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Upper St. Clair grad helps manage Duke basketball team

By Eleanor Bailey 6 min read
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When Pitt hosts Duke University at 2 p.m. Feb. 28 at the Petersen Events Center, Christian Meyer of Upper St. Clair will be rooting hard for the Blue Devils. He has good reason and it’s not because he is a freshman at the school, located in Durham, N.C. The 19-year-old son of Chris and LeAnne Meyer happens to be a team manager for one of the nation’s top men’s basketball programs, one that has won over 2,000 games and has made 39 NCAA tournament appearances.

Regardless of where he has called home since 2001, Meyer said emphatically, “I would never bet against Duke. They will win,” he predicted. “We are hitting our stride and I feel confident that we will show how good we are.”

Upon his arrival on the campus, Meyer immediately demonstrated how good he was, particularly for the storied program, which has captured five championships since 1991. A National Honor Society student, who graduated with a 4.78 GPA from Upper St. Clair High School, Meyer already had the credentials to excel academically. When he encountered Jon Payne, a junior, he discovered he also had what it took to be a manager.

“I didn’t know anything about being a student manager until I met (Jon) and he said that he loved it,” Meyer said. “So, I thought I would give it a try.”

So did more than 100 other applicants, who submitted letters of recommendation and resumes for the non-paying position. After three rounds of interviews, Meyer was one of three freshman selected for the job that regularly requires between 30 to 40 hours of attention.

“I’m not sure why I got it, but I’m sure glad that I did,” Meyer said. “Basketball here is one of the greatest programs and I just thought it would be a great experience. I’ve always rooted for Duke. Now, I’m part of it and it’s completely different. I’m loving it.”

During games, Meyer enjoys the best seat in the house. It is an experience, particularly in the Cameron Indoor Stadium. “Especially,” he said, “when you feel the ground shake under your feet.”

The job, however, requires long hours and hard work. As a manager, he attends regular practices and every game. His duties can be as mundane as filling the Gatorade jugs to setting up team meals. As he matures into an upperclassman, his tasks will gain in importance. For example, a senior’s responsibilities can include keeping stats.

“All the dirty work is done by the freshmen,” Meyer said. “Basically every item in the facility is left up to us to determine where it goes and where it’s needed.”

To do his job well, Meyer explains that he needs to follow a few simple rules: be on time, be there physically and emotionally and be respectful. “A manager is expected to be perfect,” he said. “The program has been built on perfection so you strive for that. You may not know what to do but you know that you need to be perfect.”

While balancing his studies as an economics major, Meyer knows he must prioritize to complete all his daily tasks. Time management plays a vital role in his routine.

“There are never enough hours in the days so you need to know what actually needs to get done. It’s an incredible learning opportunity. You stay calm and figure it out. You can’t give up or let the pressure get to you or you can’t get things done. The most important things that I have learned in high-pressured situations are the essential things that will stick with me as I go through life.”

Life has been filled with many twists and turns for Meyer. Born in South Africa, he lived in London before moving to Upper St. Clair in 2001. In high school, he participated in Future Business Leaders of America and mentored peers through the philanthropic program, Kids Helping Kids. He also lettered four years in tennis. The Panthers won the WPIAL title and finished runner-up in the state of Pennsylvania during his senior year. Meyer sat out much of the season due to a damaged Achilles heel that required surgery. “It was an unfortunate injury but it happens,” said Meyer. “But, I’d falling in love with basketball. I’d watched it all the time but there is a special aspect of the sport, a team sport, that is present there and not in tennis. I wanted to be part of that closeness.”

At Duke, Meyer has gone from being a fan of the players and coaches to a friend. “Before I came to school, I was star struck. Now, I see (the players) every day and they are normal guys. Cool guys,” he added. “I’m happy I’ve gotten to know them but I don’t have favorites. Picking one would be weird. It would be like trying to decide the order of your best friends when you are close to them all.”

Through his position, Meyer has been drawn closer to Mike Krzyzewski, the legendary coach of the Blue Devils. His first encounter–in October when Pittsburgh played Chicago in the wild-card playoff game-surprised but impressed Meyer. “(Coach K) did not know me but I was surprised he knew my name and where I was from. He said to me, ‘your Pirates are playing my Cubs.’ I had no idea what to say. He’s the greatest coach of all time and he was having a conversation with me. I just laughed and nodded.

“Coach K) really makes an effort to make you part of the team,” Meyer continued. “They have a saying here that whether you are a first-year or a starter you are part of the program. We all play a part.”

While plays a volunteer part, Meyer reaps rewards when the Blue Devils win. Only the senior managers split a scholarship but everybody gets to travel if Duke reaches the Final Four. “I’m okay with that because I am part of the greatest tradition,” said Meyer, who noted the goal of the program is always to win a national championship.

Meyer could parlay that tradition into a career. Since he has been part of the program, he said that he is considering turning his degree into a sports management or analytics career. Some day, he hopes to live in San Francisco and work for the Golden State Warriors.

“I absolutely love sports. I’ve either played them or attended sporting events all my life,” he noted. “But, I’m really loving what I’m doing. The losses may be hard but the wins are unreal.”

Especially, when they come against Pitt.

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