Chad Anderson in the Pressbox

This past season, the Medalist Club was involved with what we believe was a first-time-ever, groundbreaking enterprise: full season, home-and-away broadcast radio and internet-audio coverage of college gymnastics. The person who not only came up with, but also enthusiastically promoted, developed - you might even go so far as to say 'invented' the whole idea - was Chad Anderson, a University of Alabama student and the sports director of the University's award-winning, student-run radio station, WVUA-FM 90.7. Although Chad is a very busy young man (for instance, as I write this he is in College Station, Texas preparing to broadcast Bama softball's Super-Regional games versus Texas A&M), I was recently able to grab enough of his time to ask him a few questions about himself and his radio coverage of Bama gymnastics this past season:

Salto: First off, tell us a little about yourself, where you're from, your major, how you got interested in broadcasting, that sort of thing?
Chad: Well I'll try and condense my life story to a few sentences. I'm only 20 years old for those of you who think I look or sound old (I get this from some people and they know who they are)! I will be a Junior at 'Bama with a major in Broadcast News with an emphasis in Sports Broadcasting. I gave up playing baseball and basketball in high school because of bad knees but wanted to stay active in sports so I started in broadcasting. My first on-air call was my high school's state championship game in 6A baseball. I was 15 at the time and got a job in Huntsville at a country station. I moved to a sports station and started hosting a Saturday morning talk show from (8A-Noon) when I was 17 until I graduated high school. Then I moved to Tuscaloosa and got active immediately in the station and moved up the ranks quickly. That puts me where I am today...sports director at WVUA-FM 90.7. My favorite broadcaster is probably Chris Stewart of Crimson Tide Sports Network (CTSN).

Salto: Which was your first college gym meet?
Chad: The first collegiate gym meet that I ever attended was the 2004 Super Six in Tuscaloosa that Alabama won. It's funny that I was even there because I had always wanted to go to one just to see what it was like, but I couldn't get anyone to go with me. So after calling every friend I knew, I finally just went by myself and watched the entire meet from the corner of Coleman Coliseum.

Salto: What surprised you about it?
Chad: I think the most surprising thing was the attendance and intensity from start to finish. I knew fans followed the GymTide but the intensity they brought was unbelievable. Also, hats off to the students in the Ten Troupe because I never would have dreamed of that many students at a women's athletic event.

Salto: Did you immediately decide to pursue radio coverage?
Chad: You know, I actually talked with the station manager and sports director the next week about putting gymnastics on the radio. They decided against it for the '04 season, of course, since it had already started and since they were both seniors. They told me it could be my own project [the following year, 2005].

Salto: Can you summarize the steps you took to make the radio broadcasts a reality?
Chad: The first thing I did was talk to [Associate Athletics Director and Senior Woman's Administrator - and four-time All-American gymnast] Marie Robbins about putting together the broadcast and if the program would want the broadcast. Once that was taken care of, I came up with sales packages for sponsors, sold the broadcast to various businesses (the Medallist Club included), then began my search for a partner, worked on the format of the show and how it would sound, then started to attend practices and learn about gymnastics in preparation for Jan. 7th.

Salto: Were there any obstacles?
Chad: The main obstacles were convincing people that this could be done and getting believers in our station. A lot of people were skeptical and had concerns about putting this into an audio format, but other than that, everyone was very helpful.

Salto: Was there any unexpected help?
Chad: I don't know if there was any "unexpected" help per se. The main thing I was so pleased to see was everyone I asked for help at the station or inside the athletic department was more than willing to assist in any way.

Salto: Describe for the readers how you see on-air partner Leesa Davis' role in the success of the broadcasts.
Chad: Leesa is the 'X factor' to everything about our broadcasts. Yes, I'm the one who goes to practice during the week and produces the interview clips and highlights during the broadcast, but Leesa fills in all of the details. She knows the moves, describes the routines well, and knows how to handle herself on the radio. If it wasn't for Leesa (and I've said this many times) our broadcast wouldn't be half of what it actually is. I'm also amazed at how well she performed on air in general, since it was her first radio job. Bottom line is...she makes the show what it is.

Salto: Does the dual meet or tournament format lend itself best to radio coverage?
Chad: It really doesn't matter either way between a dual meet or a tournament. Of course, there are adjustments for each because, with a dual meet, everything runs quickly and you're done in no time, while in tournaments you have much more time to fill with interviews, other routines, scores, etc. Neither really presents a problem and I don't have a preference either way, although tournaments are usually more exciting because there is always something big at stake.

Salto: You do the radio for both Bama softball and Bama gymnastics, how are they similar, how are they different?
Chad: They are similar in that you have to be prepared for what you're going to talk about. You have to know stats, athletes, side notes, etc. You want to sound professional, so preparation is key with each; however, how I prepare varies. They are different in a couple ways. One is how I dress and the etiquette. Gymnastics is an indoor event that has a lot of class associated with it, similar to golf. You don't "boo" anyone, you simply want your team to compete to the best of their ability and hopefully that is enough. Softball is more laid back and just another day at the ballpark in the outdoors. Another difference is obviously the scoring systems. Softball is very clear cut and the umpires USUALLY don't impact the outcome of the game, where in gymnastics you can get plenty of variations in scoring from judges. With the tradition of softball players making up chants and now experiencing gymnastics bus rides...I've learned enough cheers from the athletes that I'm singing them in my sleep during the season!

Salto: During the season you mentioned a few times that you were quite pleased with the interest the fans were showing, especially in the internet side of the broadcasts. Now that the season has concluded, how did the final numbers turn out and can you give us some perspective on what the numbers mean?
Chad: Well, we are a non-commercial station so we don't pay the money to receive 'Arbitron' ratings to tell us how many radio listeners we have. However, we can find out how many internet listeners we have by the clicking of the link to our show. Our numbers are given to us on a per month basis. The highest number we had ever brought in [prior to our GymTide coverage] was around 600 during October of 2004. In January alone, we tripled that with almost 1,800. Then February had just under 5,000 listeners. March followed with over 6,500 and then we finished after Nationals in April with 8,034 people listening. The increase in numbers is just simply astonishing. I knew the response would be good, but this is above and beyond expectations, and it's just our first year. I think the numbers could grow even more in the next year or two when more people learn about the internet availability.

Salto: Speaking of perspective, since this was your 'rookie season', so to speak, with broadcasting Alabama gymnastics, it occurred to me to ask your perspective on the experience of the freshman GymTiders this season. Bama's had larger classes before, but I'd be hard pressed to come up with a more varied group.
Chad:: The freshmen that came in this year were a joy to be around and great people in different ways. I mean there's Kaitlin White who can talk football with you and is one of the toughest girls I know. Then Jessie Silver who could easily beat me with her left arm against my right arm in a wrestling match. And of course, there is the Olympian, Terin Humphrey. Terin saw the most action, and should have, and Jessie will step in soon I believe. But, I'm excited about watching Kaitlin. There's just something about her that I think will be incredible throughout her career at the Capstone. What's so unique about these three girls, too, is their solid friendship with each other. They are always hanging out and just enjoying college life - which I think was very important...especially for Terin.

Salto: It's fairly obvious that the GymTiders, as a group, have a good dose of 'beauty, brains, and talent'. And, as anyone who's ever been to practice will testify, they work extremely hard at their skills and conditioning. However, after spending many a practice, several meets, and even a long bus ride or three with the team, how about it, what were you surprised to learn about gymnasts?
Chad: They are normal people who are much more outgoing than I ever thought, but in a good and fun way. I loved spending time with them, getting to know them, and taking road trips with all fourteen ladies. If the next few years are going to be as fun as this one has been, then I can't wait.

Salto: Thanks so much for giving the fans a glimpse into the 'inner workings' of GymTide radio. In addition, on behalf of the fans and the Medalist Club, I would like to express a big thanks to Leesa Davis, to WVUA-FM 90.7, and - as the person who came up with and implemented the whole concept - especially to you, for bringing the fans this new, exciting way of following Bama gymnastics. The response from fans - quite literally - around the globe has been nothing short of amazing. And it's not just Bama fans; even fans of rival teams have been most complimentary and appreciative - a sure sign of the kind of positive and professional product you brought to the airwaves. I'm afraid I've run out of questions, is there anything that you'd like to add?
Chad: One thing that I want to say, and try to say anytime I'm asked about Alabama gymnastics and our coverage, is that none of this could be done without Leesa Davis (as I mentioned before) and, of course, Sarah Patterson. Sarah was the most gracious, helpful, and cooperative coach that I have ever worked with in all my life. She was always willing to help myself and the station make the broadcasts and our coverage better. I can't say enough how wonderful it was to work with her and her program. It's truly an honor to be associated with Alabama Gymnastics and I'm ecstatic about our relationship and the future coverage we will carry.