Gearing Up for Success with Equipment Managers Brendan Gittemeier and Turner Faulkner

Written by Michael Haffner

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The success of a team may not come down to having the right equipment or a perfectly designed kit, but rather, finding the right people to represent it.

Miguel Perez isn’t the only St. Louis native with a hand in St. Louis CITY SC’s historical winning-run to kick off the 2023 MLS season. There are two other natives whose handiwork is prevalent despite their names not being on the roster.

“Whenever it was official that we were getting a team, it was kind of something that I had my eye on,” said Brendan Gittemeier. He was already serving as an Assistant Equipment Manager for the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, working with some of the best players and staff in the country. And yet, it was the opportunity to have a hand in shaping his hometown team that drove him to apply for the position. His resume spoke for itself.

Once hired as Head Equipment Manager, he needed someone to assist him in the role. It was Gittemeier’s connection with the USMNT that led him to his right-hand man. He needed someone that would work alongside him day-in and day-out that shared his same level of passion, experience, and dedication. Little did he know he would discover that in another St. Louisan that matched what he was looking for. “Walker Zimmerman (USMNT and Nashville SC defender) sent me a nice, long message, which had a hand in me meeting Turner.” Gittemeier soon knew he found his assistant.

Turner “Hooch” Faulkner – a nickname with a nod to the Tom Hanks film Turner & Hooch – was driven by the same desire to represent his home city as Gittemeier. “I was in high school when the first big push for an MLS team got shut down,” explains Faulkner. “And then we finally got it, and I was like, ‘I really hope I get the opportunity to work for the club.’ And now I finally am. I'm blessed to say that I can be a part of something new and special here for the City. The community has been waiting a long time for this.”

Before returning home to St. Louis, Faulkner worked as an intern at the MLS club, Nashville SC. It’s there where he got to assist Walker Zimmerman with equipment and gain real-world experience after graduating from the University of Kansas. “Trying to figure out this or that and if we need to pack this. That's the biggest difference between sitting in front of a screen in the classroom and learning out in the field.” Another thing that he explains that they don’t necessarily teach you in school for Sports Management is “meshing with the team and their personalities.”

While much of the equipment is standardized, such as the training tops or home and away kits, there are still aspects that are personalized to match each player and their personality. Some of which may be a little quirkier or unexpected than others. There is a clear and immediate consensus between the two Equipment Managers about what is the most common personalized item among the team: socks. An answer that might surprise you as much as it did me. On the outside, it may look like every player wears the same standard sock, but what fans really see are team-branded sleeves that go over each player’s preferred socks. And then there are the components you don’t expect. “Certain players prefer specific undergarment brands.” Gittemeier reveals one player that prefers Calvin Klein – which I’ll omit as not to embarrass him. It’s those details that go unnoticed during the match and training, and yet, they are critical for each player to perform at their absolute best.

In many ways, if there’s one word that defines the success of their roles, it’s anticipation. Their goal is to always be prepared for any possible outcome. Rain or snow. Blood or sweat. They have to be multiple steps ahead of the team. A system that is all the more challenging when you’re away from home on the road. Because it’s not as easy as just running over to the Training Facility during a home match.

It’s not just the players that are preparing for every match as Faulkner explains. “You have to think five steps ahead.”

Gittemeier talks about how each Equipment Manager has their own system. When asked what the crux of his specific system he explains, it’s efficiency. “I’ve seen some managers travel with 25 to 30 different bags of equipment. So, one thing that is important for me, and I think makes a world of difference, is just being efficient in the way we pack and the way we travel. We try to condense everything as best we can because that's going to save us a lot of time and energy in loading or unloading the plane or loading in the hotel or locker room before game.”

You don’t usually associate locker rooms and dirty clothes with the glamorous side of the game, but then you see what the Equipment Managers get to work with. As if it wasn’t already evident when walking around the stadium, the inside of the Training Facility lives up to its state-of-the-art reputation. There are massive sliding bookcases that show off each of the garments in different sizes. There are top-of-the-line washers and dryers stacked on top of one another spanning an entire wall. And then we get to the room where the players’ cleats are all lined up along the wall. All the bright colors hanging on the wall almost makes it look like a modern art installation.

Of course, there’s something to be said about seeing your work on the field – gazing out like a proud parent who sets their child’s clothes out for their big day. But instead, they rather talk about the pride they feel for what was accomplished last year with MLS NEXT Pro and this year thus far. Those feelings are also extended to the connections they have created with the players on a personal level. Faulkner joyfully recounts how much he’s enjoyed playing chess and card games with Kyle Hiebert. Gittemeier perks up when he talks about how Indiana Vassilev “has a huge personality that really lights up a room.”

“Getting to know the players on a personal level helps me better provide what they need and even predict what they may need before they even know it,” explains Faulkner. “That’s important to me.”

Talking with the two of them is a reminder of how fans, players, and the staff all wear the St. Louis CITY SC shield with a sense of pride. The crest that adorns the kit is a symbol and carries meaning beyond the threads in the fabric. I’ve seen the crest and kits all over the city countless of times over the past few months, and yet, there’s something about seeing them lined up in the training facility ready for the next big match. And the difference is that we now have players that embody those kits. Players and staff that bring the equipment to life. Men who are now true St. Louisans who represent not just a club, but an entire CITY. Those shelves aren’t simply lined with boots, kits and socks anymore. They carry greater meaning because of who is behind them all.