Attrition season, spring scholastic sports edition, will begin this coming week. There is no evil laugh in my tone, just reminding everyone how quickly the scholastic sports season and the entire scholastic sports year have gone.
There is an immediate drop in public address (PA) announcing work once postseason begins because the venues have approximately 64 locations doing the rest of the event work and PA lifting now through early and mid-June.
Warsaw does not host the IHSAA Class 2A Softball Semi State this year, so as you read this, my PA announcing work is done until one event in July, and the beginning Warsaw’s soccer and football seasons in August.
I belong to a Facebook PA announcers’ user group, and numerous posts influenced this week’s thoughts.
Once an announcer is covering an event with multiple schools/institutions, he or she will start to have those outfits reach out for a season’s worth of work, or perhaps a single tournament or back-up appearance.
PA announcing does not seem to be something a heavy percentage of my column readers care to do, nor care to hear about frequently, but I thought I’d share my thoughts on how I feel about what I do.
Now that I cover events for multiple schools/institutions I tell those for whom I work outside the area, “The Warsaw Tigers’ fall sports are my leading brands, and any openings conflicting with those brands? Warsaw takes first priority.”
The convenient and short drive home following Warsaw contests is way down the list of one of the reasons the Tigers’ fall teams, and Unified Sports are my leading brands. I’ve covered events from Mishawaka and South Bend to Fort Wayne and it’s two large suburban school districts.
On our PA announcing Facebook page, when someone is wrestling a dilemma and they talk about loyalty or being with a program for a long time without knowing what to do, and ask for advice on same, I advise the following:
Is the athletic department stable and organized?
Are there key members of the athletic department staff who, if they were to retire or simply leave, would change the smooth functionality of the department?
Does your athletic department have the collective business acumen to maintain high energy financial development efforts (cards, auctions, partnerships with vendors with area businesses, etc.)? A lot of what you see in your school’s facilities – especially those things giving you an edge or upgrading your facilities – rely on development because state fiscal policies forbid use of funds for certain things.
Are the scope and the approach of running the events and creating a certain atmosphere consistent and sensible?
Do they have the resources to pay you in a timely manner, and within reason? Anyone looking to get rich in this avocation is simply mad. A little something for your time is worthwhile, though.
When you put gas in your car, grab a meal on the road at unorthodox hours, and set aside at least 25% of what you make to pay your taxes from your 1099NEC filings with the state and the U.S., is it worth it?
The Warsaw athletic department nails each of these, making my earlier “leading brand” comment come from my fingers on the keyboard without reservation.
Another scholastic sports year has passed, and I’m very happy with everything, and I’m already eager to get through the summer lull to jump back into the Warsaw football and soccer press boxes.