Georgia Medical Treatment Center

Former teammate Benji Shackelford says he learned about kindness and the value of a positive attitude through his friendship with Andy. Lacrosse brothers on and off the field, Dillon Shackelford and Andy cleaned up very nicely for prom. Coach Dennis Conway and Andy shared a special bond—and a special whistle.

Benji Shackelford, another “lax bro” (lacrosse uuu brother), reflects on what he learned from his teammate

Andy. “He taught me to be kind, no matter the circumstance, and the importance of keeping a good attitude. I will always remember riding home from

Dalton and watching Andy full of joy.” In Dalton that day, Andy had scored a regulation point, helping propel the Wolverines to victory over the Dalton Catamounts.

What happened for the Woodstock boys’ lacrosse team in the spring of 2019 may not go in the record books for wins and losses, but at the end-of-the-year banquet even casual observers could see and feel something more significant had happened. The brotherhood, love, and teamwork came together as if the team had been sprinkled with pixie dust, and it was obvious that Andy was at the heart of it. With a coach in a wheelchair and a player with Down syndrome, the team represented real inclusion, though nobody thought much about it because it happened so organically.

When Coach Pete reflects on what having Andy join the team meant to him personally, he pauses for a long time, and then his intense brown eyes well up with tears. He chokes up, and finally the tough coach says, I made a friend. “ ”

Andy graduated in May 2019, but Pete and the coaches were not ready to say goodbye, so in 2020 Andy was promoted to coach. Sadly Coach Dennis Conway had to retire that year, as multiple sclerosis and cold are bitter enemies, and the late-night games in the cold had become too tough for him. Coach Conway then gifted Andy the only coaching whistle he had ever used: a crossing guard whistle that belonged to his mother, Clara Conway. Clara, a special-education teacher, would have been thrilled to know that Coach Andy was using her whistle.

As coach, Andy had the challenging job of keeping Coach Pete’s “colorful language” under control. In his passion for the game, Pete occasionally let a few bad words slip, but new coach Andy let it be known that he wouldn’t put up with it, even from his friend and head coach. Alongside Pete and the rest of the coaching staff, Andy helped lead the Wolverines to an impressive 6–2 record for the season.

In 2021 Coach Pete said farewell to the team and moved to River Ridge High School to be closer to his children. While Andy was sad and missed his dear friend, he felt he needed to stay at Woodstock and coach his team. Stephanie says, “Pete Manderano is the example of what it means to be a teacher [and] coach who makes all the difference in a kid’s life. Andy has grown up with many wonderful people in his life, but Pete has gone beyond that, to be a life changer.”

Andy continues to coach the Woodstock Wolverines alongside Mason Wren, who took over head coaching duties and was named Cherokee County’s 2022 Lacrosse Coach of the Year. Mason loves coaching with Andy and says, “Andy is our equilibrium. He has such a pure heart, and he is the first to put his arm around a player’s shoulder when [the player] is upset. Having Andy in my life means everything to me. He puts everything into perspective. Every day he demonstrates that relationships and treating people with love and kindness [are] what matter most in life.”