Radio calling found as a youth
By Tim Gallagher, Journal staff writer | Posted: Sunday, October 28, 2007
Joey Elbert, sports director for KUOO and Q102 in the Iowa Great Lakes, calls a football game Thursday in Lake Park, Iowa. Elbert has been doing sports on the radio in Northwest Iowa for 27 years. (Photo by Tim Gallagher)
LAKE PARK, Iowa -- I remember listening to Harry Caray and Steve Stone talk about nuts or brownies or Budweiser; items they occasionally received from appreciative listeners while broadcasting Chicago Cubs baseball games.
On Thursday, a well-known Siouxland broadcaster started his game with a cake. It came in the shape of a football.
"Kim Ingwersen of Lake Park bakes cakes and she made this for us," said Joey Elbert, who broadcast an eight-man football district title game featuring Harris-Lake Park and Aurelia. "This is really nice."
It illustrated why he enjoys his job.
"I like kids. I do this for the kids and their parents, not for me," said Elbert, 47, the sports director at KUOO and Q102 in the Iowa Great Lakes. "If they're happy, I'm happy. That's where I get my juice to get up in the morning."
As he's needed lots of juice over 27 years. Elbert's typical day, like Thursday, starts at 4:30 a.m., collecting scores and audio for the morning sportscast. He stayed on the job until 10 p.m. when he wrapped up the broadcast of H-LP's 49-3 victory over Aurelia.
This is all he ever wanted to do.
"I remember playing games on the driveway as a kid," said Elbert, son of the late Ed and Jean Elbert. "I was always broadcasting them then."
He rarely lost on the driveway, of course.
"I tied once," he said with a smile.
His family moved from LuVerne, Iowa, to Spencer while Elbert was in high school. He competed for the Tigers in golf, baseball and basketball. Shortly after his graduation in 1979 he began doing sports for KICD Radio in Spencer.
"In 1980 or 1981 KICD flew me to Des Moines to broadcast the state basketball tournament," he said. "That first day I did three games. All three went to overtime."
The broadcaster was hooked. He worked for KICD for 3.5 years then headed north to KUOO in Okoboji. After a three-year stint broadcasting with Lakes TV, Elbert has been the voice of local sports on the official "campus" station of the University of Okoboji, KUOO.
In a typical autumn, he broadcasts 10 or 11 football games, his favorite sport to call. He'll work roughly 50 basketball games and six wrestling matches. The pace picks up again in the summer when high school baseball and softball teams take the field.
Great night on the lake!
"Good evening everybody," said Elbert, signing on for the broadcast Thursday at Lake Park. "It's a beautiful night by the lake and what a night for football!"
His enthusiasm is genuine. While playing taped interviews of Aurelia Coach Myron Radke and H-LP Coach Lane Gunderson, he commented about what great guys both men are.
"A lot of the coaches are my friends," he said. "They're another reason I really like what I do."
He also gets to perform. I first heard Elbert 16 or 17 years ago and became hooked on his "SPLASH!!!" call for an outside shot that swished. He's got other signatures, you'd say.
"Stuffaroo for two!" is another in hoops. And when a quarterback really zips a pass, he's been heard to say, "He really BRET FAVRED that one!"
On Thursday, he described Aurelia's Jared Bruce as "Skipping up the far hash."
When a pass was dropped by HL-P, he described the play after the fact by saying, "A little over-the-shoulder haul-in and that would have been SIX!"
Elbert later credited a Wolves defender with making "an ankle-biter tackle."
Over the thousands of nights and games he's worked, there are some that stand out. Elbert called a Spirit Lake softball game at the state tournament in Ft. Dodge a couple of years ago. The game, delayed by rain, started at 11:59 p.m. Elbert called the action, drove home to the Iowa Great Lakes and slept 45 minutes before reporting to work.
"We also got caught in a blizzard once and spent the night in the Emmetsburg gym," he said. "Duane Twait was the athletic director at Emmetsburg at the time and he had the cooks come in and make food for everyone. We stayed up the whole night playing games of H-O-R-S-E."
Elbert was quick to credit the folks who work in the booth with him and those back at the station. Without them, he said, he couldn't do his job. For years Clyde Ihrke has joined him for baseball, softball and football. His wrestling sidekick is Dr. Ryan Rohlk, who has been known to demonstrate a move or two while on the air. His practice dummy is Elbert.
"At times he'll demonstrate a headlock while we're on the air," said Elbert, laughing. "I tell him it's a good thing he's a chiropractor because he has to fix my neck."
On Thursday, Elbert's color man was Mike Early, a 1989 graduate of Spirit Lake High School.
"Broadcasting can be a cut-throat business," Early said.
Elbert, he said, is different. "Joey has to be the most genuine person you'll ever meet."
Elbert appreciated the compliment from his partner. He flashed a smile and "BRET FAVRED" some wit. "OK Mike," he said, "I'll let you have a piece of the cake."
Breakout
Name: Joey Elbert
Age: 47
Job: Sports director for KUOO and Q102
Family: Wife Jamie and children Alyssa, a freshman at Northwestern College, and Casey, an eighth-grader at Spirit Lake Middle School.
Highlight: Being named grand marshal for Spirit Lake High School's homecoming celebration a few years ago.
On Thursday, a well-known Siouxland broadcaster started his game with a cake. It came in the shape of a football.
"Kim Ingwersen of Lake Park bakes cakes and she made this for us," said Joey Elbert, who broadcast an eight-man football district title game featuring Harris-Lake Park and Aurelia. "This is really nice."
It illustrated why he enjoys his job.
"I like kids. I do this for the kids and their parents, not for me," said Elbert, 47, the sports director at KUOO and Q102 in the Iowa Great Lakes. "If they're happy, I'm happy. That's where I get my juice to get up in the morning."
As he's needed lots of juice over 27 years. Elbert's typical day, like Thursday, starts at 4:30 a.m., collecting scores and audio for the morning sportscast. He stayed on the job until 10 p.m. when he wrapped up the broadcast of H-LP's 49-3 victory over Aurelia.
This is all he ever wanted to do.
"I remember playing games on the driveway as a kid," said Elbert, son of the late Ed and Jean Elbert. "I was always broadcasting them then."
He rarely lost on the driveway, of course.
"I tied once," he said with a smile.
His family moved from LuVerne, Iowa, to Spencer while Elbert was in high school. He competed for the Tigers in golf, baseball and basketball. Shortly after his graduation in 1979 he began doing sports for KICD Radio in Spencer.
"In 1980 or 1981 KICD flew me to Des Moines to broadcast the state basketball tournament," he said. "That first day I did three games. All three went to overtime."
The broadcaster was hooked. He worked for KICD for 3.5 years then headed north to KUOO in Okoboji. After a three-year stint broadcasting with Lakes TV, Elbert has been the voice of local sports on the official "campus" station of the University of Okoboji, KUOO.
In a typical autumn, he broadcasts 10 or 11 football games, his favorite sport to call. He'll work roughly 50 basketball games and six wrestling matches. The pace picks up again in the summer when high school baseball and softball teams take the field.
Great night on the lake!
"Good evening everybody," said Elbert, signing on for the broadcast Thursday at Lake Park. "It's a beautiful night by the lake and what a night for football!"
His enthusiasm is genuine. While playing taped interviews of Aurelia Coach Myron Radke and H-LP Coach Lane Gunderson, he commented about what great guys both men are.
"A lot of the coaches are my friends," he said. "They're another reason I really like what I do."
He also gets to perform. I first heard Elbert 16 or 17 years ago and became hooked on his "SPLASH!!!" call for an outside shot that swished. He's got other signatures, you'd say.
"Stuffaroo for two!" is another in hoops. And when a quarterback really zips a pass, he's been heard to say, "He really BRET FAVRED that one!"
On Thursday, he described Aurelia's Jared Bruce as "Skipping up the far hash."
When a pass was dropped by HL-P, he described the play after the fact by saying, "A little over-the-shoulder haul-in and that would have been SIX!"
Elbert later credited a Wolves defender with making "an ankle-biter tackle."
Over the thousands of nights and games he's worked, there are some that stand out. Elbert called a Spirit Lake softball game at the state tournament in Ft. Dodge a couple of years ago. The game, delayed by rain, started at 11:59 p.m. Elbert called the action, drove home to the Iowa Great Lakes and slept 45 minutes before reporting to work.
"We also got caught in a blizzard once and spent the night in the Emmetsburg gym," he said. "Duane Twait was the athletic director at Emmetsburg at the time and he had the cooks come in and make food for everyone. We stayed up the whole night playing games of H-O-R-S-E."
Elbert was quick to credit the folks who work in the booth with him and those back at the station. Without them, he said, he couldn't do his job. For years Clyde Ihrke has joined him for baseball, softball and football. His wrestling sidekick is Dr. Ryan Rohlk, who has been known to demonstrate a move or two while on the air. His practice dummy is Elbert.
"At times he'll demonstrate a headlock while we're on the air," said Elbert, laughing. "I tell him it's a good thing he's a chiropractor because he has to fix my neck."
On Thursday, Elbert's color man was Mike Early, a 1989 graduate of Spirit Lake High School.
"Broadcasting can be a cut-throat business," Early said.
Elbert, he said, is different. "Joey has to be the most genuine person you'll ever meet."
Elbert appreciated the compliment from his partner. He flashed a smile and "BRET FAVRED" some wit. "OK Mike," he said, "I'll let you have a piece of the cake."
Breakout
Name: Joey Elbert
Age: 47
Job: Sports director for KUOO and Q102
Family: Wife Jamie and children Alyssa, a freshman at Northwestern College, and Casey, an eighth-grader at Spirit Lake Middle School.
Highlight: Being named grand marshal for Spirit Lake High School's homecoming celebration a few years ago.
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Jason wrote on Dec 2, 2007 8:09 PM: