Stories of Unknown Names in App State Athletics

App State Athletics is a cornerstone for the university in terms of student interest and in

terms of funding. Quite simply, App State Athletics are vital to the success of App State as a

university.

Many athletes and coaches are responsible for the success of their team and therefore the

success of the athletic department as a whole. However, there are so many people that are just as

important to athletics, but yet receive no attention. App State Athletics has a staff of 86 people

outside of the coaching staff for each individual sport team. 86 people that work endlessly to

ensure the athletics program is successful. 86 people that are okay with being behind the scenes,

so long as the fans enjoy their experience. 86 people that ensure each team has everything they

could need for their individual success. 86 hard workers that are constantly willing to put their

head down and work.

App State Athletics is split into 18 different departments that cover a wide range of tasks

and jobs. These departments range from administration to creative services to equipment

management to marketing. Each department impacts App State Athletics, and the university as a

whole, every single day. These hardworking people may not want the spotlight, but they surely

deserve some praise.

Joe Tolbert is the Assistant Equipment Manager for Olympic Sports at App State. He is

tasked with the management and spread of all team-issued gear, as well as the laundry of practice

and game attire. He was first introduced to this career path as a student manager for the football

team at the University of South Alabama. Since then, he has spent time at several other

universities in similar capacities. He started at App State in 2022 as the first Olympic Sports
Equipment Manager in App State Athletics history. Joe Tolbert says his work varies on a daily

basis depending on which sports are most active. He says he stays most busy in the summer

months, but things slow down in the winter. Gamedays are especially busy as he works pre-game

to pass out all apparel and post-game to make sure all used apparel is cleaned and dried. Joe

Tolbert says that being a fan of the App State teams is possible, he just doesn’t let it overshadow

the work that is required of him. His job may seem miniscule, but it makes a great impact

throughout athletics.

“I believe my department is very impactful, when my job is done correctly it allows the

coaches to focus on coaching and the athletes to focus on practice and games,” Joe Tolbert said.

Kelsey Tolbert is the Assistant Athletics Director for Marketing for App State Athletics.

Her role consists of a wide variety of tasks, but they can be condensed into three main categories;

staff management, revenue generation, and fan engagement. A small list of what she does is,

managing a staff of 15-20, promoting the awareness of athletics at a campus, local and state

level, and running all advertising purchases. She started at the University of Alabama and has

since taken on roles amongst several other colleges as well as professional and semi-professional

teams. App State became her home in April of 2022 and she has enjoyed her time thus far.

“I am constantly challenged everyday by peers and supervisors to be creative and

competitive in my thinking and planning,” Kelsey Tolbert said.

Her daily workload is dependent on the schedule of the athletic teams, but she always

tries to stay one step ahead. During football season in the fall, she is already planning for the

basketball season in the winter. Kelsey Tolbert’s gameday workload looks a lot different. She

arrives at least 3 hours early to every game to make sure everything is ready from a production

standpoint. On these days she is managing her staff, the video board, and the promotional content
that fans will experience. Once the game starts, she’s running the show and trying her best to

make sure everything runs smoothly. Her job impacts App State Athletics because it’s all about

revenue, how can they bring in more money. Money makes the world go around and Kelsey

Tolbert is responsible for the money flow at App State Athletics.

These jobs might seem small or insignificant, but without them, the athletics department

would fall quickly. These names are humble, hardworking and highly motivated. They are the

perfect employees to maintain and grow athletics. These names are the unheard heroes of App

State Athletics.