For many sports fans, unforgettable moments are connected to something they saw. For me, they are connected to something I heard.
I have been totally blind all my life, and I became a sports fan in 2021. Since then, broadcasters have helped me discover teams, understand unfamiliar sports and experience the excitement of a game as it unfolds.
Their voices have become part of my memories.
A great broadcaster helps me follow more than the score. They explain where the ball is, how a play develops and why a decision matters. They give me the information I need to form my own opinions and join conversations with other fans.
What began with soccer has grown into a love of basketball, hockey, softball, baseball and more. The people behind the microphones have been an important part of that journey.
The Voices That Welcomed Me Into Soccer
Manchester City was where it began.
Listening to Alistair Mann helped me follow the movement of the ball and understand how an attack developed. His descriptions brought the match to life and helped me learn a sport that was still new to me.
I also came to appreciate Mike Minay through BBC Radio Manchester. Eventually, I called into a post-match show to tell him how much his work meant to me.
He was touched by the compliment. That conversation stayed with me because it reminded me that broadcasters may never know how much they mean to an individual listener unless someone tells them.
As my interest grew, I began following international soccer. England became the first international team I followed closely, which is a little ironic considering I am American. John Murray’s commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live helped introduce me to the excitement of international competition during the European Championship played in 2021.
Then there was Wales.
Following the team’s journey to the 2022 World Cup through Rob Phillips and BBC Radio Wales helped me feel connected to supporters thousands of miles away. When I called a post-match show to express my appreciation, Phillips was surprised and pleased that someone in Illinois was listening.
I was far from Wales, but I could share in the excitement. That is one of the wonderful things a broadcast can do.
Learning the Game Through Listening
Every sport I started following came with unfamiliar rules, positions and strategies.
Broadcasters helped me make sense of them.
In soccer, an announcer might describe a player making a run into space. An analyst can explain how that movement created an opening. In basketball, an explanation of a screen or defensive adjustment helps me understand why a player suddenly has room to shoot.
Hockey brings its own challenges. The puck moves quickly, possession changes and scoring chances can develop in seconds. Clear descriptions help me follow the action without losing track of how a play began.
Baseball and softball require attention to a different set of details: the count, the runners, the defensive positioning and the choices available to the batter and pitcher.
Those explanations have taught me that a game is a series of decisions and adjustments. The final result rarely tells the whole story.
That is why I appreciate analysts, pregame hosts and postgame coverage, too. They help me understand what to listen for before a game and make sense of what happened afterward.
A team can win while making mistakes. Another can lose despite playing well. Good analysis gives me something more useful than a reaction to the score.
Familiar Voices Close to Home
When St. Louis CITY SC began playing in 2023, I had a new soccer team to follow close to home.
Joey Zanaboni quickly became one of my favorite voices. His enthusiasm, descriptions and creative comparisons made the matches exciting. Dale Schilly’s analysis added another layer, helping me understand the decisions behind the action.
Listening to Chris Kerber call St. Louis Blues games has meant a great deal to me, too. Hockey demands quick, clear descriptions, and his energy makes the biggest moments even more exciting.
I have had the opportunity to meet him briefly and tell him how much I appreciate his work. He was kind and welcomed hearing what his broadcasts meant to me.
Those interactions matter. Behind a familiar voice is a person who prepares, studies and works to help listeners experience a game.
A Connection at SIUE
Some of my most meaningful experiences have come through SIUE athletics.
I first met Joe Pott at an SIUE women’s soccer game against Southern Illinois. It was the first sporting event I attended as a university student. I was there as a fan, before I began reporting on games.
With help from a family member, I met him at halftime. He told me the interaction had made his night.
That moment stayed with me.
His call of SIUE’s 2025 Ohio Valley Conference men’s basketball championship captured the excitement of a historic achievement for the program. It became another example of how a broadcaster’s voice can become part of a team’s history.
I have also come to appreciate Randy Moehlman and Ashley Wright through SIUE coverage. I have told them what their work means to me because I want them to know that their contributions matter.
The same is true of Rob Brooks and Jamie Cavey Lang, whose Iowa women’s basketball broadcasts helped introduce me to that sport. Their knowledge and energy were part of how I learned to enjoy the game.
Why Radio Means So Much to Me
I appreciate television commentary, but radio holds a special place in my heart.
A radio announcer has to describe the information a listener cannot see. Where is the ball? Who has possession? How close is the player to the goal? What happened after the shot?
Those details allow me to follow a play as it develops.
Without them, I might hear the excitement without understanding what caused it. With them, I can experience the tension, recognize an opportunity and celebrate when my team scores.
That is what accessibility means to me in a sports broadcast: having enough information to understand the game and take part in the experience.
It also helps me talk about sports afterward. I can discuss a decision, question a strategy or explain why I thought a player performed well. I have something to contribute because someone took the time to describe and explain the action.
Tell Them They Matter
When I think about the broadcasters who have influenced me, I remember their calls. But I also remember the conversations when I told them how much I appreciated their work.
They cannot always know who is listening or what their voice means to that person.
I want them to know.
Their work helped me discover sports, learn the games and connect with teams and communities. It helped turn a new interest into an important part of my life.
For a blind sports fan, a great broadcast can be the difference between knowing a score and truly experiencing a game.
That is why I will always appreciate the voices that bring me there.