PUBLIC ADDRESS ANNOUNCINg/voiceover

My start in public address announcing began at Cold Spring Harbor High School, under the recommendation of an old and close friend at the time, Josh Brown. Josh was a basketball player and overall athlete for our Seahawks all the way till our graduation in 2013. He knew that I wanted to do something in broadcasting, but our school simply didn’t offer it. Our athletics director at the time, Jim Amen (currently Manhasset High School’s Athletic Director), knew the same thing. Brown would suggest to Amen to pack the gym, and have me do public address announcing and introduce something new in the school’s field house. I was confronted about this opportunity by the two of them by being called into Amen’s office. For those that know me, I was all over the athletics map, but was never really a good enough athlete to compete. So, this encounter was a bit strange, to say the least. I was asked to announce the lineups, and be the announcer for men’s and women’s basketball contests for Junior Varsity, and the Varsity level until graduation…3 YEARS LATER. To have a friend like Josh, looking out for me, knowing my grades weren’t great, going to Fordham wasn’t an option right away. He and I both knew I needed to get my feet wet at the high school level and add something to a very blank resume early on. From 2011 onward, I wouldn’t look back. One video would grant me access to do this for spare change. The greatest gift I could’ve ever received from my friend. I didn’t know where to turn, and he turned me in the right direction. Prior to broadcasting for Nassau Community College athletics, I would announce the starting lineups over the loud-speaker. On nights that Mike Slavit or Rodney Harris were calling the games together, I would be there supervising, and doing the public address for Head Coach A.J. Wynder or then-head coach Kristine Abrams, or even baseball head coach Larry Minor. The story ends with this, every opportunity I was given due to my resume, I took it and ran with it. Practice and reps makes perfect. By doing public address announcing, it has helped me in my journey towards becoming a sports journalist. While at St. John’s, I may have stumbled in the first few Division I contests behind the public address system, but softball gave me a chance, and I am now the full-time Softball announcer at Red Storm Field.