Spring is finally here, for good!

Those of you who have been living under a rock for the past month and a half, would not know that baseball is mid-season at ODA. The team is down to its final five games before district play, and they are currently 12-3. With the new season, we have also had a new announcer.

Last year for the majority of the season, the  baseball announcer was ODA alumnus and teacher Chris Hayes.  When Hayes left ODA to attend Georgetown, ODA parent and long time ODA volunteer and coach Chris Hill took over. For those of you who don’t know Mr. Hill, he is a wide spread supporter of all athletics and the arts here at ODA. You will most likely always see Mr. Hill at ODA events, especially any sporting event.

Realistically,  it would be impossible to attend all sporting events, for many could be on the same day. But incredibly Coach Hill always manages to get the scores and key details of all games and shares them on Facebook. He is constantly informing the ODA community on key updates and outcomes and often images of games. As baseball announcer his presence at the field truly uplifts sports of ball fans, and gives players the intensity they need to preform well.

Athletes and coaches are glad to have a guy like Mr. Hill in this community, but there are a few athletes who simply cannot start a game without what he does in that press box. Out at Taylor Emmons Memorial Field, every night a game is scheduled, Mr Hill shows up around 6:00 pm. At this time usually the baseball team is out hitting on the field, preparing for their game.

When 6:45 rolls around Mr. Hill is up there in the press box announcing the players as they run onto the field, “Leading off, playing shortstop, number 2, Jimmy Kuebler.” He goes through a series of announcements and then leads the game with the Pledge of Allegiance.

Mid-way throughout he pledge, all the players begin to get pumped, swaying side to side, and jumping up and down. The next part is crucial to this team’s performance: the warm up song.  The baseball team has chosen “Good feeling” a song written by Flo Rida, to play, before the first inning of every game. It’s Coach Hill who cranks up the tune.

Junior Jake Romine says, “the song just pumps everyone up. Its lyrics and general sound just sets the mood, and gets us thirsty for a victory!”

This tradition of a song being played before the first inning, began a couple of years ago, and Mr. Hill has done a fantastic job keeping it alive. Though the team’s mood really goes off whether it was Hill who played the song or not,  when Mr. Hill is up there in the press box, the intensity of the team goes up.

“The great announcing, and warm up songs, give each player a sense pride and urgency during the game,” says Junior Carson Jungers.

Austin Hoppe, Junior said: “Having Mr. Hill at our games really does lift the team’s spirit. Yes, we are old enough to get pumped up on our own, but there is something about the game that intensifies when Mr. Hill is up there in the booth.”

Recently, Mr Hill has being bring a little helper who had one an exceptional job as our new co-announcer. Coach Hill’s son,  third grader, Drew Hill,  has been announcing at some of the baseball games lately. Drew is very excited to be up there helping his dad, and the team thinks it’s great to have Drew up there also!

Some people may think, “It’s just an announcer, how much could it actually affect an athlete’s game?” The answer is a lot!  Hill gives the team confidence and intensity at every one of the games.

“It’s hard to imagine a game without him,” says Junior Jimmy Kuebler.