Not many people can say that they have had the same career position for 30 years; even fewer can say their first job has been their only job.
Vance Manakas, Head Trainer at Moorpark College, began on August 3, 1981, his 24th birthday. At that time he did not know that he would be at Moorpark for another 30 years.
After studying at Cal State Fullerton, he received a Masters degree from University of Arizona in Physical Education with an emphasis in athletic training. Manakas returned to California and found a new home with new opportunities in Moorpark.
Vance Manakas could be considered a jack-of-all-trades, unlike most college athletic trainers; he has to administer treatment to all the 15 teams on campus that compete every year. Most colleges have sport specific trainers that even travel with the team, but Manakas works with all of them here at Moorpark College, increasing the difficulty to balance it all.
Most would assume that the higher up you go, the more difficult it is. In most cases, that would be true, but on the contrary, his job is more demanding at the junior college level in comparison to a division one athletic trainer. Manakas does have help with fellow head trainer Cherisse Sherman, but their hands are always plenty full.
“Truth is, I prefer it,” Manakas said. “People always ask me why I haven’t gone to work at a higher level, and its because at Moorpark, as busy as I am, I still get to go home and be with my family and that kind of thing means a lot to me.”
The job entails taping body parts from fingers, shoulders and wrists down to knees, ankles and toes, as well as stretching athletes, icing their injuries and tutoring athletes on how they can prevent injuries from getting worse or even helping to prevent it from happening again.
Dedicating three decades of your life to one job is a milestone for any person in any career field. Vance Manakas has grown to love Moorpark College along with his wife, Sharon Manakas (Health Services Coordinator at Moorpark) building many long lasting memories in the hearts and minds of everyone they’ve helped on campus.
Jamal McClerkin is a sophomore at Moorpark, who competes on the men’s basketball team. He always finds himself needing aid from Manakas.
“Vance is the man,” said McClerkin. “He is always there for us [athletes] in times of need, whether it be for treatment or even if it’s just to talk about sports. No doubt he is just as important as any other person on staff in the athletic program.”
His 30 years of service go hand-in-hand with why athletes at Moorpark College love Manakas so much. He is not only a traditional sports trainer, but also an inspirational figure to the athletes he patches up. Manakas has built plenty of great relationships with athletes that have come and gone through Moorpark due to his gregarious attitude in the training room.
“I’m here to keep these kids safe out on the playing field,” said Manakas. “That is my job, but I really want to make sure that these athletes feel like they are part of something. That’s easy to do if I talk to them, get them to feel comfortable to come up to the training room. I make it a point to get to know them as much as I can, because I care about the athletes and I want to see them excel.”
Manakas is still young at heart evident by all the energy he brings to the training room. He loves his job and does it with 100 percent conviction everyday, which shows all the young people that he works with that loving what you do for a living is possible. It would be hard to find an athlete that has a complaint about Manakas. His approach is professional and his love for the athletes’ safety is always evident. Every college would be happy to have a trainer like Vance Manakas on their campus.
