University Daily Kansan, April 16, 1981
Student finds manager's job more than just dirty laundrv
By MARK LEE
Sports Writer
He could be a top athletic administrator someday, but right now Bryce Nuss' office is located in a small storage room full of several dozen shoe boxes, a couple of shots and a container of snakes.
Nuss works for men who wear hot pink shorts, blue baby shoes and 90 shoes. He spent over $1,000 on one of the items he bought to help the learn's laundry to earn his wages.
THAT'S THE way life is for Nuss at the University of Kansas, because he's the head equipment manager for the Jayhawk track team. He'll have a lot to manage this week during the KU Relays.
Nuss has been distributing some of the 738 shirts that he ordered especially for the relays. He has 300 red shirts for student officials, 300 more for the Kansas Relays marathon participants, another 100 for individual champions and 36 for student trainers. The shirts cost over $2,000.
"The money came out of the KU Relays budget," Nuss said. "We won't make any money on the shirts. The student officials will be volunteer workers helping run the relays. They get to keep their shirt."
Nuss will need every volunteer he's got Saturday morning for the marathon. He's in charge of setting up making stands every five miles of the race.
"IF I WAS running in the race, I'd need a drink after every mile," Nuss said. "We'll have five or six cases of Quick Kick (a nutritional mix). My main job is to just make sure that everything runs smoothly."
Nuss is also responsible for checking out 200 official's jackets and approximately 50 timers each morning and checking them back in each night. He'll be in charge of moving the hurdles on and off the track and he has to make sure that all field equipment is in the right place at the right time.
"I'll have over 300 people doing a wide variety of jobs," Nuss said. "Most of them will have their own specific jobs to do. I'll probably sit near the stand and stay near a white talkie to make sure everything gets done."
Nuss, a junior from Wilson, Kan., has five officers under his command. Curtis Fos, senior from Great Bend, Kan.; Lester, Robinson, Kan.; Andy, Robinson, and Job Uphorme sophomore from Great Bend, Kan., are his assistants. Combs and David
Blutcher, seniors from Birmingham, Ala., are in charge of the laundry department.
Nuss still has to do his share of laundry, too.
"YOU HAVE to take the good with the bad," Nuss said as he trapped a heap of laundry into a washer. "Every time I have to do the less desirable things, I always think of the good times that I've bad."
Nuss says that he enjoys the time he spends in the main track office in Allen Field House. He may spend up to half of his afternoon there, because he has to keep track of the budget equipment, order new equipment and file a lot of records. For example, he had to order 20 used helmets for the relays this year.
"This is a great way to learn about budgeting and administration," said Nuss, who is majoring in business
"One athlete came in and said 'I ain't gonna wear no pink shorts.' But I don't think he ever got a chance to wear them anyway. The worst thing that ever happened was one guy who took a blue marking pen and colored the pink stripes in on his shoes."
Bryce Nuss, KU track equipment manager.
administration. "I'm learning a lot more here than I am in school that will pertain to what I do when I get out."
His "office" at Memorial Stadium is located in the weight room of the visiting locker room. It looks more like a shoe store than an office. There are over 100 boxes of Adidas and Nike shoes stacked to the ceiling.
"NIKE SENDS us bright pink and blue shoes that can't be bought in stores," Huss said. "Our average shoe would retail for $5, but we get them at a team price. We help promote the Nike product, so the company gives us a set percentage of a discount. I think I ordered about 150 pair this year."
Nuss usually has to pay a retail price for specialty shoes, which are needed for the field events. His most expensive pair is $90 for a pair of Adidas lavinets boots.
Sophomore Mome Buckley KU's decathlon participant, walked into Nuss' office and slammed down a bag full of shoes. He had five pairs already in
"I'm just being a Santa Claus today," Nuss said as he handed Buckley the shoes. "Buckley is the most expensive athlete on the team. He needs a pair of specialty shoes for every one of his field events."
his bag, but Buckley asked Nuss for a pair of shot put shoes (retail $45).
A DECATHLON participant would have to spend over $1,000 to buy everything he needs at retail price in a sporting goods store. His six pairs of shoes would cost him approximately $300. His uniform, sweats, a rain suit and his two carry-all bags would cost him another $200. It would cost an additional $650 for a javelin, discs, shot put and three pole vaults.
"Hot pink shorts and blue baby taps are a tradition at Kanasa," Nuss said. "I think Kanasa has one of the best looking uniforms in the country.
Nuss said that he was proud to be working for men who wear hot pink shorts.
"The pink shorts are made especially for the KU track team by a company that sells material in Hollywood. When you wash the shorts, it turns the water pink. The material will only last about a year."
The shorts cost about $30 a pair and Nuss had to order about 30 pair this time. Nuss said that sophomore long jumper Warren Wilhite ripped out three pair of the shorts last year in one costly meet.
"I GUESS HE JUST had one of those meets," Nuss said. "He only ripped about four shorts during the year, but he ripped three of them in one meet.
"I think the shorts are pretty neat, because we are the only team that has them. If a lot of women's teams started wearing shorts, something away from the KU tradition."
At least two Jayhawks have not enjoyed wearing pink during the past two years.
"One athlete came in and said 'I can't gonna wear no pink shorts.'" Nuss said. "But I don't think he ever got a chance to wear them anyway. The worst thing that ever happened was one guy who took a blue marking pen and colored the pink stripes in on his shoes."
Nuss' biggest challenge this year was keeping within his budget. He said that most of the equipment prices increased 10 to 15 percent this year.
"MY MAIN JOB is to cut the corners any way that I can to make the budget last longer," Nuss said.
"From头 to toe, I try to take care of the athlete. This is something that I would like to do for the rest of my life."
אֶשָׁר בְּהוֹנִי EiKansan atfə
As the KU track team's manager, Bryce Nuss plays a large part in the Kansas Relays, from equipping the athletes to checking out watches for the official scorers.
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