nationals, Capitals, and Wizards games as possible.

 

Meet Equipment Manager Nick Bruner

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We keep finding the uniqueness of Equipment Managers and when we talked with Cornell Assistant Equipment Manager Nick Bruner, his was revealed immediately.

Nick was a member of his high school bowling team at Fairport High School in Rochester, New York.

Not to say football wasn’t a part of his life: he played both the Offensive and Defensive lines, and because his family held Buffalo Bills season tickets, attended his first NFL game when he was three-years-old.

Lacrosse Equipment Manager

“My dad coached football, so I’ve always been around the game,” he said. Nick played in the first ever Fairport High night game after the team won a playoff game in the last minute. Afterwards, he looked for a way to stay involved in sports and ended up becoming an equipment manager for his high school lacrosse team.

“I just wanted to do something in the Spring,” he said. “I knew a bunch of guys from football who were playing lacrosse and I knew the coach, so I ran books on game day and helped out doing other things.”

During the waning days of his senior year, he mentioned to a substitute teacher that he planned to attend Ithaca College. The sub had contacts, made a call, and got Nick a job in the equipment room.

“I needed an easy way to meet people,” Nick recalls. “It was the first football season since seventh grade I wasn’t playing.”

Ithaca Bombers

“I was always a kind of nerd about helmets and design, but it was at Ithaca that I began to develop a deeper interest in equipment,” he said. “I started doing it for another reason—something to do, works study.

“Then it grows on you.”

Nick, a Sports Management major, worked as an Equipment Manager for four years.

“I loved it. It was awesome,” he said. “Ithaca football is very tradition rich. I love that the guys loved the program. Half the coaching staff played football there and it was cool to be a part of that.”

“Of course, a lot of the guys on the team were not the same caliber as a D1 athlete. They were normal dudes that played DIII football. I had classes with them—ate lunch with them.”

Both his freshman and sophomore years, the Bombers won the Empire 8 Conference.

“Throughout the years I learned the ins and outs of the equipment room. I like working on the helmets.”

We asked Nick why he likes being an Equipment Manager.

“This job, it’s hard. But if you were here right now you’d see the big smile on my face,” he said, pausing. “I love it. I love being around the team. Look, there is no greater feeling than putting all the work in throughout the week and getting the team ready for Saturday and then getting the win. It’s very fulfilling. You can’t control how the team performs, but you can control a lot—some of the preparation for the game, the field, the practice, the uniforms.”

Cornell versus Syracuse

He pauses again, then reflects on a very recent experience, this one as a Cornell Assistant Equipment Manager.

“Two days ago, the lacrosse team. We were there. We were all one Cornell. We beat Syracuse.”

Nick landed the Cornell job just across town from Ithaca College. “They are basically a mile and a half from each other. It’s cool.”

He worked parts of several summers as an intern for the Buffalo Bills, then all eight home games in 2015—at the same time serving the Bombers on the gridiron on Saturdays. “Yes, there were some very late Saturday bus rides home to Ithaca, then I’d get my work done and head to Buffalo for the Bills game.”

Lucky Red Vest

In 2016, Nick worked as an Equipment Manage for all the Bill’s home games again. He remembers one game when Head Coach Rex Ryan demanded a lucky red vest five minutes before kickoff. The vest was quite a ways away from the stadium. Nick began running. From the sound of it, it was uphill to the closet were the vest awaited him, then uphill back to the stadium. He used the red vest as his security pass to get back into the game.

Cornell Assistant Equipment Manager Nick Bruner with Buffalo Bills Spencer Haws, Assistant Director of Equipment Operations, and Jeff Mazurek, Bills Director of Equipment Operations.
Cornell Assistant Equipment Manager Nick Bruner with Buffalo Bills Spencer Haws, Assistant Director of Equipment Operations, and Jeff Mazurek, Bills Director of Equipment Operations.

“I was an intern for the Bills for three and a half years and served three different head coaches,” Nick recalls.

He worked the USA International Bowl in Texas for two weeks in January of 2017, a few weeks after graduating Ithaca. Then, it was back to the Bills for another internship. When Cornell posted the job in November 2017, Nick jumped at the chance.

“This was a special opportunity for me. I knew the area. Ithaca is my second home—my home away from home.”

Cornell Big Red Sprint Football

He got the job and began working as a full-time Assistant Equipment Manager a few months ago. That means he helps with varsity football, baseball, lacrosse, and something called sprint football.

Nick explains that sprint football is a full contact football sport for men 178 pounds or less.

“There are just ten schools in the country that play it—mostly on the East Coast.” He mentions that Army and Navy play sprint football.

“Spring can get a little crazy with spring football, sprint football, lacrosse, and baseball all at the same time.”

Keith “Radar” McCarthy, the Head Equipment Manage for Baseball, Football, and Lacrosse at Cornell, wrote us to say Nick was an asset to the Big Red.

“Nick joined my staff about 5 or 6 months ago and has been a great asset to me team. He in young and full of energy. He works very hard and goes beyond what the job requires,” Radar wrote. “In his short time here, he has already earned the respect of our athletes and coaches.

“It’s been great. I love going to work,” Nick says. “It’s been cool to be somewhere I know.”

AEMA Certification

Though the football team uses two helmets, the lacrosse team used three this year. STX introduced a new helmet toward the end of the season and Cornell was one of the schools to sport them.

“That has been a cool learning experience. Our logo is a bear coming through our C. It took seven stickers to get each of those lacrosse helmets ready.”

It’s the life of an Equipment Manager. For Nick, a soon-to-be AEMA Certified Equipment Manager, a life he relishes.

“The certification brings expertise to the field,” he said. “Once you are certified, and keep up your CEUs, you are saying you have a certain level of experience. My Dad is a teacher, so I understand certification—it brings legitimacy to what you do professionally.

Cornell Assistant Equipment Manager Nick Bruner with
Keith “Radar” McCarthy, Head Equipment Manager for Baseball, Football and Men’s Lacrosse.

“Plus, for me, I look at big picture. I’m 22 and getting certified can only help me in the future.”

Nick is a candidate for Helmet Tracker's AEMA Certification Exam Scholarship. Helmet Tracker reimburses one Equipment Manager the cost of the exam and the study book–if they pass. Some equipment managers pay for the exam and book and they get reimbursed directly. If a winner is sponsored by a college or employer, will reimburse the institution.

A year ago, University of Nevada’s Michael Dryer won the scholarship. However, Damien Garnett, Assistant Athletic Director of Equipment at Nevada, asked Helmet Tracker to pass it on as the Wolfpack had paid for Michael’s exam. We did, and Eddie Hardin, now the Assistant to the Director of Equipment Operations at Tennessee State University, received the reimbursement.

““I am grateful,” Eddie told us at the time. “It means a lot going from an intern to my first real job—having bills to pay!”

35-year-old Goal

Nick hopes to one day return to the NFL, but he knows it will take sacrifice and some fortune to get there, and then to stay.

“I’m enjoying being at Cornell and can see staying here for quite a while. The NFL is on my radar, and I’ve always said that by the time I’m 35 I want to be the head guy somewhere.”

“For now, working with the college level guys—it’s fun and they are here to get a good education and play the sport they’ve loved their whole life.”

We asked Nick if he still finds his way into a bowling center to knock the pins down. Nope. When he gets time off, he looks for concerts, shows, and movies to attend—or he gets outside and hikes.

 

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