Giving sports a voice: Ephrata High School announcer fills stands with energy
Ryan Shannon, center, watches a game as the announcer for Ephrata High School basketball.
Rebecca Pettingill/Columbia Basin Herald
Ryan Shannon, announcer for Ephrata High School basketball, watches closely during the game against Ellensburg High School on Jan. 21.
Ryan Shannon helps a student with a problem with her camera during the game between Ephrata High School (EHS) and Ellensburg High School on Jan. 21. Shannon is the announcer for EHS basketball and oversees TigerVision.
EPHRATA – Many members of the Ephrata community might recognize Ryan Shannon’s voice quicker than they would his face. That is because Shannon is the voice of several Ephrata High School sports.
Shannon has been announcing for Ephrata High School for six years, primarily for volleyball and softball, but added basketball to the mix this year. Besides those three sports, Shannon has also voiced a few football games.
“I’m very comfortable behind a mic,” Shannon wrote in an email.
Originally from Grandview, Shannon moved with his family to the Ephrata area from the west side in 2009 to be closer to family, he wrote.
He wrote his announcing career began in professional sports in marketing and media. He said he also had a radio show in college.
He attended Eastern Washington University and got a degree in business administration
“I had dreams of doing play-by-play for the pros when I was younger. Being able to now give back to the school my kids attend is actually a dream come true,” wrote Shannon.
When he is not announcing at games, Shannon is an educator at Ephrata High School. He teaches broadcast journalism and digital media, among others. He also oversees the broadcast program, TigerVision, which is the broadcast channel for Ephrata High School.
Prior to teaching, Shannon had a more than 20-year career in marketing and public relations across several industries, from professional and collegiate athletics, government communications and other corporate positions, he said.
Shannon’s favorite part about announcing is the interaction he has with coaches and players. He enjoys being a part of providing the electricity to a home crowd.
“Your job is there to provide information to the crowd,” wrote Shannon.
When asked if there are any tricks to announcing, Shannon wrote to do homework by learning the proper pronunciations of player names, trying to be consistent and clear in speaking, while also trying not to talk too fast.
Rebecca Pettingill can be reached via email at rpettingill@columbiabasinherald.com.
