Getting Ready for Some Football Workers' day begins long before opening kickoff
On a diamond-bright morning in early August, Jeff Lawson was laying down lines on the field at Scott Stadium, doing his best to give the Bermuda grass a crisp set of laser-straight stripes.
Weeks remained before the opening kickoff of the first game against Southern California, but Lawson’s lines were part of an effort stretching back to early April and the Cavalier spring football game.
"Pretty much from that point on, we’re working on growing grass and getting the best stand that we possibly can," says Jesse Pritchard, sports turf manager for U.Va.
More than 100 man-hours go into preparing the turf for each home game. "It’s not like we go out Friday evening and paint the field and it’s ready to go first thing Saturday morning," he says. "There’s a lot of work that goes into it, and I don’t think everybody actually sees all that work."
That’s true of other members of the U.Va. team that makes sure Cavalier football games meet the expectations of fans, athletes and the entire U.Va. community.
For Jimmy Jensen, general manager of athletic services at U.Va., that means making sure more than 95,000 bottles of water, 15,000 hot dogs, 6,000 soft drinks, 38,000 pounds of ice and assorted other necessities are on hand for the crowds at Scott Stadium.
"It’s controlled chaos," Jensen said two days before the season kickoff as workers bustled among pallets of Gatorade (blue and orange, of course), chips, peanuts, condiments, napkins and cups in the stadium warehouse.
For student equipment managers Justin Stidham, a second year, and Daniel McKinney, a first year, game day begins four hours before kickoff and ends long after the final whistle. But the managers’ season really starts with team practices in July, when daily chores include making sure uniforms are clean.
"Each student manager also is responsible for putting together and maintaining 12 different players’ helmets every week, and on Fridays have to go to the stadium and set up the equipment and prepare their lockers," says Stidham.
Between setting up and cleaning up, a typical game day lasts about 12 hours. "It’s a pretty full day for us," Stidham says.
For Kim Kirschnick, game day means donning his flowing cape and plumed hat, mounting his trusty steed and galloping into the stadium before kickoff to rally the spirits and raise the voices of the Cavalier faithful throughout the game.
"They love it—absolutely, positively love it," Kirschnik says. "The kids are all crazy, and the older fans are very appreciative of it."
Trinda, a 16-year-old bay thoroughbred mare, has both the training and the disposition to handle crowds with aplomb, Kirschnik says. "All the little girls say, ‘Gosh, the horse is cute.’ All the little boys want to know if the sword is real—which it is."
For Kirschnik and so many others, whether they’re astride a horse or riding a mower, making game day special is worth the hard work that goes on behind the scenes.
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