There are a lot of people that surround a football program…..none more important than the equipment manager. At Moravian we have a really strong guy in this position.
Josh Baltz and his staff are a really big part of the Moravian football team. But, he is not “just” the football equipment manager – he is in charge of the entire athletic program!. That is more than 20 sports.
The man works all kinds of hours. He’s a young single guy – I don’t know if he has any kind of social life at all. Like most equipment managers he can get his hands on anything and know where everything can be found.
You can find him behind his “cage” almost any day or night regardless of time…..folding towels, hanging up jerseys, labeling books etc. Handing out advice to athletes. The man is invaluable – the college is lucky to have him.
Not many people can say that they have spent an entire night working at their job. But like almost every “EM” throughout the country they have slept in their office chair waiting for the uniforms and towels to finish – nothing like cat napping through the night as you dry and fold everything so the athletic department can function the next day.
Another selfless man in a thankless job. Thank goodness we have him!
One thing I learned when I was in school and playing football – the equipment manager can be your best friend. He is a person who has tremendous influence on your life.
I have a great amount of experience with equipment managers.
When I was in college our equipment manager was named Bob Fagan….Mr. Fagan to everyone. A cigar smoking, t shirt wearing former military man.
To say I skipped a lot of classes at Muhlenberg is an understatement. I spent more time in the gym avoiding schoolwork than anyone who went to that school.
In fact rumor has it I was a physical education major…I can’t deny it. But there is no phys ed major at Muhlenberg. However since I did “escape” from college with a sparkling 2.25 GPA what can you say? (English major by the way).
Anyway I spent a million hours over my college career hanging out with Mr. Fagan. (Even gave him a box of cigars a time or two). He taught me the fine art of taking a t-shirt, jock and a pair of socks – placing them in a towel and rolling them up. A beautiful thing to see if I say so myself.
Spent many other hours hanging football and basketball jerseys – learning how to fill out an invoice for baseball spikes or basketball shoes. Well they do call it a liberal (arts) education.
I have to say I never went wanting for a pair of socks or a beautiful white t-shirt with some letters and numbers stenciled on it.
Following my college career I had the pleasure of living with two equipment managers at different times at Arizona State. Being close friends with several others.
Mike Chismar was the head EM at Arizona State and he was another young guy starting out when I got there. He hired both of my future roommates Jon Scott and Steve Christensen. (Mike later went on the become an assistant Athletic Director at ASU.)
Steve Christensen (“The Big Shooter”) and I spent time together at New Mexico State and then again at Arizona State. Steve and I had many a great adventure across the American Southwest. He was the one who introduced me to Hamm’s and Ranier beer and showed me the ropes in the metropolis of Dillon, Montana.
His Mom Rita made me many a spaghetti dinner and may actually be the one who encouraged me to build a beeramyd or two. His dad Don (offensive line coach by the way) and I spent many evenings drinking beer (Hamm’s – “from the land of sky blue waters”) and talking football.
Jon Scott and I lived together for a few years in Tempe, Arizona. We had a blast – from the gigantic wrestling match where we broke our two couches in the apartment – to tubing down the Great Salt River – including once with a keg of beer. Oh yeah then there was that orange fight we had from our porch.
Great roommates who weren’t only fantastic friends but check this out. I never had to do my laundry – not that I ever had much more than t-shirts and coaching shorts. Those guys refused to allow me to do my own laundry.
Drank a few oceans worth of beer with those guys. Jon is still with the Indianapolis Colts and Steve with the Arizona Cardinals. Awesome guys!
Later in Detroit I had the privilege of working with and being close with Danny Jaroshewich and Mark Glenn. I never lacked for anything – shirts, shoes and socks anytime you needed them.
Not to mention many post game beers and round table discussions we had as they straightened out the locker room – finished up the team uniforms. They worked and I drank beer and complained – they saved my sanity.
They both still work for the Lions in different capacities.
Then on to the great Tim O’Neill and his staff who followed Danny in Detroit. He still has one of the best Championship Sunday parties in the world. Not to mention the secret beer cooler for our “Hot Stove” meetings for Lion road games. (He still supplies my high white socks and black shorts!)
Hah! What a Life!
Football would never be the great game it is without people like this!