Editor's note: Every Wednesday throughout the offseason, we'll catch up with volleyball support staff for five questions.
Derek Lester | Assistant Director of Facilities
Q: Walk me through a typical match day for volleyball and all that you have to do?
LESTER: "First would be cleaning the court, we always wet mop and dry it off before the matches and then re-tape, so that we know that the lines are all crisp and clean for the weekend. Another thing is making sure the locker room is all good to go, the nets are up and benches are setup. The score tables are good to go as far as switching the scoreboard over to volleyball, and the most important part is making sure the food is there (laughing).
"Volleyball is the easiest as far as after the match starts, there's not a lot to do. Maybe there is an emergency here or there, like the scoreboard not working or something like that, but usually volleyball is pretty relaxed and easy going, which is just like the volleyball coaching staff as well."
Q: What is it like flipping the court and everything to basketball or vice versa?
LESTER: "It is really easy to flip from basketball to volleyball because the hardest part of everything, there usually isn't anything too bad with us leaving the volleyball lines down, is getting the goals set after a volleyball match. It is so hard to line them back up because they have to be exact. Sometimes it takes five or six tries and then you have the basketball players out there getting ready and bouncing the ball right behind us.
"It's such a difficult job putting them back, but sometimes it works out easy and you get it on the first try. It's really easy going from basketball to volleyball with taking them off the court, but it is stressful from volleyball to basketball."
Q: How do you try to cater to what employees want and something new each time for when you decide on catering food?
LESTER: "I try to do a little bit of both with and make sure I don't get something that people are going to complain about, but at the same time switching it up and staying within a budget. Like if we go with Zaxby's one day, then we wouldn't do something as expensive the next time. Everyone would like to have Zaxby's or pizza or really good wings every time, but the budget isn't as conducive to that type of spending on meals.
"We try to change it up and keep it a variety, which I think is good. It's crazy how much food can lift people's spirits. It is something that people might not think is that important. It's something that I don't take super seriously but I eat the food too, so I wouldn't want to have ham sandwiches every other day (laughing). I try to plan, though. I just do food for volleyball and wrestling so I do some research on who we would like to have cater heading into the season. It's definitely a part of the job that people wouldn't think of."
Q: How did you break into the field of athletics and specifically facilities?
LESTER: "I went to undergrad here at Tech and worked at McComas all four years I was here and did some camps as well. I knew I wanted to be in athletics at some point, either recreation or NCAA sports. Then I went to Kentucky and worked in its rec sports as a graduate assistant, but at the same time I tried to get as much athletics and NCAA events experience as I could. So, I worked men's basketball with them having a lottery system for students, and they would fill up the gym. I also did baseball ops and stuff like that.
"Eventually I came back here and got Casey Underwood's number, then started helping with Jerry Cheynet delivering meals for baseball and worked my way in to weed eating and mowing for Casey out at cross country, worked my way in there. Then this position opened up and I had a lot of transferable skills, with my master's being in facility indoor management at the rec sports center. So, it kind of worked out perfect for me to get the job here."
Q: You are taking a class right now at Tech, correct?
LESTER: "I'm currently taking an undergrad class in public speaking, it's a summer-session class. I'm trying to get better for church and weddings. I actually officiate weddings and do pre-marriage counseling and stuff like that. Then maybe fill in for Scott [Obenchain] on a Sunday or do the welcome message live down the road. But I'm terrible at public speaking, it just freaks me out. So, I figured I would take this class and it has been good. I've already gotten three or four live speeches in. One thing I've learned from the class is that you can go over your stuff 1,000 times, but you'll still forget this or that or stutter here or there. But that's why I'm doing the public speaking class, to get some experience with that."
