Now you have prepared yourself for everything that could happen before and during a game.  Now it’s time to sit down, put it all together and create a script.  In the next section, we’ll take a look at basic elements to your script.

The first thing you want to do is to create an outline.  Create four categories and list them as “Pre-Game”, “In-Game”, “Post Game” and “Generic” which could happen at any time.  Most of the generic announcements will be the same regardless of the sport or facility and can be placed pretty much anywhere.

Pre-Game Announcements

Pre-game announcements are announcements such as your welcome, informative announcements about the facility and teams, general safety announcements, program announcement, and sportsmanship announcement if needed.  If you have sponsored promotions during a game and want fans to sign up for these promotions, announcing them during the pre-game is a perfect place to do it.  Sponsors typically don’t have pre-game announcements unless they are sponsoring that night or are a bigger sponsor and their contract calls for it.

Also in the pre-game, you will have your introductions, national anthem and any ceremonies.

A good order for pre-game is to welcome fans to the stadium and event, announce who the teams are that night and any information on them (such as a Minor League affiliate of, or what city they are from, or their record on the season).  Proceed next into the informative announcements such as concessions, restrooms, first aid, etc.  Then you can start adding in sponsors, if you have any.  It’s a good idea to create a little bit of a break between your opening welcomes and your opening ceremonies in case something runs over.  You can also use this as a nice little break between all the announcements.

After your break, schedule the pre-game line-ups/introductions, along with National Anthem and ceremonial first pitch (or puck drop, or ball delivery, etc.).  At some point, either before the introductions or after the ceremonies, you will want to announce your sportsmanship announcement.

In-Game Announcements

In-game announcements are announcements made after the game starts and before it ends.  Seems simple enough.  The kind of announcements you get in-game are more sponsor-centric with upcoming events starting to be mentioned about midway through.  You will also have promotions, group and special guest welcomes, teasers for halftime events (if applicable), and birthday messages to mention a few.

Once you have listed everything, being sorting them out into a workable order to make sure everything gets announced.  It’s not a good idea to schedule two sponsor reads during a break with a promotion unless you have time.  It will also allow you to make sure you aren’t putting two competing sponsors together.

Post-Game Announcements

These are going to be what you say at the end of the game.  You will want to remind people of upcoming games and events, how they can buy tickets, your team’s web site and thank them for coming.

Generic Announcements

These are the announcements that you should have on hand, but may not need to use such as what to do in the event of lighting, emergency evacuation, lights going out, vehicles with lights on, sportsmanship announcement, etc.  Print these out on the last page of your script so you know where they are at all times.

Creating Your Itineraries

Once you have your general outline, you can begin to set your itineraries.  On the following pages, you will find itineraries for timed and non-timed sports with pre-game, in-game, post-game and generic announcements.  The layout is one that we’ve used in the past and we find works best for us, but you have a different method of keeping all of your announcements together.

General Itinerary Outline

**Sportsmanship works before the end of a timed warm-up in sports with a timed warm-up, or after all the ceremonies prior to playing music for the top of the first inning in baseball or softball.

FILES:

Timed Sports Itinerary Sample (PDF)

Baseball Softball Itinerary Sample (PDF)