There’s a lot more to broadcasting than just the voices you hear on the radio. Each broadcast is imbued with preparation and behind-the-scenes work.

The on-air radio personnel during game action consist of three roles: the play-by-play commentator, senior Collin Echols; the color commentator, sophomore Jayden Yost; and junior Liliana Herrera, who conducts sideline interviews. All three are broadcasting majors. Another Globe staff member runs the board back in Newcomer. 

The play-by-play commentator’s job is to “paint the picture for a listener,” Echols said.

“I want you to be able to close your eyes and say, well, okay. If the ball’s at the top of the key, they know where the ball’s at there. If it gets passed down to the post, they know who’s got the ball down low, they know who scores, they know how they score, so on and so forth,” he said.

There’s a cheat sheet sitting next to the microphone. This sheet includes information such as player names, numbers, hometowns and positions as well as information about coaches and assistant coaches. At the bottom of the sheet is a phonetic guide to the pronunciation of each player’s name.

“If there’s a parent for the opposing team listening,” Echols said, “it’s nice to hear your kid’s name pronounced correctly and not have somebody botch it every time they say it on the air.”

But speaking about players goes beyond simply knowing how to pronounce their names; a good broadcaster has to know what each player means to the team.

While discussion of the game comes together in real-time, hours of research are necessary to put together a smooth broadcast, specifically the pregame show. It’s important to be up to date on injury reports, player milestones and hot streaks. “Cause you don’t want to talk about a player for five minutes and say, they had a really good performance last game, but by the way, they’re not going to play today,” Echols said.

A radio broadcast toes the line of describing game action as it happens while finding time to inform the listener about the teams and their players at a deeper level. Yost, is helpful in this department. He keeps a spreadsheet of information like player stats and team rankings updated, picking spots to provide analysis.

“Throughout the course of the game as color commentator, I’m always generating thoughts to say. It’s just whether or not the action is slow enough for me to come in and say something. If not, bump to the next thought and just continue generating ideas,” Yost said.

While the stats are important, he also wants to provide information that’s accessible to the listener.

“It makes [the broadcast] a whole lot more calm when it’s just two guys talking ball, instead of just getting really technical about terms and stuff,” he said.

Herrera, who is also the sports editor for The Record, serves as the sideline reporter for these broadcasts. Her interviews before and during the game provide the coaches’ perspectives on the action while providing Echols and Yost with added information. While she’s not on the air, she listens in on team huddles and player conversations to get an additional perspective. But don’t worry; she’s not a spy.

“I make sure to tell them that I’ll be standing behind their sideline so they don’t think I’m snooping in on their plays or anything,” she said. “One time, one of the players thought I was recording them, but I wasn’t, I was just writing down stuff … I never write down any of their actual plays that they’re running. I write down things like Coach Carver [saying] ‘you guys are stagnant on the defense, so we need to pick it up this way.’”

All three broadcasters spoke enthusiastically about the Globe’s programming, with Hererra specifically mentioning the recently added “Everence Financial scoreboard updates,” with coverage that mentions all conference teams, not just the Maple Leafs.

When asked about the Globe broadcasts, Larry DeSimpelare, commissioner of the Crossroads League, provided a rave review.

“I have nothing but great things to say about your professionalism throughout each broadcast,” he said. “The combination of multiple angles, high-level descriptions of the contests, along with your awesome sideline reporter is impressive and one of the best in our league.  I love the commitment Goshen and The Globe have made to help enhance the fan experience.  You truly go above and beyond to create a positive and professional experience for the viewer!”