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Preparing for the 10/18 home game vs Georgia Tech
In the locker room each player has their own locker with many storage spaces. Each cushioned chair hides drawers underneath. The player's name, hometown, signature and face are displayed above their locker on a glowing screen. Right below the each screen, a tiny sticker on the top right corner lists the player's assigned locker number that the equipment team uses to keep all gear organized. Very few players have the same locker number as their jersey number. All locker numbers are assigned solely based on the player's position. Each equipment team member has all numbers (both locker and jersey) memorized, making the process significantly more straightforward. Explaining the equipment distribution process to outside helpers, although we provided more hands, elongated the time required to finish organizing the helmets.
HOME WEEK
HOME WEEK
While a home week game doesn't demand the same amount of advanced equipment preparation as an away game, organization remains vital. The equipment team must organize all uniforms prior to gameday (helmets, jerseys, gloves, pregame outfits). Organization begins in the equipment room, where walls are lined with college football helmets, jerseys of previous Duke players in the NFL, extra clothing, and hundreds of orange Nike shoe boxes. Uniforms are moved from the room into the hallway, where everything is placed into cubbies, organized by a player's assigned number (not the number on their jersey). Once organized into cubbies, trunks are moved into the locker room, and uniforms are unloaded precisely into each player's locker.
Pictured are the trunks divided into cubbies. Each trunk Is separated by field roles (offense, defense, special teams). Pink ribbons were applied to the back of each helmet in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Additionally, each player was given a pair of pink gloves which were labeled on the inside with their assigned locker number.
Pictured above are the uniforms in action for the game on 10/18 (Source: @dukefootball on Instagram). Pink gloves were worn by many players and all presented the breast cancer ribbon on their helmets. Players looked cohesive in pregame uniforms and game jerseys which had been cleaned, organized, and laid out in the week prior.
in the locker room.mp4Shot by team member Isabel Shew, these videos from the field provide panoramic shots of the locker room, as well as a clip of the helmet storage unit room. The last clip highlights our team distributing the players' helmets from the storage cubbies to the lockers. Along each side of the wall, the helmets placed on the locker seats must all face in the same direction.
Life of the Equipment Manager
He sits at the “store,” waiting for players to arrive
He loads dirty laundry, which tumbles, a rubber band ball in a hamster wheel
He is immune to the smells of the locker room, the drying cleats from sweltering practice
He watches players meander down the hallways, half-dressed, missing a shirt or sock or shoe
He helps those who come to the store, requesting an outfit change
He notes outfit changes, a name for a number for a jersey
He recognizes the complexity of his job but has grown indifferent to the tedious notation
He follows players out onto the field, an employee but forever a fan
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