THE
VOICE
FEBRUARY 2015
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SPORTS PUBLIC ADDRESS ANNOUNCERS
High School to College –
Less is More
INSIDE
By Christopher Snyder
Royal Oak, MI
High School to College: Less is More
1
NASPAA and NFHS Discuss
Restrictions Imposed on
Basketball P.A. Announcers
3
NASPAA Gets Face Time with
Athletic Administrators
4
Wrestling Announcers Reveal
Their Top Do’s and Don’ts 5
Administrators Play Key Role
in Setting P.A. Announcing
Expectations8
New Member Feature
10
Jim Finnen Is Honored
for 50 Years of Service
10
Announcing the National Archery
in the Schools Program
11
Results of Athletic Directors’
P.A. Announcers’ Compensation
Survey Released
12
Bob Sheppard P.A. Announcer
of the Year Award Nominations
Being Accepted
13
Board of Directors
brad rumble
president & executive director
tom busch
secretary
jeff kurtz
p.a. announcer, kent state university
mark mills
p.a. announcer, missouri state high school
activities association
gary williams
stadium announcer, oakland raiders
NASPAA Copyright Statement
This newsletter is copyrighted. Therefore, none of
the content contained herein may be reproduced,
shared in part or whole, without the express written
permission of the NASPAA, unless in one of the
articles the NASPAA indicates that it can be shared.
I
never thought I would
grow up to be a public
address announcer.
I’m sure am glad I did
though! My experience
with professional public
speaking started as a
teacher. My classroom
was the arena. I
learned to prepare, paid
attention to details,
Chris Snider
and stayed within my
role. I enjoyed a 10-year stint as a voice
in the classroom. During that time, I took
my voice to the track and field as a coach.
These experiences prepared me for my
work as a sports public address announcer.
Focusing on fundamentals and roles led to
announcing at the college level, where more
resources and supportive collegiality create
a much different experience.
college level. This opportunity has afforded
me the chance to learn a lot and to realize
and experience the differences between
announcing at the high school level and
announcing at the college level.
The collegiate level feels “bigger.” Not
all the collegiate contests have more
spectators or take place at larger facilities
continued on p. 2
My first work in high school public address
consisted of greetings, intros, game reads,
halftime show presentations, and closings
at league football championships. I had
some leeway with style and tempo, but
I always reminded myself that “less is
more.” This most valuable lesson I learned
from my high school experience was
how important it is to pronounce names
correctly. I think honoring and respecting
name pronunciation put me in a position to
move to other opportunities. (Constantly
reminding myself not to talk too fast helped,
too!!) I was able to move to track & field,
baseball, and hockey championships,
where I got a real taste of letting the crowd
know what they may not know and setting
a tone for the competitions. I focused on
my role as an announcer. That is to provide
information not available to spectators and
highlight action on the field, track, and ice
that respects the hosts, visitors, officials
and spectators.
When the opportunity arose to do P.A. for
college soccer, I made sure I was ready
for my interview. I practiced explaining
my understanding of a public address
announcer’s role and my motivation for
wanting to be in this role. The interview
led to public address announcing at the
Photo Credit: University of Kentucky Athletics
The atmosphere, people, resources, and intensity
make public address announcing at the collegiate
level different from the high school level.
High School to College – Less is More, continued from page 1
compared to the high school championships
I worked, but all of them tend to have more
energy and palpable electricity in the air.
The energy comes from the intensity of the
competition, but also from the other people
involved in the contests. At the collegiate
level, there are a lot more people involved
in making the competitions a positive
experience for everyone involved. These
people contribute to and enhance the work
I do as a public address announcer. I am
surrounded by athletes, officials, sport
information directors, radio and video
broadcasters, statisticians, clock operators,
audio folks, and other professionals who
bring organizational skills, knowledge of
sport, and how to make a contest special
for fans. These people know they are parts
of an overall experience, and work within
their roles expecting everyone to do a great
job. This collegiality leads to an event that
is something more than the sum of all our
efforts.
Not only does the collegiate level tend
to have more people involved, but there
seems to be more consistent and available
resources to assist a public address
announcer than at that the high school level.
Collegiate sports programs have full featured
team websites and media guides-- some that
even include name pronunciations! Scripts
are created for me and presented for me to
tweak and practice well before game time.
During competition, information is provided
THE
VOICE
quickly to confirm my own observations and
presented to me so I can concentrate on the
competition and my role.
Collegiate level public address announcing
tests my concentration more than it did
at the high school level. Contests are
played faster, some have more game-time
activities, and the overall environment
offers more challenges to keep focus and
attention to detail. I realized quickly to
focus on my role more than ever before.
The speed of competitions and my respect
for all those participating force me to turn
up my “game time” intensity. Announcing
at any level requires concentration and
focus, but collegiate events offer so many
more distractions and opportunities to
deviate from the role of the public address
announcer – especially when the home team
is winning (or losing) by a lot!
The fundamentals required for public address
announcing span all levels of competition.
Every level of public address announcing
has its own unique requirements, culture
and climate. I have found the atmosphere,
people, resources, and intensity make public
address announcing at the collegiate level
different from the high school level. I find
working at the collegiate level more intense
and more rewarding – but I always remind
myself before I click on the mic that “Less is
more.”
Photo Credit: Mike Strassinger, TNS SportsPix.com
Generally, the one thing that high school and college sports have in common is the information
that is announced.
2
Since 2009, Chris has announced football,
baseball and hockey championships for the
Detroit Catholic High School League at Ford
Field, Comerica Park, and Joe Louis Arena. He is currently announcing soccer, basketball
and baseball for Marygrove College in
Detroit. He also does voiceovers for the
Mustangs Sports Network.
NASPAA and NFHS Discuss Restrictions
Imposed on Basketball P.A. Announcers
THE
I
n response to questions and concerns
raised by NASPAA members who announce
basketball, Brad Rumble, NASPAA
Executive Director, Jeff Kurtz, NASPAA Board
Member, and Bob Gardner, NFHS Executive
Director, participated in a conference call
to discuss the NFHS Basketball Points of
Emphasis, which imposed restrictions on
P.A. announcers who announce high school
basketball.
• Team granted a time-out
Below are Points of Emphasis that apply to
P.A. announcing.
• Length of time-out: 30 seconds or 60
seconds
Announcer Responsibilities:
• The announcer shall be prohibited from
making an announcement while the clock
is running and while the clock is stopped
and the ball is alive…such as during a
free throw, a throw in, etc. Doing so
could potentially affect communication of
coaches, players or be disconcerting.
• The announcer shall be prohibited from
interrupting the game through the use
of the microphone unless there is an
emergency.
• Announcements or comments shall be
made during those times when there is a
stoppage of the clock and the ball is not
live, such as time-outs, between quarters,
pre-game, half-time and post-game.
• The announcer is allowed to announce
basic information that does not potentially
affect the play in general, the players, the
coaches or the officials. The announcer’s
information is not official information and
could be misinformation shared with all.
VOICE
• Appropriate training of announcers
by personnel and proper pre-game
instruction by the referee is necessary.
The announcer who performs professionally
promotes good sportsmanship by what he/
she says and how he/she acts upon saying it.
May be Announced - Examples:
It was interesting to note that the majority
of NASPAA members theorized that the
NFHS Basketball Rules Committee’s action
was attributed to some P.A. announcers
not following approved P.A. announcing
guidelines…and they were right. It is truly
unfortunate that the P.A. announcers who
were announcing properly were penalized
because of those who were not.
• Player who scored
• Player charged with foul
• Player attempting free throw
• Player entering game
• Team rosters
Shall not be Announced – Examples:
• Number of points player scored
• Number of fouls on player
• Number of team fouls
• Number of team time-outs or number
remaining Time remaining in the quarter/
game
• Type of foul or violation
• Emphatic 2 or 3 point goal
Announcer’s Role
The announcer’s role does not include
“cheering the home team on” or otherwise
inciting the crowd. Doing so is common
at other levels of athletic events. But high
school athletics is different because sports
are educationally based. In a very real sense,
the public address announcer at a high
school event is a “Champion of Character.”
He/she can influence the atmosphere of the
contest by what is said and how it is said.
“The takeaway from our discussion is that
the expectation of the NASPAA and the NFHS
and its member associations is that P.A.
announcers shall announce games in a fair
and professional manner,” commented Brad
Rumble, NASPAA
Executive
Director. “The
intent of the
Points of
Emphasis was
never to take
away from the
P.A. announcer’s
ability to do that.
To avoid this from
happening again
and in other
sports, it would
The NFHS Basketball
Points of Emphasis was
be prudent for
not intended to take away
P.A. announcers
to follow approved the announcer’s ability to
announce the game in a fair
P.A. announcing
and professional manner.
guidelines.”
NASPAA DISCLAIMER
The concepts, recommendations and strategies offered by the NASPAA are for general instructional purposes only and should not be
used as a substitute for legal advice. While the information and recommendations offered have been compiled from sources believed to
be reliable, the NASPAA makes no guarantee as to, and assumes no responsibility for, the correctness, sufficiency, or completeness of
such concepts, recommendations or strategies. You are instructed to seek the advice of your school’s legal counsel before incorporating
any such concepts, recommendations or strategies into the management or conduct of your school’s public address announcing
program. Other or additional safety measures may be required under particular circumstances of your school’s athletic program.
THERE ARE NO WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO
WARRANTIES OF PERFORMANCE, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
In no event will the NASPAA, its agents or employees be liable to you or anyone else for any decision made or action taken in reliance
on the information contained herein or for any consequential, incidental, special or similar damages.
3
NASPAA Gets Face Time with
Athletic Administrators
THE
N
VOICE
ASPAA had the opportunity to meet many of the 1400
high school athletic directors who visited the NASPAA
booth at the 2014 National Athletic Directors Show
held December 16 and 17 in National Harbor, Maryland.
“Our display featured The Voice Above the Crowd, which
besides being endorsed by the NFHS, NIAAA, NJCAA
and NAIA, is the exclusive P.A. announcing resource
of the NIAAA’s P.A. announcing leadership training
course,” commented Brad Rumble, NASPAA Executive
Director. While many had heard about the manual, they
were completely amazed with how comprehensive and
professionally done it is.”
NASPAA members, Jeff Kurtz, Kent State P.A. Announcer
and NASPAA Board Member; Richard Keller, P.A. Announcer
for the Catonsville Campus of the Community College of
Baltimore County (MD) and University of Maryland Field
Hockey; and Ray Ebersole, Director of Athletics, Hudson
High School (OH), helped work the exhibit booth. The
conference was a first for Keller.
“I had a great time talking about the merits of the NASPAA
and P.A. announcing with individuals from across the
country who oversee P.A. announcing in their respective
high schools, remarked Richard Keller. “It was quite
apparent how much ADs appreciate the NASPAA and what
it is doing to improve sportsmanship and the competency,
consistency and professionalism of high school P.A.
announcers.”
Bruce Whitehead, NIAAA Executive Director (center), stopped by
the NASPAA exhibit booth to talk with Jeff Kurtz, NASPAA Board
Member (left) and Brad Rumble, NASPAA Executive Director.
“What we were able to accomplish in just two days was
amazing,” added Jeff Kurtz. “The traffic at our booth was
steady both days, but there were times when it was all
hands on deck!”
Bob Gardner, NFHS Executive Director (center), also paid a visit to the
NASPAA exhibit booth.
Richard Keller, holding the 2nd edition of The Voice Above the Crowd, to
which he contributed, reviews it while working the NASPAA exhibit booth.
4
Wrestling Announcers Reveal Their Top
Do’s and Don’ts
THE
N
o matter the sport, all P.A. announcers have their do’s and
don’ts about announcing their sports. You might expect these
guidelines to be pretty much the same. We decided to test that
theory by asking a few NASPAA wrestling P.A. announcers to share
the top five things that they feel wrestling P.A. announcers should
do...and the top five things that they shouldn’t do. First up is Dorothy
Mayabb, followed by Steve Nontell, Ron Mazzola and Bob Hoyt. Their
P.A. announcing bios appear at the end of the “Don’ts List.”
VOICE
Steve Nontell
1. Make sure of correct name
pronunciations. This is not only a
matter of respect to the competitors
and their friends and families, and also
the level of your own competence. 2. Know the rules. This is a great
service to fans and enhances your
credibility
DO’s
3. Attend all possible pre-competition
meetings. Coaches’ meetings at
Steve Nontell
tournaments will often disclose line-up
and bracket changes, possible competition format changes,
and which weight classes will go first. For large or important
tournaments, attending the seeding meeting will prepare you for
name pronunciations as far in advance as possible.
Dorothy Mayabb
1. Name pronunciation. I feel this
is the most important part of a
wrestling event. One of the first
announcements I make when we get
started is, “Wrestlers and coaches,
if you have a name that is commonly
mispronounced, please come to the
head table and give us the correct
pronunciation. We want to say your
name correctly!” I have so many
wrestlers tell me, “Thanks! No one
ever says my name right.” I think it
makes a difference to them and to their Dorothy Mayabb
parents, family and friends in the stands
to hear their name pronounced clearly and correctly.
4. Repeat certain announcements immediately, as needed. A certain amount of redundancy may be necessary at some
wrestling events--tournaments in particular. When making
the first announcement, it’s likely that wrestlers, fans and
coaches are talking, distracted, or in the case of some wrestlers,
absorbed in the “psych-up” music flooding their headphones!
5. Reach for the utmost level of professional competence each
time. Wrestling is, to its devotees, the most noble of all sports. The better you can do your job, the stronger impression you will
make, which will benefit wrestlers, coaches, officials and fans,
not to mention the sport!
2. Enunciate! Sometimes it seems as if you may be overenunciating, but if you don’t speak clearly and enunciate clearly,
it just sounds like Charlie Brown’s teacher over the microphone. No one wants to talk and only hear, “Wah wah wah wah wah”
coming out of the speakers.
Ron Mazzola
1. Preparation. Not knowing what to do
or being unorganized will jeopardize
your ability to be successful.
3. Know where you are and what is happening. It’s important
to be able to let people know the name of your venue and where
the wrestling is taking place as well as what they are going to
see. For example, “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Staley
Falcon Fieldhouse for today’s tournament. To start our morning
off, we’ll begin with the first round of wrestling, followed by the
first round of wrestleback.” This lets people know where they are
and what is coming up. Keeping them up to date round to round
helps them follow the tournament and it cuts down on questions
coming to the head table.
2. Properly pronouncing names. Ask
the opposing team before the match
about names that you may be unsure
of. Spell them out phonetically and
study them.
3. Line-ups, weigh-in sheets. Go
over them with each coach and ask
them how they want their wrestlers
announced.
4. Know the sport. This may seem low on the list, but unless you
are doing play-by-play, most of your heavy work will be directing
the traffic of the tournament or dual, and getting the right people
to the right mat at the right time. But knowledge of the sport and
its rules can help you explain what is going on during or after the
match.
Ron Mazzola
4. National Anthem protocol. Inform the official when and how
the National Anthem will be played
5. Concentration. Concentrate on what to say, how to say it and
when to say it.
5. Appearance. Professional attire helps distinguish you from the
crowd. You are doing a professional job, and as such should
dress appropriately. Obviously, you could announce in a t-shirt
and shorts, but projecting a professional image seals the deal.
5
continued on p. 6
Wrestling Announcers Reveal Their Top Do’s and Don’ts, continued from page 5
Bob Hoyt
Steve Nontell
1. Find out correct name
pronunciations. It shows respect and
demonstrates sportsmanship to know
how to pronounce both first and last
names correctly. It is also a positive
reflection on the school/organization
you represent.
1. Fail to keep yourself current on the
rules. An announcer who cannot
quickly and correctly inform the fans
of what is happening, and what might
happen, at a wrestling event, such
as what is going to happen in each
overtime section, will sound hopelessly
incompetent. As noted previously, the
better your performance (in this case,
as to how well you know the rules and
procedures), the more and better fans
you can help make for wrestling.
2. Review referee signals before hand.
Making the correct call is important
to the crowd. Study the hand signals
Bob Hoyt
as part of your pre-event preparation.
Making the incorrect call will hurt your
credibility. Wrestling fans are generally very knowledgeable, and
will recognize a mistake.
VOICE
Steve Nontell
2. Continually change the format of your announcements. If the
wrestlers, coaches and fans don’t know what info you’re likely to
announce next, or in what order they’re hearing it, they will likely
become confused. This includes weight class, mat, competitors
and schools.
DON’TS
3. Over-hype the home team. Showing enthusiasm for the home
team in a home-dual-meet walkover is acceptable. However,
there is a fine line that should not be crossed when showing
enthusiasm. If your school is hosting a multi-team tournament,
whether individual or dual format, excessive enthusiasm for the
host school is inappropriate and could leave fans wondering
whether your team will get some suspicious “homer help” from the
referees. Tournaments benefit best from a neutral style.
Dorothy Mayabb
1. Talk/have side conversations
with the microphone on. You
want to conduct yourself as if the
microphone is always, “hot.” Saying
inappropriate or unprofessional
things over the microphone instantly
hurts your credibility.
THE
4. Anticipate the referee’s decisions. When announcing the
point-by-point results in a dual meet, wait for the referee to
make the signal before announcing any points that have been
awarded or any penalty. Making a premature announcement that
is inaccurate is frowned on by officials and is a disservice to the
wrestlers and fans.
Dorothy Mayabb
2. Make calls until the official has
confirmed them. There have been times I’ve been at events and
the announcer has announced points that were then not awarded,
for instance, in a scramble situation. Calling for points, and then
not having them awarded by the official makes a bad situation for
you, the official, and the wrestlers.
5. Announce in a weak voice or mumble. Granted, one won’t
be an effective announcer at all if you have this problem. But a
wrestling P.A. announcer has a lot of vital information to deliver
in a very active environment, and therefore must be able to get
above the crowd noise. In addition to not having a strong voice or
not announcing so that fans can understand what is being said, a
weak P.A. system could also be a problem.
3. Fire up the natives. Professional sports are different than
high school sports, which are education based. Sportsmanship
and fair play are paramount. If a situation is hotly contested
and seems to be getting out of hand, take that time to make a
sportsmanship announcement or another announcement to help
turn the direction of the crowd. Your voice inflection and tone can
make a huge difference in calming a situation, sometimes without
spectators even realizing it!
Ron Mazzola
4. Take your position for granted. Show respect to all those
involved in the dual/tournament/match by paying attention,
making your announcements when they are timely (not right when
the official is blowing the whistle to start the match, for example). Know which competitor won the match so that you say the correct
name when announcing results. 1. Arrive late. It makes your preparation
worthless. Get there early, get set up
and be ready
2. Rush. Take your time, enunciate
clearly. If the fans can’t understand you
there is no sense in being there!
5. Fight the microphone/sound system. Be sure you get to the
venue early enough to do a sound check. Make sure your volume
and sound levels are correct and convey the tone you want. You
don’t want to go through a dual or tournament having to yell and
risk ruining your voice, or continually trying to tone it down if the
mic is too hot.
3. Lose focus. Devote your full attention
to the task at hand. It’s embarrassing
to start announcing the FINAL score at
the end of the second period! Ron Mazzola
4. Get distracted. See aforementioned
reason and example.
5. Root, root, root for the home team. It’s okay to emphasize the
home team, but don’t go over the top!
6
continued on p. 7
Wrestling Announcers Reveal Their Top Do’s and Don’ts, continued from page 6
Bob Hoyt
1. Announce the name of the loser of any bout
when announcing results at an invitational
meet. The primary reason is to spare the feelings
of the losing wrestler.
2. Yell. Announcing wrestling in not like announcing
an NBA basketball game. Be professional and
announce with class.
3. Demonstrate poor sportsmanship. Set the
tone for a positive environment. Show class by
being fair to the guests, and treat them the way
you would like your
team and fans to be
treated. It goes a long
ways.
4. Talk too much. Fans
want to watch the
meet and not have to
listen to an announcer
who is constantly
announcing. Too
much announcing can
be annoying.
Bob Hoyt
THE
VOICE
About the Contributors
Dorothy Mayabb
Mayabb announces high school and college
wrestling. She has announced high school
wrestling for 15 years, and is an announcer
for the Missouri State High School State
Wrestling Championship. Since 2002,
she has announced college wrestling. She
announces for Missouri Valley College
and the University of Central Missouri.
For the past five years, she has announced
the NCAA Division II Wrestling National
Championships. She also announces the
NAIA National Wrestling Championships,
NCAA Division I NWCA National Duals
Finals, and numerous all-star high school
wrestling tournaments.
Dual Championships, as well as several
IHSAA Wrestling Individual Sectionals
and Team Regionals. At the college
level he has announced the University
of Indianapolis Midwest Classic College
Wrestling Tournament.
Steve Nontell
Nontell has been the wrestling P.A.
announcer for Beech Grove (IN) High
School for 33 years. He has announced
the final five Indiana High School Athletic
Association (IHSAA) Wrestling Team State
Bob Hoyt
Hoyt has been the wrestling P.A.
announcer at Cornell College in Mt.
Vernon, Iowa for 16 years. He has
announced three NCAA Division III
National Wrestling Tournaments.
7
Ron Mazzola
Mazzola has been announcing wrestling
for 23 years. He announces wrestling for
Old Bridge High School (Matawan, NJ)
and Spotswood High School (Spotswood,
NJ). His resume also includes numerous
high school tournaments. At the college
level, he is the voice of Rutgers University
Wrestling.
GAME OPERATIONS
Sponsored by
Administrators Play Key Role in
Setting P.A. Announcing Expectations
By Bill Bowers, CMAA
Retired Executive Director, Oregon Athletic Directors Association
Springfield, OR
H
igh school
athletics
provide a
unique education
forum and
experience
that cannot be
duplicated in the
classroom. For
many towns, the
athletic contest
is one that brings
together entire
Bill Bowers
communities on
any given day or
evening to support and enjoy the game being
played. Providing an announcer for these
events is a primary function for the athletic
administrator, comparable to scheduling
game officials and event supervisors.
The role a game announcer plays is critical
to the overall contest experience for all those
attending. Beyond the primary function
of providing pertinent information about
the contest or game, such as the starting
lineups, school, player, coaches and officials’
names, substitutions and key plays during
the event, the announcer must serve as the
“Voice Above the Crowd” in the event any
unforeseen action might occur during or after
the contest.
The National Interscholastic Athletic
Administrators Association Leadership
Training Academy Course, LTC 630: Athletic
Administration: Interscholastic Contest
Management – Planning, Preparation
and Methods, established guidelines
are broken down into three planning
foundation components. These include: 1)
Preparedness, 2) Response and 3) Recovery.
(NIAAA, 2012). The role the game announcer
plays in each area is vital to the success
for each and every game or contest. This
becomes especially important in the event
there is any deviation from appropriate
sportsmanship, unexpected weather issues
or uncontrolled spectator or fan actions.
Having a well-scripted plan in place prior to
the event will ensure accurate and timely
information is delivered to all in attendance.
Providing a document for the announcer
becomes the responsibility of the athletic
administrator. Rehearsal and practice
of the written script is the announcer’s
responsibility. This plan eliminates, or
THE
minimizes, the announcer from having to
create “on-the-fly” announcements that
might miss some important items.
Additionally, LTC 625: Management of Game
and Event Announcing, is a course that
was designed by the NASPAA to assist the
athletic administrator in understanding his/
her role in managing P.A. announcing in our
nation’s interscholastic athletic contests.
The information and expectations that
athletic administrators learn come from
the second edition of The Voice Above the
Crowd, the official P.A. announcing resource
of the course. It is the most comprehensive
P.A. announcing manual ever written, and is
the only one endorsed by the NIAAA, NFHS,
NJCAA and the NAIA. Bruce Whitehead,
NIAAA Executive Director, had this to say
about The Voice Above the Crowd: “This
publication is certainly necessary for every
athletic department.”
The Oregon School Activities Association
(OSAA), publishes sample examples that
schools may use at the beginning of each
game or contest. The hope is that there will
be a consistent message sent prior to each
game or contest in terms of sportsmanship
and crowd expectations for any event held at
any of the over 290 association schools. An
example of this message is attached below.
VOICE
Within each of the 38 leagues across the
state, most have adopted a similar opening,
specific to that league and member schools,
a welcome that establishes the expectations
for all those attending. Included in each
of these announcements are specific
information that provides a disclaimer and
identifies certain foreseeable items to reduce
potential legal ramifications that might occur
during the event. Most of these include, but
are not limited to, instructions about player
and official safety guidelines during and
immediately following the conclusion of the
event.
Within the printed script materials for the
announcer there needs to be specific
instructions to be read that will provide
critical safety and emergency instructions
to all those in attendance. The role the
announcer plays is critical to maintain
order and safety should there be a
weather emergency, loss of power, unruly
fan interruption, or other unplanned
emergencies that might arise during the
event. The announcer establishes the
spectator atmosphere before, during and
after the contest, maintaining a composed
and calm demeanor during any emergency
is paramount for the announcer. Thus,
rehearsing and practicing the written script
is a duty the announcer must undertake
continued on p. 8
Athletic administrators should meet with their P.A. announcers and review P.A. announcing expectations.
8
continued on p. 9
Administrators Play Key Role, continued from page 8
prior to each event. Being attentive to the
actions both on the field or court as well as
having communication capabilities with event
supervisors for any issues that might arise
in the crowd or off the field or court is vital
to ensure a safe experience for all those in
attendance.
The announcer must avoid sensationalism
and remain the disseminator of needed
information. By having printed and
appropriate announcements ready to
use, the announcer can provide clear and
specific directions to everyone. In the
event there is a loss of power, or emergency
weather conditions, the announcer must be
ready to identify and describe appropriate
egress directions. In the event there is an
altercation with an unruly fan that interrupts
THE
play, the announcer becomes the calming
voice to minimize any major disruption to
players, officials and other fans. Prior to
the conclusion of each event the announcer
needs to read scripted announcements
that include instructions when the event
finishes that include, but are not limited
to procedures for the safety of players,
coaches and officials. Depending upon
the event site and specific facility, items
included in the announcements should
contain reminders for spectators to remain
off the field or court until such time both
teams have congratulated each other and
safely vacated the area. Many schools have
adopted the policy of not allowing fans and
spectators to rush the field or court at the
end of the game. Proper supervision and
staff personnel are needed to help ensure
9
VOICE
this occurs. But the announcer needs to
be attentive and ready to make appropriate
announcements if such action occurs.
The larger the crowd, the more important
the role of the announcer becomes in
successful event management. The duty
of the announcer does not end when the
final horn or whistle blows. In many cases
this might signal the time the announcer is
to read prepared announcements or scripts
to help promote a safe end to the game or
contest. Planning, preparing and rehearsing
possible scenarios is a vital function the
game announcer must include in his or her
role to ensure that good sportsmanship is
demonstrated. It goes without saying that
setting P.A. announcing expectations is the
foundation for a positive experience for fans,
players, coaches and officials.
Sponsored by
Clell Wade Coaches Directory
New Member Feature:
Allow Me to Introduce Myself
By Dylon Field
Upper Iowa University P.A. Announcer
Fayette, IA
P
rofessional
athletes
always say
to start young
with a sport, so
why not with P.A.
announcing?
I started
announcing in
7th grade for my
brother’s youth
hockey team.
Since the rink
Dylon Field
always left the
microphone out, I
decided to try it out of curiosity.
I worked with the local youth hockey teams
all the way up until college, and I began
to work with my high school program my
freshman year and continued with them
all the way to graduation. At the start of
my sophomore year, Deerfield High School
Athletic Director, Robert Ruiz asked me to
announce athletic events at DHS. At the
start of my junior year ,I met a fellow PA
Announcer from Deerfield and fellow NASPAA
member, Scott Marovitz. He taught me “how
to Announce,” since I never really knew
how to announce. Hewas able to mentor
me throughout high school. Right when I
met Scott I was also able to build up my
confidence and become recognized around
the Central Suburban League as a member
of the 2012-13 CSL Leadership Conference,
as well as the Principal Service Award for
Athletics recipient at Deerfield.
My friends also began to notice and gave me
the nickname, “DJ Skylon” because of my
involvement in both music and announcing
THE
at games; the nickname has followed me
since that point onward. My announcing
during the men’s basketball games in high
school was usually accompanied with chants
of “DJ Skylon.” Whether it was me or Scott
on the mic, they always tried to get the chant
started. Although I appreciate the chant, the
event isn’t about me or the announcer. It’s
about helping to create a positive, enjoyable
atmosphere in the facility and attempting to
help create lasting memories the athletes
won’t forget. I try to make a positive
environment for the athletes no matter what
the score is. Deerfield softball and basketball
alum Emelia Karkazis once told me, “It was
so fun having you as our P.A. announcer
because no matter what the score was or
who we were playing, you made it seem like it
was the state championship every game.”
I announce because it is the best seat in
the house, I enjoy it, and I feel like I have
a good voice for the job. I also do it to help
enhance the athletic experience while having
fun myself. DHS Head Softball Coach Susan
Johnson said, “Dylon went above and beyond
for a high school program. He connected
with each one of my softball athletes to
create personal walk-up songs. This was
very motivating. He brought the crowd to
their feet to cheer on our softball team. He
created a positive and fun environment for
all of our supporters; he also promoted great
sportsmanship through his professional
announcing style.”
I currently announce in the NCAA for the
Upper Iowa University Peacocks, who are
part of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate
Conference in Division II. While announcing
for UIU, I’m also a student earning my sports
communications degree.
At first I was volunteering in the department
and after a few weeks, assistant athletic
director Brock Wissmiller and sports
information director Howie Thompson gave
me the opportunity to announce volleyball
and direct all audio for football. I did
something right with those opportunities,
as they gave me the chance to announce
men’s and women’s basketball, along with
wrestling. This has been amazing since all
the teams here are very talented, and so are
the teams that we play host to no matter
what the sport is. I feel as though night in
and night out I can add a new event to the list
of the most exciting athletic events I’ve ever
announced.
Currently at Upper Iowa University the
department expects me to do my best on the
microphone, helping to create a professional
environment. I try to read as many of the
promotional reads as I can without overdoing
them. As I said before, I’m thrilled with the
opportunities the University has given me
and any future ones that will hopefully come
my way. I’m lucky enough to be one of the
few freshmen, let alone college students
across the nation, to say, “I P.A. announce in
the NCAA.”
My ultimate goal with announcing is to
continue down the track I’m currently on and
hopefully announce professional sports. It
would be an honor for me to announce for my
favorite team, the New York Rangers of the
NHL, however I wouldn’t mind announcing for
any professional sports team no matter what
league, or city!
Jim Finnen is Honored
for 50 Years of Service
Few P.A. announcers can claim that they announced for 50 years, but no one, except
maybe Jim Finnen, can claim they announced 50 years for the same institution!
Finnen, The Voice of Lafayette College, is going to retire at the end of the 2014-15
academic school year. On January 24, Lafayette College (PA) honored the Leopards’
legendary P.A. announcer before a basketball game. To watch the tribute, click here
(http://youtu.be/QyY0Wvos6-s).
10
VOICE
Jim Finnen
Announcing the National Archery
in the Schools Program
By Charlie Baglan
NASP Lead P.A. Announcer
Frankfort, KY
E
ven with eyes
closed, we
recognize
sports by the
sounds of the
venue; the crack
of the bat, the
gnashing of
shoulder pads.
In the National
Archery in the
Schools Program,
imagine a popcorn
Charlie Baglan
popper. Take the
thump of an arrow
hitting a target and multiply it by 100 or
more. Put that sound into a mega cavern
such as the Edward Jones Dome, home of
the NFL Rams, and team archery is an eyeopener for your ears.
While bow and arrow competition has been
around since 14th century England, the
organized game of archery for elementary,
middle and high school students was only
adopted in 2002. This Olympic-style target
archery is part of the Physical Education
curriculum available to every student during
the school day. Once just common in
summer camps, archery is now growing in 47
states and 10 countries reaching 2.15 million
students annually. That’s comparable to little
league.
THE
Unlike most sports in public
schools, NASP features a
national championship, a world
tournament and an all-nations
shoot to decide the very best
of the very best. In Kentucky,
where the sport originated, the
national tournament continues
to set world records. This May,
we anticipate yet another by
topping 11,000 archers.
Put yourself in our seat. As you
peer onto the main range, you
may see close to 300 targets, Archers compete in the NASP National Championship.
side by side by side for more
are pumped with the same enthusiasm
than four football fields. Two students per
found back home on football Friday nights.
target can add up to nearly 600 shooting
Where other sports feature “home run” or
at once. With the assistance of flag signals
“touch down,” there is no individual shout of
from range officials, the competitions are
“bull’s-eye!” in archery. Despite the popping,
conducted by voice and whistle commands
you can still almost hear a pin drop. For
using positive language –striking words
30 consecutive times, every contender, in
no, not, never and anything ending in “n’t”
essence, is seeking to sink an exceptionally
from our on-mic vocabulary. From an
long bull’s-eye putt, so concentration is
elevated viewpoint, binoculars in hand,
paramount.
it’s the announcer’s job to orchestrate the
competition, making certain all players are
One aspect of major tournaments I enjoy
in position, shoot on cue, score and retrieve
nearly as much as announcing winners is the
at precise times – a routine that is rigorously
beginning of each tournament day. Here,
methodical and part of the “safety first”
I’ve preselected a student to perform our
protocol for every aspect of the sport.
national anthem on mic from our stage.
With 24 boys and girls per team, crowds
During competition, archery announcers are
front, center and fully visible. And like any
sport, we have the best seat in the house.
Where it differs is that we serve competitors
and spectators simultaneously. This is
rare. Typically, athletes are cued by on-field
officials. A few exceptions are track & field,
swimming & diving and gymnastics. So, it’s
incumbent on us to be clear, concise and
correct in our directives to the archers, yet
maintain informative friendliness toward
the crowd. I say, “us,” as there are several
announcers in my crew to span a multi-day/
multi-range event.
Similar to bowling, the objective is a perfect
300. That’s 30 arrows, five per scoring end,
over two distances, with bull’s-eyes equaling
10. While scoring 300 has happened, it
has yet to be achieved in national-level
competition. The sport uses compound
bows, uniform in make and model, without
sight markers.
VOICE
The maximum score archers shoot for is 300.
11
Win or lose, this is a moment of pure pride
continued on p. 12
Announcing the National Archery in the Schools Program, continued from page 11
for that school. At the 2013 World
Championship in St. Louis, the entire
Yorktown, Saskatchewan team sang,
“Oh, Canada.”
Since college, my life has been
spent behind a microphone. A radio
personality in the Carolinas during the
1980s, moving on to a full-time career
in advertising and a host/announcer for
the Kentucky Afield radio and television
shows with the Kentucky Department of
Fish & Wildlife since 1991. I jumped at
the chance when management invited
me to also assume a P.A. role when
intermural archery was first developed
as an outreach.
Few are privileged to be associated with
a sport since its inception. What a treat
when the founding organizers - the Abner
Doubleday’s and James Naismith’s
of a sport - are also your colleagues.
Thanks to excellent mentors early on,
it’s been my honor to announce for every
Kentucky State, national and world
tournament since.
Just like the arrows, the popularity of
the sport is also soaring and giving rise
to self-confidence, better grades, better
attendance, hit movies and newfound
archery heroes for a new generation.
At the end of the day, it’s time to exhale.
We’ve had fun, bitten our tongue and
hopefully made an impact on how
tournaments are conducted everywhere
for every student, parent and coach
aiming to make a difference.
For information about the job of the
NASP Tournament Announcer and the
announcements to be made, go to
www.naspaa.net/uploads/Range_
Announcer_Script_Guidelines.pdf.
Learn more and visit tournaments in
your area. www.naspschools.org
THE
VOICE
RESULTS
OF ATHLETIC
DIRECTORS’ P.A.
ANNOUNCERS’
COMPENSATION
SURVEY RESULTS
RELEASED
To complement the P.A. compensation
survey, the NASPAA conducted a
survey of athletic directors. The
NASPAA wishes to thank the NIAAA
and the NAIA for their cooperation.
Click below to view the
2015 Compensation Survey
Two students shooting at one target can add up to nearly 600 archers shooting at once.
2 0 15 N A S PA A
C O M P E N S AT IO N
S U RV E Y
AT H L E T I C A D M I N I S
T R AT O R S
© Copyright 2015
National Association of
Sports Public Address
Announcers
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
12
Bob Sheppard P.A. Announcer of the Year
Award Nominations Being Accepted
THE
VOICE
N
ominations for the 2014-15 Bob Sheppard P.A. Announcer of the
Year are being accepted. Information about the nomination process
and the requirements concerning announcing a live event are on the
NASPAA website at www.naspaa.net.
Bob Sheppard
P.A. ANNOUNCER
OF THE YEAR
WANTED
The NASPAA is seeking nominations for the Bob Sheppard P.A.
Announcer of the Year. Only NASPAA members are eligible.
>>>>>> NOMINATION DEADLINE: August 1, 2015 <<<<<<
“P.A. announcers who follow the NASPAA Code of Conduct will definitely
enhance their chances for consideration,” commented Glen Waddle,
NASPAA NCAA P.A. Announcer of the Year. “Yelling and being over the top
won’t cut it.”
“The NASPAA Awards Program is a tremendous membership benefit,”
remarked Brian McKiernen, NASPAA High School P.A. Announcer of
the Year. Information about the Bob Sheppard P.A. Announcer of the Year
Award may be obtained at www.naspaa.net.
13
Not A
Member?
For information about the membership
and the NASPAA, go to www.naspaa.net.
If you are a P.A. announcer or have the
responsibility of hiring or assigning
P.A. announcers, the NASPAA
would like to invite you to become
a member. The annual individual
membership fee for adults is $30 and
“Whether you are a rookie
announcer or a seasoned
veteran, the NASPAA can
help you to become a better
announcer, connect with other
announcing professionals and
provide tools for self-evaluation
and continued professional
$20 for students. Schools may join
for $69, which entitles them to six
memberships.
growth in the field.”
Jeff Kurtz, CPAA
Kent State University P.A. Announcer
and NASPAA Board Member
Affiliate Members
The following associations and organizations are NASPAA Affiliate Members. NASPAA Affiliate Members share the same core values and similar P.A.
announcing philosophy as the NASPAA. The NASPAA serves as the P.A. announcing resource for NASPAA Affiliate Members.
National
Interscholastic
Athletic
Administrators
Association
Pennsylvania
Interscholastic
Athletic Association
Ohio High School
Athletic Association
Mississippi High
School Activities
Association
Missouri State High
School Activities
Association
Kansas State High
School Activities
Association
Georgia High School
Association
Tennessee
Secondary School
Athletic Association
College Sports
Information
Directors of America
National Junior
College Athletic
Association
National Association
of Intercollegiate
Athletics
National Federation
of State High School
Associations
Indiana High School
Athletic Association
Oregon School
Activities Association
Louisiana High
School Athletic
Association
American Legion
Baseball
Michigan High
School Athletic
Association
Texas University
Interscholastic
League
Mississippi
Association of
Coaches
Washington
Interscholastic
Activities Association
Iowa High School
Athletic Directors
Association
Kentucky High School
Athletic Directors
Association
North Carolina High
School Athletic
Association
Illinois High School
Association
PONY Baseball
and Softball
California
Interscholastic
Federation
National Association
of Sports Officials
Oregon Athletic
Directors
Association
14