Media School senior becomes Spanish-language voice of IU men’s soccer
Boy speaks in Spanish
Men are shown in the press box at a soccer game.
During a few of the IU soccer games this season, there will be a Spanish-language radio broadcast by IU student Juan Alvarado.
Juan Alvarado, Media School student
The Latino and Hispanic community’s so big here. If we get to appeal to that community, I feel like you could create an entire new, like, fanbase here for IU soccer.
Juan enjoyed the feelings that came with his first broadcast.
Juan talks on the field.
I didn’t think I was going to react to it so widely, like, the way I did, but it was just something that happened in the moment like the goal did, so that one second changed the entire game, and I feel like it changed the broadcast, too.
Back in the press box, media and announcers are wearing headsets and watching the game.
Juan is most excited to provide a new outlet for the Hispanic community.
If our voices get to some people from the Latino/Hispanic community, I have no doubt that they, like, appreciate this team like the way they do with their teams from Mexico. If they see Bloomington as the team they identify with, IU soccer, these stands will be filled every single time.
The broadcast can be found at iuhoosiers.com under the Spanish commentary tab.
Video by Rachel Goodman
Thanks to a Media School senior, Spanish-speaking IU men’s soccer fans were able to follow four of this season’s games through live broadcasts in their native language.
Juan Alvarado, who studies sports broadcasting and multimedia journalism, broadcasted IU Athletics’ first-ever live Spanish-language play-by-play audio programs on IUHoosiers.com for some of the team’s matchups: Notre Dame, Kentucky, Butler and Wisconsin. The gig blends his Latino culture with his love of soccer in order to bring a new fanbase to the team.
“Here, being so far away from your popular teams back home, the only one we have is IU soccer,” Alvarado said. “If we can link them to that team, it can be the possible creation of a new partnership.”
Alvarado was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and lived there until he started boarding school in Boca Raton, Florida, when he was 15. At IU, he has covered men’s soccer for IU Student Television and the men’s tennis and field hockey beats for the Indiana Daily Student.
IU began broadcasting basketball games in Mandarin last year and found a lot of success in it, particularly with Chinese international students through the popularity of basketball in China. After seeing the success of those broadcasts, IU Athletics wanted to explore foreign languages they could broadcast other sports in. Soccer felt like a natural progression because of the broad Hispanic community in Bloomington.
“We have a special soccer program here, and I think it’s great we’re providing more exposure to keep them at the forefront,” said Senior Associate Athletic Director for Strategic Communications and Fan Experience Jeremy Gray. “There are a lot of missed opportunities to market to international students, so we wanted to reach out to more populations to feel like they’re a part of the athletic experience at IU.”
In Ecuador, Alvarado was required to learn English and French, but Spanish is his first language. When Gray learned this, he called Alvarado. Alvarado was sleeping at the time, so when he saw the missed call, he was nervous he misreported something on IUSTV. Instead, Gray pitched the Spanish soccer broadcast idea. Alvarado was all in.
Alvarado said when the Mexico U-18 National Team plays the IU soccer team in their annual spring friendly, the stands filled up because so many in the Latino community turn out to see their favorite sport. Alvarado said his main goal with the broadcast is to link that community with the university.
“Especially in times like this, when politics is so all over the place, it’s good to have something fun in your schedule,” Alvarado said. “For me, and for everyone.”
Aside from bringing IU sports to more international students, the broadcast is a great opportunity for Media School students to expand their experiences at IU. The students working on the broadcasts will be going into the workforce with real-world experience broadcasting in different languages. Gray said IU Athletics is always open to exploring other ideas as well and giving students more opportunities like this.
“I want to do the best I can so this isn’t just a one-time thing. I’m a senior, so I want someone to take my place after I’m gone, and someone has to take the place of that person after they’re gone,” Alvarado said. “I want this to be a long period of time, with not only Spanish, but Mandarin, and probably open gates to make IU a more diverse broadcasting university, because we have such a big international community here.”