At 8:00 a.m., long before fans file into the Kress Events Center, the heartbeat of UW–Green Bay athletics is already awake. An athletic trainer starts taping the athlete’s ankles as music hums through the gym and ball carts thud down the hallway. Student managers lay out jerseys, prepare the locker room for film review, and set up the team meal. Coaches huddle to discuss last-minute changes. Trainers fill water and ice coolers for both teams. It’s a scene most people never see, yet none of what happens on the court would be possible without it.
While fans focus on athletes and coaches, the foundation of UWGB athletics includes the behind-the-scenes professionals who make competition possible. They are the invisible backbone of a Division I program, carrying out hundreds of tasks that rarely make highlight reels but help define the success of a season.
The People Behind the Program
Athletic trainers are the first line of defense for athletes’ health and safety, and their workdays often stretch far beyond the final whistle. On home game days, preparation starts hours before tipoff.
“I arrive about two hours before the team’s hour-long shootaround to start prepping the benches and the visiting team’s locker room,” Cassie Klubertanz, a Green Bay athletic trainer, said. “I’ll make a 10-gallon cooler of water and a three-gallon Gatorade for each bench, plus another 10-gallon water cooler for the visiting locker room.”
By the time hydration stations are set up, athletes begin filtering in for treatments and taping.
After shootaround, there’s little downtime. “We have about three to four hours before the game to eat, do treatments, and tape the team again,” Klubertanz said. “Then about 90 minutes before tip-off, the clock really starts.”
Safety preparation is constant, even extending to the opposing team. “I meet with the other team’s athletic trainer during warm-ups to go over our emergency action plan and hand signals—what we’ll do if we need the emergency kit or if EMS needs to be called,” Klubertanz said.
The game itself lasts about an hour to an hour and a half, but the job continues well after fans exit the arena.
“I usually don’t leave until one to two hours after the game,” Klubertanz said. “That’s after benches are cleaned up and any postgame treatments are completed.”
Like many roles in college athletics, the job extends beyond the title. “Part of my job description is ‘other duties as assigned,’” she said. “This year, that’s also included helping with passing for the posts during game-day shootaround.”
Beyond the physical care, athletic trainers play an emotional role. “In my second year at Green Bay, I had multiple athletes come up to me after their season ended and thank me for being a constant for them,” Klubertanz said. “They still keep me updated on their lives, and a couple have even asked me to be professional references.” That trust, she said, is built through humility and connection.
“My ego can’t be the most important thing in the room,” she said. “I don’t try to force my opinions—I try to get to know them outside of just their sport. A lot of trust forms when athletes see that my diagnosis and treatment plans usually line up with the team physician’s.”
Team managers make the operation seamless in ways fans rarely see. Their role touches nearly every part of a game day, from the moment the gym doors unlock to long after the final point.
“My job is all about making sure everything runs smoothly so the coaches and players can focus on performance,” Maya Beistle, Green Bay volleyball manager, said. “For practices, I’m usually the first one in the gym—setting up balls, water stations, stat sheets, and cameras for film review.”
Once competition begins, their responsibilities shift, but they never slow down. “During games, I’m tracking stats in real time, helping with substitutions, and keeping the bench organized so players have what they need,” Beistle said. “Travel days are a whole different challenge—I’m packing uniforms, labeling bags, loading buses, and double-checking that nothing gets left behind.”
Much of their work happens out of sight, but is essential to keeping the program running efficiently. “Fans see the game, but they don’t see the hours of prep behind it,” Beistle said. “I’m making sure every uniform is clean and packed, hydration stations are ready, and drills are set up before practice even starts. I also handle video equipment so coaches can review plays later.”
Those behind-the-scenes responsibilities often require quick problem-solving under pressure. “Pregame is definitely the most intense,” she said. “There’s a short window to get everything perfect: balls inflated, water filled, stat sheets ready, equipment in place. If something goes wrong, you have to fix it immediately because the clock is ticking.”
That pressure can peak in unexpected moments. “I’ve had times where I’m sprinting across the gym to grab missing gear while warm-ups are starting,” she said. “It’s stressful, but when everything comes together, it’s worth it.”
One moment stood as a reminder to Beistle of the impact her role can have. “During an away game, a piece of video equipment broke right before warm-ups,” she said. “The coaches needed it to review plays, so I found a workaround using my laptop and spare cables. After the match, they told me how much it helped them make adjustments—that was a proud moment.”
Operations staff and assistant coaches are the planners who keep the program moving forward. They juggle travel logistics, book hotels, coordinate meals, schedule practices, and communicate with visiting teams. Their unseen mental load keeps chaos from creeping in.
Strength and conditioning coaches build the physical base that athletes perform on. Their days start early, sometimes before sunrise, to run weightlifting sessions and collaborate with trainers to keep athletes healthy through the grind of the season.
The athletes notice. Many say the confidence they carry into games comes directly from the trust they place in these staff members.
How the Program Really Runs
Before fans ever take their seats, the gym is a flurry of quiet efficiency: shoes squeaking, athletic tape ripping, cameras clicking into place, stat sheets shuffling, conversations floating between staff and athletes.
During games, managers sprint to solve last-minute problems while tracking plays and recording stats. Trainers watch every landing and dive, ready to respond in an instant. Assistant coaches monitor timing sheets and prepare the team to compete. Every role overlaps to keep momentum steady.
When the final point drops, the work is far from finished. Equipment is taken down, coolers are drained and cleaned, players head to treatment rooms, and data is logged. If travel follows, staff are the last to leave the building.
Their impact is direct. Healthy athletes play better. Smooth logistics create confident teams. But their influence is also emotional; they build trust, stability, and a sense of belonging that shapes team culture.
Fans might imagine athletes simply showing up and competing. The reality is hours of preparation by people whose names rarely appear in programs or box scores.
The success of UWGB athletics is built on far more than what happens on the court. It’s also built by the people who show up first, leave last, and take pride in knowing the team will struggle without them.
As one manager put it, “You may not see us, but you’d notice if we weren’t here.”