Jerel Beaty
Staff Writer
Public address announcing at a small-town high school football game is a unique experience, no doubt. To the chagrin of many, it is not just about simply calling plays to inattentive audiences.
Oh, if it were, that job would not be in such high demand.
In small towns like Devine, Lytle, and Natalia, everybody knows everybody. And those “everybody’s” all expect their PA-guy to know them, their children, and their family history, as well.
When a player’s name is fumbled or the ill-fated call-out of the wrong jersey number that was in on the unbelievable sack of the other team’s quarterback is articulated, it may seem the miscommunication coming out over the loudspeaker was premeditated when in fact nothing could be further from the truth.
There is so much going on inside a packed stadium at any given time each Friday night.
Heck, parents of multiple children, listen up; how often do you call one your own kids by the wrong name? And you live with them!
Multitasking while in the moment can be grueling.
Tobey Tomblin of Devine who celebrates his silver anniversary behind the mic at Warhorse Stadium this fall.
The PA is not only expected to remind everyone that that week’s you-name-it-fundraiser-of-the-week-bake-sale ends at halftime, or to get the attention of the correct individual that once again a lost set of keys or a misplaced cell phone has been turned into the press box, and to list the achievements and outcome of not only that night’s hometown-team’s volleyball contest but is to also include every high school organization’s upcoming meet schedule and itinerary without skipping a beat.
Trying to make a smooth transition from a boisterous call of “#49 John Smith with the incredible run around the outside that moves the chains to keep the drive alive!” to introducing one-by-one the slew of mini-cheerleaders from this past summers camp is a challenging task that even the most seasoned professional announcer may find a bit taxing.
Parents. Everyone loves and respects parents that attend in person their son’s football game, or their daughter’s halftime flag-corps-routine, or watches the local mascot pull off their fun and gimmicky routines.
However, if the exact pronunciation and emphasizing of their child’s name is not articulated exactly right, eyes will surely roll, no matter the side of the stadium that person happens to sit.
Calling a high school or even a middle school game for that matter is not just about calling the game at all.
It is about surviving the three-plus hours of weirdness that is sure to happen, the static and cutting out of the microphone and decades-old speakers, and the more-than-occasional need to exercise extreme diplomacy in thought and expression after a tough play on the field, or worse yet, to have to calm the band, the cheerleaders, and the crowd after a player remains on the field due to injury.
While many may believe that being perched at the 50-yard line in the stadium’s press box and “the privilege” of sitting behind a live microphone is all glit and glam, I dare say, the opposite is actually usually the case.
Most do it, and continue to do it, because they were simply asked to help out in order to fill a need. And, fortunately, they said, “Yes.”
A high school football stadium with no PA? Unthinkable.
Thank You, Mark Fender of Lytle who begins his first full season manning the middle seat of a stadium that is named after previous announcer and legend the late Walter Joyce.
Thank You, Tobey Tomblin of Devine who celebrates his silver anniversary behind the mic at Warhorse Stadium this fall.
And Thank You, Sam Smith of Natalia who celebrated his golden anniversary last season and embarks on his incredible 51st year of calling Mustang Football.
Take the time to not only thank those that choose to do what they do, but also appreciate what they do and how they deliver the message all the while managing a copious amount of stressors and distractions going on around them.
Otherwise, you might just be the next in line for a job that not many are willing to accept, and you, too, will be expected to say, “Yes.”
Mark Fender of Lytle who begins his first full season manning the middle seat of a stadium that is named after previous announcer and legend the late Walter Joyce.