Red Bulls Gameday Feature

As The Team Changes, The Kit Man Stays The Same

There have been a lot of turnover and personnel changes over the 13 seasons that the New York MLS franchise has been in existence. Players and coaches have come and gone, some memorable, other forgettable, but there are still one or two remaining holdovers from the original organization, and no, John Wolyniec is not one of them (though he was with the team as far back as 1999). The person we are referring to is none other than the inimitable equipment manager for the Red Bulls, Fernando Ruiz.

The life of an equipment manager is not a glamorous one, as we found out when we met up with Ruiz for this interview. Typically we sit down with the subject and carry on the interview in relative peace and quiet. This was not the case this time, as Ruiz was busy conducting his daily duties, keeping the Red Bulls properly attired at all times. The native Colombian answered our questions while washing, drying, and folding the player gear, as multitasking is a prerequisite for a successful equipment manager.

Ruiz began his career with the franchise when Major League Soccer was born in 1996, and has been ingrained in the New York franchise from its inception. "I did this job for the first 11 or 12 years as a volunteer," stated Ruiz. "Little by little I worked my way up the ladder. When I started, I was working with the equipment manager, Pablo de la O at first, followed by Javier Robalino, but I was also working as a translator for all the foreign players that used to play for the team."

After all those years as a volunteer or an assistant, Ruiz was promoted to head equipment manager prior to this season. When asked about how his transition has been, Ruiz noted that, "It's not easy. It's different being the guy in charge because rather than assisting someone, you are the one that has to have the answers. I like to say 'I don't worry about the problem; I need to find a solution to the problem'. You really have to know what you are doing and you have to have the personality to be able to deal with 28 players, plus the medical staff, plus the coaching staff. Sometimes it's difficult. I might be in the middle of something and, as the head guy, guys will come to me at the same time for something they needed an hour ago. As prepared as I think I am sometimes it gets a little hectic, because everybody wants what they need, all at the same time."

Ruiz's typical day begins at about 7:00 AM, in preparation for a 10:00 AM training session. The first thing he attends to is the locker room, for Ruiz must lay out the gear that each of the members of the club will need on that day before they arrive. That job might not seem that complex, but there is much more to it than meets the eye. For each and every member of the club has preferences to what he wears, depending on a variety of factors, including temperature, weather, the type of training planned, and just about anything else you can think of. And it could change without any prior notice.

"The goalkeepers are very specific on how they want their gear, and what they want," stated Ruiz. "And not every goalkeeper wants the same things. You have to get to know the players and what they want. For example, there are days when Jon Conway likes the short pants and there are days he likes the long pants. He wears a rib protector. He has special sliders. Then it's basically the same thing: the long sleeve Under Armour and the training shirt."

But how does Ruiz know which kind of pants Conway wants on that particular day? "I don't," confided Ruiz. "I give him both and then let him choose."

Ruiz explained that things are a little easier on game day, "Since they all have to wear the same thing. For example, for practice some guys like to wear long socks, or the white socks, or the black socks, or the ankle socks, but for the game they all have to wear the same socks. But even then, what goes under the socks can be different. Some guys like to wear two pairs of socks; others will cut the (bottom of the) sock off and wear a white one underneath with just the shell on the leg. So I am aware of all of that and try to give them everything they need when they need it so they have a good start, and so if they have a bad game they don't blame it on me because I gave them the wrong gear or something."

But how long does it take to learn what each guy likes, and how do you remember it all?

Ruiz responded to that question with ease, stating, "I grab (a new player) the first day. I bring him down, introduce myself, show him all the different gear that we have and I make sure that he feels at home and free to ask me for what he really likes. As for remembering it all, it's all up in my head. I tried to make a list, but it doesn't work. Sometimes you think you know a guy and he is doing the same thing for a month, but then one day he asks you for something unexpected. For example, there are guys that go the entire preseason wearing large, then the day of the first game, they decide that they want extra-large."

Laying out the player's gear is just one step in the daily routine for Ruiz, however. After laying out the locker room, he attends to the coaches' gear, and then makes sure all the balls are pumped, bagged, and ready to go. Once the coaches arrive, he discusses the training session with them so that he can bring out all the gadgets they will be using that day, such as hurdles, sticks, cones, bibs, ladders, and mannequins. During the session, Ruiz must be on top of the timing of the session to ensure that everything is in its appropriate place at the correct time, and to attend to whatever needs may arise during the session.

Once training is over, Ruiz still has several hours of work ahead of him. "The main concern is to get the laundry cycle started to be sure that everything is ready for the next day, but I have check each player's gear, since it's numbered," explained Ruiz. "If it's not in the players' laundry bag, I have to go find it, and if I can't find it, I need to make a new one. Just because I can't find it doesn't mean I don't need to worry about it. The player needs to have his full gear ready for him in the morning. Then I do the wash and get ready for the next day."

"If it's a bright, sunny day where I don't have much laundry, I am usually out of here at 4:00 PM. If it's a day where it rains and I have more laundry, since there is more gear involved, I sometimes don't get out of here until 7:00 PM. I am lucky that I work with my son (Assistant Equipment Manager Sean Ruiz) and he helps me out. I have talked with other guys from around the league, and they sometimes don't get out until 1:00 AM!"

The preparation for a game day also begins during the week, for as Ruiz stated, "I can't get ready for game day ON game day. During the week, my son makes sure that all the game gear that is needed, like socks, the jerseys with the names, the patches, etc. is ready. If the player gave his shirt away or exchanged it with another player after the last game, he needs to make him a new one. The day before the game, we pack all the gear and drop it off at the stadium."

Ruiz arrives at Giants Stadium about 11:00 AM for a 7:30 PM game, and immediately goes about setting up the locker room. "Game days are much easier, because after everything is laid out, I am there to make sure that any last minute emergencies are resolved," commented Ruiz. But Ruiz's duties do not end once the game begins, and although he is stationed on the bench during the match, he has to be aware of what the players' needs are. "I have to be aware of who needs what," noted Ruiz. "If it's a cold day I have to make sure the guys have their jackets. There are times that I miss sections of the game, but for the most part I get to watch the game."

While being a part of the team and sharing in the emotional highs and lows of an MLS season is part of the reason Ruiz enjoys his profession so much, another large reason is that he has the opportunity to share them with his son.

When asked if working with his son has brought them closer, Ruiz immediately responded, "Yes, definitely. As good as an assistant as I thought I was, I still realized I could not do it all by myself, and when they asked me who I wanted as an assistant, I said my son, because he has been doing this job with me for four years. We have managed to reach a point that he knows when it's time to be my son and when it's time to be my assistant, and I have learned when to be his father and when to be his boss."

"I love what I do," concludes Ruiz. "I wouldn't change it for anything. I am here because I want to, not because I have to."

This is a good thing for Ruiz, because he is here a lot.