West Orange football manager prepares to take his experience to the University of Florida's sidelines

Tim Mazek, a West Orange High senior and a student equipment manager for the football team, still remembers exactly when he first stepped on the sidelines. 

It was April 29, 2024 — just two days before his birthday. 

Mazek spent most of the first practice cleaning up after his mistakes. When he first went to fit players for chin straps, he accidentally dumped out all of the spare parts, then had to pick up all of them one-by-one. 

“I just tried to show them how much I wanted it,” he said. “I didn’t want to look like I just came in expecting things.” 

Throughout the first week of practices, Mazek didn’t talk to anyone. Rather, he shadowed head coach Geno Thompson to figure out what was going on. Once Mazek got a feel for the inner workings of practices, he stepped out of his shell. 

Now two years later, Mazek will be graduating from West Orange Wednesday, May 27. He will use the hours of management under his belt to apply to be a manager for the University of Florida’s football team.

LOVE FOR THE GAME

Mazek and his family always have loved football, so much so his parents named him after the University of Florida’s legendary quarterback Tim Tebow, who won two NCAA Championships and became the first sophomore to win the Heisman in 2007. 

Since he was born, Mazek has been to almost every home Gators game. He essentially grew up at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, and his baby pictures are scattered with photos of him there in Gators gear. 

But he never was able to pick up the sport himself because his mom was worried about concussions. He had to find a different way into the beloved game. 

The pathway was opened during Mazek’s sophomore year, when he was talking with one of his friends about the draft season. His friend was a huge fan of the Chicago Bears, who had the No. 1 pick that year, and Mazek was expressing his uncertainty about picking Caleb Williams over Jayden Daniels. Thompson overheard Mazek tracking back stats and numbers and asked if he would be interested in doing it for the team. 

“He offered that, and I didn’t understand that was a path I could take toward (football), and I just jumped on it,” Mazek said. 

The offer led to Mazek’s first week of practice, and once he overcame his newbie nerves, he excelled with helping the team with everything behind the scenes. 

Now that the Warriors are in season for spring training, he picks up food for them, makes sure the laundry is out for the players, jerseys are fitted properly and helps the coaches with setting up and filming drills. 

“I help them with whatever equipment issues that they have — if (the) chin strap moved or if they got a buzz cut and now your helmet is not going to fit right,” he said.

In season, he ensured West Orange’s in-game replay system and end zone feed were set up. He also assumed ongoing tasks such as ill-fitting jerseys or other hiccups that arise during a game. Tape can work wonders in those situations.

But most important, his role is “protecting the players from the players.” 

“All these kids want to have the coolest outfits on and want to wear the smallest pads and have the helmets that make them look the coolest,” Mazek said. “You have to put them in stuff that’s going to keep them safe.” 

Every helmet needs to be filled with air and their chin straps must be tightened to ensure their heads don’t wiggle around. 

“I know what I’m doing so I know that all of these kids after I put them in helmets are going to be OK,” Mazek said. “Once I can send you out, you’re good. It’s like a baby bird. You throw them out there and (they) have to figure it out.” 

Seeing everything unlocked not only a deeper understanding of everything it takes for a football team to run but also an understanding of character values to have while being a manager and a student. 

NOT DOING THE ROBOT

When Mazek first began as a manager, he had to learn how it was socially acceptable to talk to people in the football environment, compared to school, where you have to be on point about topics and act more “robotic,” he said. 

“I don’t want kids asking me for equipment all the time, like, ‘Hey can you just do this?’” he said. “It’s like, no, that’s not my job. So it was learning how to hold respect while also being friendly with the kids and building relationships.” 

Through football, he has made some of his closest friends. Everyone has bad times, and he said when he was really struggling with school and personal life, the football players always were there for him by making him feel part of the community. 

“That meant the most to me because I went through some pretty bad things and they helped me out of it,” he said. “The regimen also helps me keep on top of my grades and make sure that I’m doing everything that I need to do to be successful in life.” 

The coaches especially helped Mazek learn how to be organized and taught him that if he holds himself to a  higher standard, then people will follow him. He now has a detailed planner with everything he needs to accomplish during the day. 

The responsibilities also helped Mazek get over the  people-pleaser hurdle and learn how to have strong boundaries. If he allows himself to be a push-over, then people are going to do just that.

As Mazek graduates from West Orange and begins college at Florida to study mechanical engineering in the summer, he will carry over those lessons with him. He plans to apply at UF to work inside of their equipment staff. He said Warriors’ coach Larry Hoyt and his son managed the team when they went to UF, and their connections will help him with the application. 

Mazek can’t help but smile when he thinks about stepping inside of the Gators’ stadium as a member of the team. It will be a full-circle moment for him, but he cannot be more thankful for the West Orange staff for introducing him to this pathway in the first place. 

“I’m incredibly thankful for both the team and the coaches,” Mazek said. “It’s brought me closer to God. They’ve helped me grow into a more mature person, emotionally and I feel like they’ve helped me to the deepest part of my soul.”