Robbie Baker ’24 played one year of Junior Varsity Football at the Upper School (US). He has since announced a Division I football game for Vanderbilt University in front of 30,000 people. During his time at the US, he was the Voice of the Knights.

The Voice of the Knights is the Varsity Football team’s student announcer, providing play-by-play coverage over the sound system at the team’s home games. Created by US Chief Learning Officer Jed Lippard in 2023, the role allows students to contribute to athletics without being on the team, he said. He can take two announcers and has never had to turn anyone down. He said he is also considering expanding the role beyond football to other US athletics programs.

The role was inspired by a job he held back in high school, Dr. Lippard said.

“When I was in high school, I was always interested in sports, but I was never good enough to be on the varsity team,” he said. “I asked the athletic director whether I could announce the football and basketball games. I started doing that as a junior, and did it as a senior as well.”

When the school built the new athletic campus, Dr. Lippard said he saw new opportunities that came along with it.

“When we built the Grove Street athletic campus, there was technology that would allow for high quality public announcing, so I talked to Mr. Richard, the athletic director then, and said, ‘Hey, I have this talent and skill.’”

Dr. Lippard started out as the Voice of the Knights, but later extended the position to students.

“The first year I did it all by myself,” he said. “Soon after, it occurred to me that I’d love to open up this opportunity to students.”

Dr. Lippard said he is happy with how the program has turned out.

“The program is working very well as is,” he said. “The opportunity for change would be to expand to more sports. I can imagine announcing hockey games, or lacrosse games or basketball games.”

Dr. Lippard said the program gives students the opportunity to connect with the sports community without being athletes themselves.

“Student announcers can contribute to the culture of athletics without being on the field themselves.”

Robbie was the Voice of the Knights during the 2023-24 school year.

“I was interested in finding a way that I could still be involved with [football], even if I wasn’t playing,” he said. “This was perfect for me, and a really unique opportunity.”

Robbie has continued his sports announcing career at Vanderbilt.

“I think that confidence is something I took from it, and continued through my announcing career at Vanderbilt,” he said. “The earlier experiences of BB&N really helped me to get the confidence I needed from this experience.”

Adi Bhatia ’27 is the Voice of the Knights this year and is the digital media editor of The Vanguard.

“It’s a pretty unique opportunity,” he said. “It isn’t anything I’ve had the chance to do before so I thought it would be really cool to do.”

Adi said the program is important for spectator experience.

“The role can really help if you miss the plays,” he said. “I also feel it adds to the atmosphere after a big play; it’s a way to get people way more excited.”

Adi said the role requires good public speaking skills.

“Confidence is definitely important,” he said. “You’re speaking in front of a lot of people so your public speaking and ability behind the mic matters a lot.”