Dodge City, KS – The Dodge City School District is proud to share that Jonathan Hansen, an assistant principal and familiar voice of DCHS athletics, was selected as the official PA Announcer for the Soccer State Championships held last month! 

We sat down with him to learn more about the passion that first drew him to the microphone.

Mr. Hansen shared that his journey began with a simple, profound love for sports and the electric atmoshere surrounding them.

“Growing up, I was always captivated by sports,” Mr. Hansen said. “I still remember the thrill of watching my favorite player, Ozzie Smith, flip and cartwheel onto the baseball diamond as the announcer introduced him as the ‘The Wizard,’ and the crowd roared with excitement.  It was a moment that sparked my love for the energy and emotion that make sports so special.”

This childhood fascination quickly turned into a hands-on experience. By fifth grade, Mr. Hansen was already announcing his school’s seventh and eighth-grade basketball games.

“I loved seeing how the players lit up when they heard their names called as they ran onto the court,” he shared. “That’s when I realized how much an announcer can shape the atmoshpere of a game.”

Mr. Hansen’s professional announcing career at DCHS began thanks to a fortunate coincidence and his willingness to step up.

“When I began teaching, a bit of good timing helped me step into announcing at DCHS,” he explained. “One January evening, during a wrestling match, the original announcer and athletic trainer, Michael Pelton, had to attend to an injured athlete. I slid over, grabbed the microphone, and started announcing,” Mr. Hansen said. 

His impromptu performance opened doors!  Later that week, Jay Gifford, the district athletic director at the time, asked him to continue announcing wrestling for the rest of the season.  “From there, he kept inviting me to announce more and more sports throughout the following spring and fall – and I’ve been hooked ever since,” he remarked.

We congratulate Mr. Hansen on this fantastic opportunity as he lended his voice to the State Soccer Championships.  We are convinced there will be many opportunities ahead.  #DCProud