Ari Geller and Logan Field, Berkley High School 2024 graduates, may not be Division 1 college athletes, but they are both contributing to the success of two major college athletic programs. Geller, a four year basketball player at BHS, is a freshman at Syracuse University where he earned a role working as a Men’s Basketball student manager. Field, a four year baseball player at BHS, is a freshman at the University of Michigan where he was hired as a student manager for the Michigan Baseball team.
Field fell in love with baseball at a young age, and being part of the team was an important part of his experience at BHS. He pursued a similar experience when he got to college. “I loved playing high school baseball and being a part of a team, so I wanted to get involved with baseball in some way at Michigan,” Field said. “When I found out that college baseball teams have student managers, I realized right away that was something I wanted to do.”
Field explained that he was graciously persistent pursuing the position. He started by emailing one of the assistant baseball coaches over the summer and was offered an informational interview with the coach and the program’s director of Analytics and Video Systems. He drove to Ann Arbor to meet with them in-person and tour the facility. He stayed in touch and had a second interview once he got to campus. Field was offered the position and felt very fortunate as he was the only freshman student-manager hired by the baseball program.
Geller had a similar experience earning the highly coveted and competitive position with the Men’s Basketball team. Following an application and interview process, he was chosen as one of five freshmen among a group of over 50 finalists.
“Playing high school basketball immersed me within the game and built a foundation of knowledge that I can analyze my new college team through,” Geller said. “I have been interested in being a student manager from the jump and feel my high school experience will help me in countless ways.”
For Field, playing baseball his whole life has helped him understand what is expected as a student manager. It has also helped him relate to the players on the team – some of whom he played against in high school. “You learn so much playing high school sports, so I can use that knowledge and experience as a student manager.” Field said. “I also think that by playing High School baseball, I can understand the grind that college baseball players go through. College baseball is obviously a much bigger commitment than high school, but I can appreciate all the practices, lifts, games and meetings that are required on top of being a student.”
Field hopes to work in Baseball Operations after graduation, so the work he’s currently doing is a great place to start. Field’s responsibilities span the entire practice session. He helps the coaches run drills and shag baseballs. After practice he helps put everything away. He has his own locker in the clubhouse and was issued Michigan Baseball gear to wear while working. During games and scrimmages, he helps track data using platforms like Trackman and BATS. “I loved working scrimmages and fall ball games. Sitting in the press box I have a great view of the game and feel the data I’m collecting has the potential to help the players, coaches and team. I can’t wait for the regular season to start in the spring.”
Geller has similar aspirations, with dreams of becoming a high-level basketball coach, so working as a student manager provides a great route for him to network and enhance his knowledge of the game. Although the position is not paid, Geller loves being part of the program and anticipates that his responsibilities will increase over time. Now in season, his daily routine includes going to class from about 9:00 am to 2:30 pm, heading to his dorm for lunch, then to the basketball arena for practice from 3:15 to about 7:30 pm. It’s a busy schedule, but Geller cherishes the relationships and the opportunity to learn. “My favorite part about being a manager is working in college basketball and building relationships with so many incredible, unique people,” Geller said. “As a manager, I have the pleasure of building nuanced, intricate relationships with people all across the program by asking thought-provoking questions and critically analyzing whenever given the opportunity. I’m in this position to learn. Letting that be known to others is the best way I’ve built relationships.”
Field’s favorite part is also the relationships and opportunity to learn. “My favorite part about being a student manager is the exposure to baseball at the next level and building trust among the coaches and student-athletes,” Field said. “I love learning from the older student managers and hearing stories from previous seasons. As a freshman, I am still working on developing these relationships, but I know my hard work will lead to building strong relationships.”
For both Geller and Field, the hardest part of the job is time management and balancing their commitment to the team along with classes, extracurriculars and having a social life. Field considered joining a fraternity, but realized the commitment to Michigan Baseball was his priority.
Field has a passion for Baseball and would love to work in baseball someday. “I have a passion for amateur baseball scouting, so I hope to pursue a career related to amateur baseball scouting,” Field said. “I have interest working for an MLB team in their scouting department, but I also have interest in working for a publication like ESPN, MLB Pipeline or Baseball America and being a draft writer for their company.” Geller hopes to pursue a career in basketball coaching. For now, they are learning and building relationships and enjoying their freshman year in college.
