Friendship off the court

During the strenuous schedule of March Madness, it’s not just the players that bond during hours of traveling – the teams’ athletic staff members do as well.

Libby Garcia, Heather Bell and Lauren Rados all work for University of Southern California basketball, either as an academic adviser, equipment handler or recruiter.

“The best thing about working for USC basketball is the relationships,” Bell said. “We get along really well with each other.”

All three women have found friendship together in a mostly male-run program. After leaving California at 11 a.m. Monday, March 13, Garcia, Bell and Rados had a few days to enjoy one another’s company on their cross-country road trip and time at UD Arena.

“Even though we’re usually on different schedules,” Rados said, “the tournament is great because we get lots of girl time.”

Despite their excitement of experiencing the First Four together, the three staffers feel the stress that comes with planning such a high-stakes game.

“Scheduling is definitely tricky,” Garcia said. “We come to this tournament and have to plan for the ifs, ands or buts. You don’t know what is going to happen.”

Though the future is unknown, these three USC staffers can thank the tournament for bringing them closer together.