WU Swim partners with BEST Crowd Management at the Bank of America Stadium

Staff Writer: Madison Mataxas

As one of the biggest teams on Wingate’s campus, the Men’s and Women’s swim teams are always up for lending a helping hand and creating a strong feeling of belonging. The teamwork that can be seen during any of the team’s practices does not stop once the swimmers and coaches leave the pool deck but permeates into everything they do.

The most recent opportunity that the team has been given to build their reputations, resumes, and gain hands-on experiences has been brought forward by BEST Crowd Management at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. 

This opportunity to raise money for the team came to the coaching staff when one of the managers of BEST wrote Wingate Athletics asking if any of the Wingate teams would be interested in fundraising for their team and inviting them to be part of the BEST staff. Head Coach Kirk Sanocki and Assistant Coaches Greg Doyle and Kevin Hennessy were interested in taking this opportunity because it would give them the chance to provide current and future Wingate swimmers with better equipment and experiences while they dedicate their hard work to the swim team for the duration of their college careers.

After the swim team went through a day of training and preparation for the coming events, which included how to use the ticket scanners and dress code, the three women’s team captains Anna Miram (Senior, Ludvika, Sweden), Kate Agger (Senior, Broomall, P.A.), and Lily Sanocki (Junior, Charlotte, N.C.) attended the ECU vs APP State football game Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021, and got the chance to help with ticketing, directing fans to their seats, upkeep of the stadium’s rules and crowd management. 

When asked about the event, Sanocki stated, “[The game was] a really fun way to raise money for our team and something that we have never done before. It is also a great opportunity for team bonding since we are all working together.” 

Sanocki also said that this event challenged her and was a beneficial way to practice keeping large groups of people moving through an area and multitasking when scanning tickets, directing people to their correct seats, and monitoring the crowds. 

Agger also stated that being a part of the staff at the ECU vs APP State game was “a great experience to have because being there teaches integral life skills while promoting teamwork.” She goes on to say, “having this experience allows my teammates and I the chance to have a free career trial to help determine if they would want to pursue any type of job in this sort of field.”

Overall, all of the captains and coaches agree that the fundraising opportunities that have been given to the team at the Bank of America Stadium work to spread the Wingate Swimming name and reputation thus helping the swimmers with networking. More experiences are in store for the team as the football season continues for the next few months and the Wingate Swim Team is more than optimistic about what is to come.