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20251107-063A0642

My Journey in Sports Broadcasting

I’m Adam Plager, a hockey and baseball play-by-play broadcaster and the 2025 Futures League Broadcaster of the Year. My experience includes television and radio broadcasting, media relations and content production with the Norwich Sea Unicorns, Florida Everblades and Lake Forest College.

My path to broadcasting began as a player. I left Southern California at 16 to pursue competitive hockey. During my rookie season of junior hockey at 18, I suffered a season-ending injury. After months of rehab, I made a full recovery and returned for a second season before choosing Lake Forest College for the opportunities it offered beyond athletics.

I arrived at Lake Forest without a guaranteed roster spot, hoping to make the team as a walk-on. Although I did not make the team, that moment marked the end of my playing career and the beginning of a new chapter in sports.

At Lake Forest, I made the transition from player to broadcaster, bringing an athlete’s perspective to the booth. I became the lead student voice of Forester Athletics, calling more than 200 games across hockey, football, softball, men’s lacrosse, soccer and volleyball. Attending a small Division III college gave me immediate experience calling games, conducting interviews and helping produce broadcasts. It also showed me how much those broadcasts meant to families watching their student-athletes from afar.

With the Norwich Sea Unicorns of the Futures League, I continued developing as a baseball broadcaster while taking on responsibilities in media relations and production. In 2025, I was selected to broadcast the Futures League All-Star Game on NESN.

After graduating from Lake Forest in 2025, I gained professional hockey experience with the Florida Everblades of the ECHL during the 2025–26 season. As a Broadcast & Media Relations Assistant, I contributed radio color commentary, pregame and postgame coverage, and player interviews. I also supported the team’s communications through game previews, recaps, feature stories and weekly reports.

Following the Everblades’ season, I returned to Norwich in 2026 as Broadcast & Media Relations Manager. I led television and radio play-by-play broadcasts, supervised a five-person broadcast staff, and produced and hosted a 30-minute live pregame show. Beyond the booth, I created highlights, player features and graphics, coordinated interviews, and authored and designed the team’s homestand program while selling advertising and broadcast sponsorships.

I also remain involved in hockey through coaching, sharing what the game has taught me with the next generation. Whether I’m calling a game, interviewing a player or preparing a story, my goal is to help people understand the game and feel connected to the people competing.
 
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