A fixture as Mr. Fix-It

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Robert Long, the Beverly Hills maintenance department supervisor, was the first one at the school for Friday’s game against Long Beach Cabrillo.

Actually, he had never left, tacking on a shift as the football team’s equipment-repair man following his daily 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m. shift overseeing the grounds and buildings on campus.

Long, 65, is part of a two-man team with Sylvester Harris that has stepped in on Friday nights for the past 20 years to fix whatever problems may arise with the team’s gear, handling such tasks as repairing broken chin straps and pumping air into helmets as needed during games.

He goes about the work quietly, going mostly unnoticed once the game starts and others’ attention is captured by the action on the field.

‘We’re the support system, the ones who don’t get any notice, and that’s fine with me,’ Long said. ‘A lot of what you get as far as satisfaction is in your own mind. It’s not all about you all the time, and you have to be understanding of that.’

Long also is on hand before games to ensure that portable lights and electrical power are available and ready for use in the press box, the barbecue and snack-bar area, and in coaches’ viewing stands.

‘I love sports, so it’s been a very pleasant experience,’ he said. ‘I do a little bit of this, and a little bit of that, and it usually all works out.’

- Lauren Peterson