Management Firm : Student Assistants Keep Canyon Football Functioning

Problem: Canyon High football Coach Larry Mohr needs 10 sets of shoulder pads and must check his inventory for other equipment and supplies. He has to update statistics in his computer, the office is a mess and the phone is ringing off the hook. Plus, he has Friday’s opponent to worry about.

Solution: Call Lindsey Lambourne.

Lambourne, a senior, is head football manager at Canyon. Along with her eight-member staff, she handles these and other administrative tasks on a daily basis. And oh, yes, the managers also run ice water out to the players during timeouts.

“They spend more time than the football players here, and they’re just as important as the players,” said Keni Wheeler, a former Canyon manager who is studying to be an athletic trainer at Cal State Northridge.

“The managers have always had an important part,” Wheeler said. “[Former Coach] Harry Welch demanded a lot. It’s a very big deal.”

Lambourne has moved up the managing ranks since she was recruited by her freshman graphics teacher, Gary Lindberg, a former football assistant. Now she is in charge of some of Mohr’s administrative tasks, including making frequent calls to athletic suppliers, maintaining player files and keeping exact account of all uniforms and equipment.

None of the girls receive class credit or payment, but they all take the job seriously.

Standing in the Canyon-green-carpeted office, Lambourne points to the computer she uses to file important team data.

“Sometimes the coaches use it,” she said. “Usually not. They erase all my files.”

Jamie Engle runs a vacuum cleaner over the floor while Janell Henderson looks on. “Coach Mohr and his sunflower seeds. . . .,” Henderson mutters.

Mohr already is lamenting that Lambourne won’t be back next year.

“That’s going to be our biggest graduation,” Mohr said. “Her and [running back] Monte McKeon.”