Athletes at all levels are familiar with the bus trip.

Few, if any, in our area log more miles on their bus trips than the Youngstown Phantoms.

Trips to Dubuque, Iowa; Green Bay, Wisconsin; and Chicago are yearly affairs, and depending on how the schedule falls that season, Fargo, and western Nebraska are potential destinations as well.

It’s a great time for team bonding and creating memories during a situation very few would call enjoyable. I mean, being stuck on a bus for what’s around a 17-hour bus ride to Fargo isn’t what anyone would necessarily call ideal, but how you make the most of it is how lifelong memories are formed.

So what goes into a road trip?

Steven Smith, Phantoms equipment manager, is the star behind the scenes, running point on the travel preparations from an on-ice perspective and ensuring the team has everything they need wherever they’re playing.

Known to the locker room as “Smitty,” Smith handles most of the day-to-day operations.

Skates need sharpened? Talk to Smitty.

The team adds a player who’s suiting up tonight and needs a jersey? Smitty.

Even something as simple as markers for the players to sign postgame autographs with are in Smith’s toy box that keeps the team rolling.

His goal is to take care of as many equipment needs as possible, so the players can focus on one thing — growth.

“I treat them like they’re playing in the NHL. They’re going to get the best from me regardless of if they have a letter on their chest or if it’s their first game in the USHL,” Smith said.

For the team’s most recent road trip to Plymouth, Mich., for the Phantoms’ regular season finale, Smith’s day began at 7 a.m., and when the team made it back to Youngstown at 2:17 the following morning, the day wasn’t over just yet.

All the equipment still needed to be brought back to the Covelli Centre from Deep Freeze in preparation for Monday’s playoff opener against Madison.

Naps on the bus and coffee are, understandably, the lifeblood of an equipment manager.

Keep in mind, Plymouth is the closest destination the Phantoms travel to. Trips to North Dakota and Nebraska are even more daunting endeavors.

The former tenants of the Covelli Centre, the Youngstown SteelHounds, went on much longer bus trips. Their closest destination was Memphis, and they traveled as far as Arizona, all by bus.

But talking with the players about their memories from their time in Youngstown, the first thing that’s always brought up is the bus rides. A few years ago, I did an entire college project documenting the SteelHounds’ history, and tracked down as many players as possible.

Nearly every single player, when asked about memories or fun stories about the team, first brought up the bus trips.

“The bus ended up being what we called the ‘Rock and Roll Road Show,'” SteelHounds forward Joel Irving said. “We were on the road for nearly 30 days so you get to know your teammates very well and man, we had a ton of fun. I was really nervous about the amount of travel being on that team, but it ended up that we were well taken care of and we made some great memories.”

Trips from nearly 20 years ago are still remembered fondly.

All stemming from a situation that is pretty uniquely “Youngstown.” Being on a relative island compared to the other USHL teams, the Phantoms are on the bus more than any other team. From the optimist’s perspective, that just provides more time for the players to bond.

Departing from Deep Freeze around 11 a.m., the bus ride up was quiet. Most slept, some streamed shows or music on the bus Wi-Fi, and coach Ryan Ward was following Tiger Woods during the Masters.

Everyone was preparing for the evening contest in their own way.

Right before reaching the state line, the bus stopped so everyone could stretch their legs and get some lunch before the final hour or so of the trip. The Phantoms arrived at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth around three hours before gametime.

That’s when Smith got things going.

Laying out sticks by the tunnel, getting beverages ready, hanging up jerseys, and setting up the glove dryer – a massive box that uses heated coils to dry gloves and skates – are just some of Smith’s pre-game tasks.

Between arriving at the rink and puck drop, Smith has mere minutes of downtime. Making sure everything is ready to go is a meticulous endeavor.

Following the 4-3 Phantoms victory, and blasting the team’s victory song – ‘Unwritten’ by Natasha Bedingfield – loud enough those still in the parking lot could hear it, it’s time to load up and make the drive back home.

Loading the bus up wasn’t as organized. Speed was the name of the game for the return trip.

The bus was a lot louder following the win. There was a near-constant chatter coming from the players. Pizza was being eaten, jokes were being told between players, and the staff at the front of the bus was reminiscing about all the road trips they’ve taken over the last two seasons together, but not long after crossing back into Ohio, those voices slowly faded until the only thing you could hear were the sounds of the bus driving down the road, and the occasional snore.

Have an interesting story? Contact Brian Yauger by email at byauger@tribtoday.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @_brianyauger.