Celebrating Our Spring 2020 Graduates
www.ohio.edu/senior-celebration-2020
Jake Hromada
Jake Hromada
There’s 7-year-old Jake Hromada, who spent hours listening to Cleveland baseball and basketball games on the car radio with his dad. He’d hear Tom Hamilton’s home run call, “A swing and a drive!” and he’d feel the thrill in the passenger’s seat. He could feel the dunk in the car when Joe Tait exclaimed, “WHAM with a right hand!”
He wanted to try those calls out for himself. Hromada would belt a ball into his neighbor’s yard and say, “A swing and a drive!” He’d dunk a basketball through the plastic hoop hanging on his closet door and would repeat that iconic call, “WHAM with a right hand!”
Then there’s 24-year-old Jake Hromada, doing exactly what 7-year-old him always dreamed of doing. An Ohio University graduate student, Hromada is the assistant director of broadcasting for Ohio Athletics. For the past six years, since his undergraduate freshman year, he’s been the play-by-play broadcaster for OHIO volleyball, women’s basketball and softball.
Hromada has been telling stories on ESPN3 and the radio since he was 19 years old, calling more than 300 Division I games.
“I know anybody, students and some professionals older than me, would kill for the opportunities I have. Ohio Athletics gave me that chance, they gave me a purpose. I loved waking up and rolling into the Convo to see what needed to be done,” he said. “It’s just been hard having to accept letting go of the people I work with, the fans I’ve met, the student athletes who let me share their stories and the parents I’ve met. All of them gave me a purpose here, and I could not be more in debt to them. In the play-by-play industry, Division I work is hard to find. It takes years to get to that level and do it at a high caliber.”
Hromada is graduating with a master’s in journalism from OHIO’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. Soon, he’ll be leaving Athens — a place that feels more like home than where he grew up.
But, don’t remind him of that. He might get a little emotional, as he’s been dreading leaving Athens for the past year.
“This place, and its people, stole my heart. A piece of me will forever remain in Athens, Ohio. I find peace knowing I’ve prepared some undergrads to fill my spot,” Hromada said. “This place carries so much tradition that it’s foolish to not give it a glance. The local businesses are out of this world. Court Street’s bricks have been walked on by generations and generations. It’s so cool to be a part of this place and its tradition. Let Athens happen in your life, because it changes you for the better.”
If you ask him, Athens and Ohio University have certainly changed him for the better. Hromada learned that he can actually put himself out there and not drown if he’s outside his comfort zone. He proved to himself he’s not uncomfortable in a room where he knows no one. And, while he’s hesitant to leave, Hromada knows he’s prepared for life after graduation because of the faculty in Scripps.
“They challenge you academically and they’re your biggest cheerleaders,” Hromada noted. “As far as Ohio Athletics, they’re like my family. They let me grow, they gave me a lot of creative freedom and they put trust in me. It was awesome to gain real world experience with them all these years. I’m forever in debt to them.”
He hopes to land a job similar to the one he’s held all these years, being a voice of a school or team and telling their story.
If he has to miss more holiday gatherings because he’s at a tournament or on the job, Hromada’s family will know where to find him.
“My mom and grandma listen to all of my broadcasts,” Hromada said. “They know I’m doing what I love. My dad works a lot in order to support us and allow us to live out our lives, I’ll never forget his sacrifices so that I can have a good life. After all, this is his fault I love radio and play-by-play, he started it!”
There’s 7-year-old Jake Hromada, who spent hours listening to Cleveland baseball and basketball games on the car radio with his dad. He’d hear Tom Hamilton’s home run call, “A swing and a drive!” and he’d feel the thrill in the passenger’s seat. He could feel the dunk in the car when Joe Tait exclaimed, “WHAM with a right hand!”
He wanted to try those calls out for himself. Hromada would belt a ball into his neighbor’s yard and say, “A swing and a drive!” He’d dunk a basketball through the plastic hoop hanging on his closet door and would repeat that iconic call, “WHAM with a right hand!”
Then there’s 24-year-old Jake Hromada, doing exactly what 7-year-old him always dreamed of doing. An Ohio University graduate student, Hromada is the assistant director of broadcasting for Ohio Athletics. For the past six years, since his undergraduate freshman year, he’s been the play-by-play broadcaster for OHIO volleyball, women’s basketball and softball.
Hromada has been telling stories on ESPN3 and the radio since he was 19 years old, calling more than 300 Division I games.
“I know anybody, students and some professionals older than me, would kill for the opportunities I have. Ohio Athletics gave me that chance, they gave me a purpose. I loved waking up and rolling into the Convo to see what needed to be done,” he said. “It’s just been hard having to accept letting go of the people I work with, the fans I’ve met, the student athletes who let me share their stories and the parents I’ve met. All of them gave me a purpose here, and I could not be more in debt to them. In the play-by-play industry, Division I work is hard to find. It takes years to get to that level and do it at a high caliber.”
Hromada is graduating with a master’s in journalism from OHIO’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. Soon, he’ll be leaving Athens — a place that feels more like home than where he grew up.
But, don’t remind him of that. He might get a little emotional, as he’s been dreading leaving Athens for the past year.
“This place, and its people, stole my heart. A piece of me will forever remain in Athens, Ohio. I find peace knowing I’ve prepared some undergrads to fill my spot,” Hromada said. “This place carries so much tradition that it’s foolish to not give it a glance. The local businesses are out of this world. Court Street’s bricks have been walked on by generations and generations. It’s so cool to be a part of this place and its tradition. Let Athens happen in your life, because it changes you for the better.”
If you ask him, Athens and Ohio University have certainly changed him for the better. Hromada learned that he can actually put himself out there and not drown if he’s outside his comfort zone. He proved to himself he’s not uncomfortable in a room where he knows no one. And, while he’s hesitant to leave, Hromada knows he’s prepared for life after graduation because of the faculty in Scripps.
“They challenge you academically and they’re your biggest cheerleaders,” Hromada noted. “As far as Ohio Athletics, they’re like my family. They let me grow, they gave me a lot of creative freedom and they put trust in me. It was awesome to gain real world experience with them all these years. I’m forever in debt to them.”
He hopes to land a job similar to the one he’s held all these years, being a voice of a school or team and telling their story.
If he has to miss more holiday gatherings because he’s at a tournament or on the job, Hromada’s family will know where to find him.
“My mom and grandma listen to all of my broadcasts,” Hromada said. “They know I’m doing what I love. My dad works a lot in order to support us and allow us to live out our lives, I’ll never forget his sacrifices so that I can have a good life. After all, this is his fault I love radio and play-by-play, he started it!”
