According to Athletics Communications Assistant Justin Lee, Occidental’s athletics program currently has five student commentators working in game management, each one assigned to the sports they are most knowledgeable about. Lee said these commentators narrate and analyze the plays happening in front of them over a broadcast on through FloSports.
“[The commentators] are adding more spice to the game,” Lee said. “They are actively talking about what they saw and breaking it down in a way where the audience can understand what just happened.”
According to Lee, the athletics program has started rolling out Tigertown TV this year as a way of showing off what happens at games for those who cannot pay to access the livestreams. Lee said Tigertown TV relies on social media, where short clips of each livestream are shared.
“You can watch a game, and maybe 90 percent of the time there’s not much happening,” Lee said. “We cut it down for everyone and put it into little highlights so people can see how our teams are doing.”
Men’s water polo commentator Ariani Ray (junior) said the most important part about commentating is to keep it entertaining for those who are not able to watch the games in person.
“I know a lot of people whose parents rely on the livestream to watch them play,” Ray said. “Commentating is a great way to bring the energy of the game to the families who aren’t able to be there.”
According to Charlotte Dreyfus (junior), there are usually two commentators at a game; one doing play-by-play narration and one doing color commentary and providing analysis. Dreyfus said the job gets harder when both people aren’t available to cover the game.
“When there’s only one person commentating, you’re talking by yourself for 90 minutes which can be a little tiring,” Dreyfus said. “But it helps you learn how to fill that space.”
Daniel Ribeiro (senior) said he struggled with balancing out his narration when he first started commentating for women’s volleyball.
“Early on, there was a bit of difficulty trying to figure out how much you’re supposed to talk and when to let the game do the talking,” Ribeiro said. “So it was a lot of stylistic challenges.”
Ray said the game management staff are very helpful whenever the student commentators have questions or need advice on how to improve their commentary.
“I’ll listen to them talk, write some notes down and give it to them to see what we could improve upon for next time,” Lee said.
According to Ray, the commentators also receive feedback from the viewers of the livestreams, including college alumni.
“I’ve gotten texts from alumni saying, ‘Your voice has been ringing through my house,’” Ray said. “That’s always a nice thing to hear, that they’re feeling some of the joy that we get out of watching the sport [in person].”
Dreyfus said she has also received these responses from her own friends and family members.
“My parents will watch the games at home and text me saying, ‘You need to do more of this,’ or, ‘Good job on this,’” Dreyfus said. “I think it’s good to hear the outside input.”
James Herink (senior) is the in-person announcer for all sports except baseball and softball. According to Herink, in-person announcers are only heard by those present at the games while the commentators are heard by those watching the livestreams.
“If you want to do this sort of job, you have to speak very confidently and project,” Herink said. “You can’t be quiet and shy away from the mic when it’s only your voice over the whole PA system.”
Ribeiro said he has learned how to be more present through commentating and focusing on what is happening in the current moment.
“I’ve struggled with staying present and not letting my mind run all over the place,” Ribeiro said. “Commentary really grounds me.”
Ray said her favorite thing about the job is being able to watch the action on the sidelines and see the emotions of the teams.
“I like seeing the coaches jump for joy when they win, or the boys being really, really happy,” Ray said. “I like seeing how excited the players get and them hyping up their teammates.”
Ribeiro said he has the most fun commentating for games with a lot of tension because he turns into a full-blown fan.
“I’m not really analyzing anything because I can’t,” Ribeiro said. “I’m purely in awe of what’s going on, so I just start acting like a fan and going crazy on the mic.”
According to Dreyfus, the commentators and announcers contribute to the athletics program by creating a more professional environment at home games.
“It helps to legitimize and support our athletic teams and departments,” Dreyfus said. “There’s a lot more people behind the scenes for our games than people would think.”
Lee said he hopes to continue to build off on the assets the program currently has and make each broadcast better than the last one.
“The ultimate goal is to make [our athletics program] as robust as any other school,” Lee said. “If that’s something we can do, then that’s a job well done in my opinion.”
Ribeiro said the true value of the commentators comes from the charisma and color they bring to the games with their narration.
“Words can add so much of an impact emotionally, and that’s where the true value of a commentator lies,” Ribeiro said. “If you can narrate it almost like a story, if you can close it off with the right words while they’re celebrating, it’s like closing the final chapter.”
Contact Izzy Shotwell at shotwell@oxy.edu
