Hello! My name is Jordon Lawrenz and I am a 20 year old sports broadcaster from Manitowoc, Wisconsin. I am going to be a junior at UWGB this upcoming fall semester, however I am technically at a senior standing as I will be graduating this year! Graduating in three years was a goal I've had for quite awhile, so it is surreal to finally be at this point. I attended the UWGB-Manitowoc campus for my first two years where I obtained my associates degree. At the University of Wisconsin Green Bay I will be obtaining a double emphasis Communication major in Sports Communication and Journalism. My ideal career path is in the world of sports broadcasting. At the age of sixteen, a local radio station took the chance on me to do the color commentary for some high school basketball games. I am forever thankful to my high school chemistry teacher, Erin Otte-Meyer, as she was able to get me in touch with Seehafer Broadcasting. I cannot thank Jim Medley and everyone at Seehafer enough for allowing me to be part of their amazing and talented staff.
After two years of color commentary for high school basketball and football games, they transitioned me into doing the play by play. There were games that first year where I did play by play solo, however moving forward I usually had a partner with me. Personally, I don't mind doing games alone! It forces me to always be on my toes as the entire broadcast is on my shoulders and I have no one else to rely on. Seehafer Broadcasting opened the door to other opportunities including working with UWGB's athletics on ESPN+. To be on a platform like ESPN at the age of 20 years old blows my mind, even if it is just their online subscription service. I was able to do the play by play for UWGB volleyball, soccer, and softball games as a college sophomore. I plan on working with Scot Frassetto closely this upcoming school year on more than just the play by play. Other potential positions include editing, replay, and camera work.
Another awesome opportunity I've had in the world of broadcasting was doing the play by play for a local hockey tournament in Green Bay. This tournament aired worldwide on HockeyTV, a streaming service that focuses on the youth of hockey. I was only able to announce one day of the tournament as I lost my voice immediately after, but I look forward to working with them again for the upcoming Midwest Exposure Series in Green Bay this October!
Other positions I've held are doing stats for games on the air, running a local baseball team's twitter, being a public address announcer, hosting my own podcast, and even appearing on a local radio station's weekly sports talk show. I am thankful for every opportunity I have been given so far in the world of sports, and I look forward to everything that is yet to come.
This summer I am putting all of my energy into my broadcasting internship with the Sheboygan A's. This is my first time doing play-by-play for baseball, but I used to play when I was a kid, and baseball is one of my favorite sports, so I am more than looking forward to the challenge. The A's are a huge step up from the baseball team I used to be the PA Announcer for, which was the Manitowoc Bandits. I am continually working my way up the ladder, and look forward to hopefully doing the play by play for a true minor league squad next summer.