(Article courtesy Northeastnow.com)
It has been a long time coming but a member of the CJVR and northeastNOW Staff is moving up to the broadcast booth as the new voice of the Melfort Mustangs.
Ben Tompkins shared his enthusiasm after receiving the call saying he would be delivering the games this coming season.
“It’s something I’ve wanted to do since I was very young,” he said. “I’ve loved a lot of sports, I have played, reffed, coached, volunteered for, watched, broadcasted and reported on so many different sports.”
Tompkins has worked in Melfort for the past couple of years reporting on the big news and sports stories for the northeast area. Sports has always been a passion of his and in his school days he had the chance to go behind the mic but it never panned out.
“I was scheduled to get that experience in my third semester of college but halfway through the second semester COVID hit,” he said. “I had actually delayed an internship through my school back a couple months because once everything started to open up, I was supposed to be the guy for a U18 AAA team in the Edmonton area but then everything shut down again.”
Despite these setbacks, Tompkins never lost hope or that passion for sports, knowing that an opportunity like this would one day open.
“I was always kind of wanting to get my foot in the door and now that I get the opportunity, I definitely want to make the most of it and it’s something I’m passionate about,” he said.
That passion, Tompkins explained, is the one characteristic he hopes to bring to the games on CJVR, along with his talent for following stats and numbers throughout the season. He added that he wants to have fans immersed in the game, to experience what’s going on and to remember the big moments.
“Some of the greatest sports moments in history are remembered just as much as the calls that go with them,” he said. “I definitely want to make good calls, especially in those big moments, make it more enjoyable for the fans and do justice for the team because they’re the ones putting out the hard work and they deserve to have a good call along with the stuff they’re doing out there on the ice.”
He also said he is looking forward to visiting the different rinks in the SJHL, travelling with the team and meeting the different players, coaches and broadcasters in the league.
Tompkins admitted he is nervous and expects he’ll be jittery as the season approaches. However, he is beyond excited to finally achieve this life-long dream.
“Right now, I’m focused on the task at hand. Definitely a little nervous but it’s a month and a half away so I’m sure I’ll be a little nervous as it gets closer, but I am so damn excited.”
The Mustangs begin the pre-season on Sept. 11 when they face the Nipawin Hawks. The regular season gets underway on Sept. 22 at home against the La Ronge Ice Wolves.
