Very few people get their paycheck in Chick Fil A, but senior Mello Dowdell is one of them. This payment comes from his role as Piedmont sports announcer.
The voice of Piedmont athletics or just the voice these are just a few of the names Senior Mello Dowdell’s friends call him, these in particular coming from his unique role.
He currently announces for flag football games on Witter Field and volleyball games in the Morrison Gym.
Dowdell first earned the role of Piedmont sports announcer by volunteering in an online form the athletic department sent out.
“I signed up for these games,” he said.
However a nice voice is not all that Dowdell brings to the table, being diligent and attentive is a key component of the finished product.
“[When I’m announcing I] always have to be paying attention and not looking at [my] phone, paying attention [to] plays and how to signal when there calling timeout or when its a turnover on downs, when it’s the team’s ball, whos about to serve [and] all that type of stuff,” Dowdell said
In addition to being conscious of the game, Dowdell has to think about what he is saying. Dowdell said he thinks about pronunciation a lot when announcing games. Additionally, Dowdell said approaching the announcement with the right attitude is important as well.
“I prepare by getting into the right mentality and bringing that energy into the gym if I am going to do a volleyball [game], or if I am a going to the field for a flag-football game,” Dowdell said.
Dowdelll enjoys the positive attention he receives from friends after the games.
“It’s just about my friends coming up to me afterwards and giving me these silly nicknames,” Dowdell said.
Along with his friend’s, Dowdell said teachers and parents have also come up to him after the game to congratulate him.
“The parents meet me [after I have announced a game] and tell me I have done a really good job [and] I’ve had some teachers come up to me and say how they noticed it was me,” he said.
Dowdell said he really appreciates these positive comments.
“[The comments] make me feel like I am actually doing something good,” Dowdell said.
Dowdells said his main goal as an announcer is to spread positivity
“I have to make sure I am bring[ing] the same good mentality,” he said.
For all the work Dowdell puts into announcing games he said he gets compensated in volunteer hours and food.
Dowdell said the part he looks forward to more than any other while announcing is when Piedmont scores a touchdown.
“My favorite [moment] so far is when we score a touchdown and I get to rile up the crowd. I get to scream pretty much, I get [to] hype everybody up,” Dowdell said.
In addition to celebrating touchdowns, Dowdell said he also enjoys when he gets to celebrate Piedmont winning.
“Whenever the team wins I just go crazy and it is just a great moment,” Dowdell said.
Dowdell’s commentating and passion for it has not gone unnoticed by his fellow students.
“I think it is cool that a student is announcing sports,” junior Trenton Downing said.
In addition to students, faculty appreciate Dowdell’s sports commentating.
“We are glad to have him,” Principal David Yoshihara said.
While he appreciates the praise, Dowdells main focus continues to be on the games he announces and how to increase participation from the student body at them.
“I want more people to come to the games of course, the student section to be filled out like it is for our [tackle] football games,” Dowdell said.
