Somewhere in the dugout of the Fort Lupton High School softball team stands team manager Scotty Sanders. He tends to the duties that come with being the manager of a high-school team – some game statistics, some visible means of support for his friends.
Sanders is a baseball player for the Bluedevils, too, so being a team manager for a softball team is proving to be educational for the spring baseball season.
“I started managing the girls softball team mid-season last year, so this is my first full year managing the team,” he said. “I started playing baseball at a very young age. So by the time I was in middle school, I was going to all the high-school games with my friends and quickly realized how similar softball was, so I would stay for those too.”
When he got to high school, Sanders wanted to do something in sports during his offseason.
“And helping out with the softball team just felt like a natural fit,” he said. “It was also an added bonus that many of my friends played on the team.”
His duties include attending team practices, accompanying the team to all of its games. During practice, he is the “go-to” person for coach Albert Vasquez and his staff.
“I am always happy to jump into new roles when they need me,” Sanders said. “At games, I make sure we have all the team gear but have also been tracking the opponents’ hitting stats.”
There are some perks, too. Some are obvious.
“Like getting to play catch with the coaches in downtime and being immersed in the world of baseball on a daily basis throughout the year,” Sanders said.
There are other advantages that aren’t as obvious now but could be come spring.
“I get a lot of ideas from working around Coach Albert that I get to incorporate into my own playing and game strategy,” Sanders said. “The softball coaching staff also has a lot of prior baseball experience, so I have gleaned a lot from my time with them.”
Sanders plays second base and pitches for the Bluedevils. This spring, he wants to add center field to that list.
“I have had my sights set on playing college baseball for as long as I can remember, and I’m sure I share the dream with many others like me, to eventually go pro in the MLB,” he said.
“The pros may be a little far off at the moment, but I would definitely love to use baseball as a way to further my education.”
Sanders also talked about one last benefit to his offseason “job.”
“I love getting to travel to all the games with them and get to be a spectator of a sport that is so dear to my heart,” he said. “I am so passionate about the sport of baseball that I honestly have no complaints about being the softball team’s manager.”