Christina Hoeck

There’s a lot more to a football game than just the players, a ball, and a crowd of screaming fans. Many other people that contribute to the game are standing on the sidelines. They go unnoticed, yet they help piece the game together.

Athletic trainers are people who are specially trained to assist an injured player by bandaging and taping him up. Three hours before the game and one hour afterward, the trainers are tape and re-tape the players.

“The trainers are very important, they make all the medical decisions,” said head football coach John Stiegelmeier.

As well as tending to the players, the trainers are also in charge of the water. “During the game, we have to make sure there’s enough water and Powerade for the players at all times,” said senior Carla Hahne.

Besides the people attending to the players, people capture the game on film. The camera crew films shots of the game and shots of the crowd for the scoreboard. They also film the entire game for the highlight tape. Following around the camera crew are the people holding the cables to make sure they don’t get in everyone’s way. SDSU students, such as sophomore Alex Bethke, are given the opportunity to help out with this task.

“[Being part of the camera crew] is a great experience for me, because I’m a media productions major and this is the kind of thing I want to do,” said Bethke. “Most of what I do is grip job (handling cords), but they’ve let me run the cameras a couple of times.”

Lastly, though they aren’t necessarily standing on the sidelines, the announcers’ presence is much needed during the game. Reporting every detail about the game keeps the audience informed. They inform not only the people at the game, but the radio audience as well.

Next time you attend a SDSU football game, pay attention to these individuals and their hard work. Each one plays an important role in the game we all love to watch