Interview with Adam Pohl
Salem Avalanche
by: William Sanders

Adam Pohl, media relations and lead broadcaster for the Salem Avalanche, agreed to chat about his position.  Pohl’s answers to the questions were very informative and helpful.  He explained how he began his career in media relations, and also how he acquired other duties, such as broadcasting and public relations.  He was very candid about the enjoyable and entertaining sides of the position.  Pohl says he enjoys his work in the sports field because there is something different happening every day.  He states that he cannot imagine doing anything else that would be more satisfying because baseball is his love.


Question: Where did you go to college and what did you get your degree in?

Adam Pohl: I went to the University of North Carolina and actually majored in music.  The way I got my job with the Salem Avalanche was from internships.  I have always loved sports, and somehow wanted to work in sports.  When I was at the University of North Carolina, I worked at The Daily Tar Heel for two years.  The Daily Tar Heel is the University of North Carolina’s school newspaper.  I also worked at the Tar Heel Sports Network for two years.  I majored in music, but I also took some journalism classes while at the University of North Carolina.  I do not regret majoring in music because I learned a lot in my music classes.  The best instrument I played was the trumpet at the University of North Carolina.  Like I said though, the internships got me all the jobs I have had up to this point.

Question: How did you get the job in media relations for the Salem Avalanche?

Pohl:  I got a job in the Southern baseball league as an announcer.  This is actually my third team I have worked for.  My experiences and jobs at the University of North Carolina definitely helped me get to where I am now.  I was an announcer for a minor league team in Asheboro, N.C. for two years.  While at the University of North Carolina, like I said earlier, I worked as an intern with the Tar Heels Sports Network.  Also I was the color commentator for the women’s basketball team and was the lead announcer for the baseball team.  After I graduated from the University of North Carolina, I submitted tapes and got the job in the Southern League, then worked in Asheboro, N.C., for two years, and now I am the media relations, broadcaster, and public relations for the Salem Avalanche. 

Question:  Can you explain what a normal day for is like for you?

Pohl:  Well, I have two “normal” days, one in-season and one out of season.  During the baseball season I am the broadcaster for the Avalanche and come to work on game days normally around 9:00 a.m. or 10:00 a.m.  I handle the press releases and work on the website to keep it updated for the fans and media.  I travel with the team to every city they go to when they are on the road, which is a lot of fun.  When we are out of season, I can wear more relaxed clothes to work instead of a coat and tie each day.  Right now I am wearing tennis shoes, a collared shirt, and shorts.  In the off-season I just try and get the Salem Avalanche in the public eye as much as possible.  I speak in communities as public relations.  Also I go to schools and try to get the kids interested in the Avalanche and go to rotary clubs.  I am also a sales person because I have to sell fence signs and radio ads for the upcoming season.  I enjoy that because of meeting new people and also making friends with people and hanging out with them outside of the work world.  The bulk of my job during the off-season is media relations.  During the season, like I said, I release a press release each week.  Also, I write up game cards for the other announcers with all the stats on them.  That is probably the worst part of the job because that takes more time and work than anyone knows.  A lot goes into running each game that a lot of people do not understand, until you work with a baseball team.

Question: I spoke to the Lynchburg Hillcats General Manager, Paul Sunwall, and he said one of the hardest parts and most stressful part of his job is getting sponsors each year, do you find that true?

Pohl: Yeah it can be difficult, but I enjoy it because I get to meet a lot of new people I would not have met unless I had this job.  I am new to the Salem area so having this job as allowed me to become friends with a lot of people outside of my job and learn about new areas around Salem.  It does take a lot of hard work, and it is always depressing to have someone say “no” to buying an add for the Avalanche.  It takes a lot to prepare for the games, but I work hard so I feel confident.  People in this work field definitely have to have a good work ethic.  Sometimes you can get a lot of people to buy ads, and sometimes it is not so good. 

Question: Do you ever want to work for major league baseball, or ever want to work for another sport?

Pohl:  I love baseball.  Yes, I would love to become a major league baseball announcer.  Everyone in this field wants to become a major league baseball announcer, so it is difficult.  It is definitely not the same system like the players have where they can work their self up by playing their best.  In this field, you need to talk to people and work up a good resume.  I look at reality and know that my chances are slim to make it, but I would still love too.  It is a tough field and hard to become a major league baseball announcer.

Question: What is your favorite thing about your job?

Pohl:  I enjoy the people I work with and I love meeting new people.  I also enjoy traveling to all the cities with the team.  I have fallen in love with broadcasting and just enjoy coming to work each day.

Question: A lot of teams media relations people have to fund raise, do you get tired of doing that yearly?

Pohl:  It is not really a yearly thing.  You cannot sell program ads in May when the season has already begun and the program is set, and you cannot sell fence ads in June with the season has started.  No, it is not really that tiring because like I said, I enjoy meeting new people.

Question:  Do you think you understand the media better, now that you work in media relations?

Pohl:  I think I understand how it works better than when I first started.  I first started in Burlington where we had one radio station broadcasting our baseball games.  Now, working in Salem, we are the team of the area and it is a challenge with all the radio coverage.  Our goal is to get the best bang for the buck. 

Question: I noticed that the website, http://www.salemavalanche.com, is updated a lot, do you do a lot of online work for the website?

Pohl:  I update the community page daily.  I am also working on a history page that goes all the way back to 1968.  I also put a press release up weekly during the baseball season.

Question:  What is your least favorite part of your job?

Pohl:  It would definitely have to be putting together the game notes.  There are so many stats I have to put on the notes for the other announcers.  I spend at least two hours a day working on them rather than preparing myself for the game.  Even though it sounds a little greedy, I still would rather not do them.  It is an every night thing too considering we only get about two days off a month. 

Question:  Speaking of days off, what do you usually do during a rain delay?

Pohl:  I help out with pulling the tarp off the field.  We have to make sure the field is ready for the game so I help out pulling the tarp off the field.  Not one game was rained out last season before we made it to the ballpark, and only one game on the road was rained out before we made it to the park.  So basically it is like a normal day.  I usually come early and help out with the tarp.  On normal days, I come around 7:00 a.m. or 8:00 a.m. to pull the tarp off the field so the field does not get burned from the sun beaming down on the tarp.

Question:  Do you interact a lot with the players on and off the field?

Pohl:  Yeah, but it is tough because I am not really part of the team.  I talk to them one-on-one and use a lot of the information for the radio broadcasts.  Normally, I just talk to them like I would talk to anyone else.  We talk about everything that anyone else would talk about and it builds trust.  I enjoy traveling with the team because I become friends with the players.  A lot of the families listen online and I am an important vehicle for them so I try to learn as much as possible about the players as I can.  I have received thank you e-mails from parents about stories I said on the air.

Question:  During the season do your hours vary?

Pohl:  Yeah, we work all night because of the games.  We come in around 9:00 a.m. or 10:00 a.m. and stay late after the game.  I enjoy being in the office though.  During the off-season we hang out and get ready for the season ahead.