Ruth Ayala Terrazas ’29
Staff Writer
Freshman Joe Bower is a football and baseball student manager. His involvement in Holy Cross athletics began last April when he reached out to director of football operations Cameron Borges. Borges responded that there was definitely something Bower could do, and together they agreed that Bower would arrive at the start of August and serve as one of the football team’s student managers for the 2025 season.
Prior to Holy Cross, Bower played football and also managed the men’s basketball team in high school. The main responsibility of a football student manager is filming practice. These practices are broken up into different periods that vary in both time and activity. For example, an individual (indy) period might last around ten minutes, where managers are assigned to specific position groups to film drills.
Other periods, like team scrimmages often called inside run or skelly, tend to last longer and involve more players at once, requiring a different level of coordination from the managers. Each day, managers are given a detailed practice schedule outlining exactly what they are responsible for filming.
Being early became important for Bower, as it gave him time to ask questions and make sure he understood his role for that day. Once the season began, his schedule quickly became more demanding.
“Most days at 3:30, I’m going from class to practice,” Bower said.
Over time, that routine became second nature, and looking back, he said the season went by quickly. One of the ways he noticed time passing was through the changing weather. Because all practices were held outdoors, players, coaches, and staff experienced the same conditions they would on game day. For Bower, that meant gradually adding more layers as the season went on.
A major highlight of the season came when Bower traveled with the team to Fenway Park for a game against the Georgetown Hoyas.
“It was great being on the field and seeing the Green Monster,” Bower said. “I’ll be honest, it looked a lot bigger in person than it does on TV.”
The Crusaders went on to win 42–7, making it a memorable way to close out the season. As football came to an end, Bower shifted his focus to his role with the baseball team, another opportunity he had set up by reaching out to coaches last April. While there are similarities between the two roles, baseball practices have their own rhythm and demands.
“[The team] had a lot of practices before games started,” Bower said. “They practiced basically six days a week.”
Practice schedules, however, were often affected by Worcester’s unpredictable winter weather. Because indoor space had to be shared among multiple teams, practice times could vary significantly.
“One day you have a 90 minute practice, the next around three hours,” Bower said. “And then once the games started, it kind of always depended on the game schedule because sometimes there would be a midweek game and then games on the weekend. So it went from being six days of practice to something like two or three.”
Unlike football, where filming is the primary responsibility, baseball focuses more on setting up and running drills. This includes preparing equipment and operating tools like pitching machines.
“Depending on what the coaches have planned, we usually hit for a bit,” Bower said. “They’ll have the machine going, and I’ll run that. It’s a great tool because it lets a lot of people get reps at once. And on days when we don’t use machines, I’ll usually feed the coaches balls while they hit to the infielders.”
Beyond the daily tasks, one of the most meaningful parts of Bower’s experience has been the sense of community he has found within both programs.
“The players treat me very well and bring me in as one of their own,” Bower said. “The coaches are supportive. If I ever need help with anything, they’re very willing to help and always check in.”
Bower also experiences the emotional highs and lows of the season alongside the team.
“You can see a difference in demeanor after a big win versus a tough loss,” Bower said.
Reflecting on the baseball season in particular, he notes, “We’ve beaten teams we didn’t think we’d have a chance against, so you can definitely see the potential is there. It’s just about being more consistent.”
Through both football and baseball, Bower has found a role that goes beyond simply assisting at practice. It has become a central part of his college experience.
“It’s definitely something I want to stick with all four years,” Bower said.
What began as a simple email last April has turned into an opportunity to be fully immersed in two Division I programs, an experience defined not just by the work he does, but by the sense of belonging he has gained along the way.
Featured image courtesy of Holy Cross Men’s Basketball
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