Impact Of A Scholarship: Brook Kline

Brook Kline has been an equipment manager with Maryland football for the past two seasons after finding a love for it back in high school. She was recently awarded the Ron Ohringer Student Manager Endowed Scholarship, an award created to highlight student managers and the hard work they put in both on and off the field.

“It was really nice to be recognized,” Kline said. “There's a lot of hours that people don't see, a lot of hard work behind the scenes that we all know we're doing, but doesn't always get recognized. So to be recognized on a large scale is very meaningful, and it brings a sense of reward for this hard work.”

When legendary head equipment manager Ron Ohringer, better known around Maryland’s campus as Ronnie O, retired over the summer after nearly 40 years at Maryland, he left behind an incomparable legacy in many ways. Not only did he become a beloved member of the Maryland community for his tireless work as a manager ever since he first started as a student, he also helped pave the way for others to follow in his footsteps.

Since then, the Ronnie O Scholarship was created with help from his former colleagues, Danny Frank and Angie Perry. Ohringer worked with Maryland football during his lengthy tenure, and this year, the scholarship is back within the football department.

“I was very honored to receive the scholarship and the recognition that goes with it,” Kline said. “I also thought that it meant a lot that they recognize the equipment department as a whole. Usually we are kind of in the background, keeping everything running. So it's nice that the sacrifices and the hard work, not just that I, but that all of our EQ staff contributes is being recognized. It means a lot that they chose a female for this award. Bringing this type of recognition shows that women can be a powerful presence even within a male-dominated sport like football.”

During her time with Maryland football, Kline has helped set up practices, preparing for games, assisting on sidelines, issued our gear and equipment, and even helped in practice drills, occasionally with a hitting pad.

“I definitely think the biggest thing is it has allowed me to develop a sense of self confidence,” Kline said. “I’m a sophomore, and I did this my freshman year as well. I noticed specifically this year I feel like a lot more empowered and that I can do things within the sports environment. You know, there's a lot of males in football, and so being able to kind of be part of a team, do drills and do things that the guys do at practice has really allowed me to gain some confidence in myself.”

Because of the Ronnie O Scholarship, Kline will continue to be able to work with the football team and chase her dreams of working in sports. She’ll continue to be a statement of the role student managers have within Maryland Athletics, no matter the sport.

“It will definitely allow me to continue to be a manager,” Kline said. “It's a large time sacrifice, so I don't have time for a job or things like that, but this will allow me to continue to be in this position, along with maintaining my academics.”

Kline will be back on the sidelines again this weekend as her Terps take on Michigan in Maryland’s final home game of the 2025 season, but now with the scholarship, Kline knows it won’t be the last time she’s able to make a gameday impact on Terrapin football.