Marquette University Athletics
Voice of MU Soccer Sounds Off
2/27/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Feb. 27, 2009
Dan Pfeifer, otherwise known to the Blue and Gold faithful as the "Voice of Marquette Soccer," was recently asked to contribute to the Winter 2009 edition of "The Voice," the official newsletter of the National Association of Sports Public Address Announcers (NASPAA).
Pfeifer's piece is titled, "Allow Me to Introduce Myself," and he talks about his start in collegiate sports and his relationship with Stan Anderson, associate head men's soccer coach at Marquette, who played an instrumental role in making Pfeifer part of the MU family.
Allow Me to Introduce Myself: New Member Feature
By: Dan Pfeifer
"The Voice," Winter 2009
Call Marquette University men's soccer associate head coach Stan Anderson and you might get me instead. No, we don't share a phone and I'm definitely not his secretary.
Anderson's trust in me extends beyond a request to record his outgoing voicemail message. It extends to trust as a person - one I valued enough to follow him and head coach Louis Bennett to Marquette after four years of work together at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
I'm "The Voice of Marquette Soccer" and, like a lot of announcers, I've worn a lot of headsets in my time. I won't say I've done it all, but after doing updates for Fox Sports Radio from Lambeau Field and play-by-play from Seattle to New York, I think I've done plenty.
My favorite gigs, though, aren't the highest-profile ones. They're the ones where I get to work with great people - like Stan.
I was a freshman manager for Bo Ryan's 2000-01 UWM Panthers when I first met Anderson. He was impressed by my work ethic and I was impressed a soccer coach would notice a basketball towel boy.
The managing thing wasn't working out and I was interested in working for UWM's sports information department. I won some speech awards in high school, so I knew I had a good voice. It wasn't much of a surprise when my first assignment for sports info was manning the microphone at baseball games.
For soccer, though, I was nervous. I had never seen a live soccer game before I announced my first at UWM. The constant questions for my co-workers, most of whom had played the game, drew glances ranging from annoyance to incredulousness.
What came through to Anderson, though, was the enthusiasm. He was quick to say he loved what I brought and immediately made sure I felt like part of the team.
I entered the program at the right time. Panther soccer was peaking in the early part of this decade. The team was earning national recognition and drawing thousands to Engelmann Field. Puma once came to visit and called our game atmosphere the best in the nation for collegiate soccer. I took a lot of pride in that designation.
Nonetheless, working at UWM had highs and lows. I heard a lot of not-so-flattering statements about my sound at UWM, usually from the same people who rolled their eyes at me when I started. There are some people in life whose respect you just never earn.
Through it all, though, Stan and Louis' support never wavered, along with the fans'. The kind words I received from many of those fans after I missed two weeks of games because of my father's stroke in 2003 meant a lot. Many told me the games weren't nearly the same without my voice.
An unfortunate set of circumstances forced UWM and me to part ways in 2005. It broke my heart.
I went to work full-time in radio for a year and a half, an experience that left me with great stories but not a lot of free time, even for sleep. Fearing burnout, I left for my current day-to-day in the data department of a printing company at the start of 2007. When I did, one of my first calls was to Anderson, who moved to Marquette with Bennett prior to the 2006 soccer season.
"I want back in," I said. Anderson was eager to oblige.
My work with Marquette now ranges beyond soccer. I did my first volleyball match this fall. I was the emcee for a freshman-welcoming pep rally at the start of this past school year. I'm eager to do more.
If there's any one thing I've learned, it's that you have to value the good people, like Stan, in this business. Too often, you run into those who only care about what you do relative to how much money you can make for them. I don't operate that way.
It's the people that take the time to understand what you do, and how much you care, that are the people you value. It's the people like Stan and the fans that I'm glad to serve. I'm just lucky enough to be the voice that's the loudest of them all.
Value those who value you. Trust those who trust your judgment. If you see something differently than someone else, try to understand how they see it and explain why you think there's a better way. Have class.
I want my sound to resonate with people as something associated with fun, fans and friends. I want to be associated with the school I'm proud to be a part of - Marquette - and all the great things it does for Milwaukee. It's the people who know that I try to announce, and live, in this way that are valuable to me. I'm happiest when they value me, too.
Oh, and one more thing:
Leave a message at the beep.
