timesargus
On a Saturday afternoon at Dave Wolk Stadium, the crowd buzzes with anticipation as the Spartans drive down the field, aiming for a score. The cool Vermont air carries cheers as the players in green near the goal line. Amid the chaos, one distinctive voice rises above: that of Jack Healey, whose broadcasters' sound emanates from the half-open window of the sunlit press box where he sits tucked in a corner, meticulously observing and relaying each play to viewers on the other side of the screen.
For Vermont State University Castleton fans tuning in from near and far, Healey's voice has been a constant on Spartan game days for nearly two decades. From the court in Glenbrook Gymnasium to the turf of Dave Wolk Stadium, the 78-year-old Healey has called it all. But long before he arrived in Castleton, Healey was an 8-year-old boy growing up just outside Boston with a tape recorder, a copy of Sports Illustrated, and a dream.
Healey chuckled, recalling the old adage about not being good enough to play baseball, so you become a broadcaster. That was never his situation. While he admits he might not have been good enough, broadcasting was always his goal. He worked his way through school, and when college approached, he enrolled at Colorado State University to study business. It didn't take long for him to realize business wasn't for him, and he was ready to pursue the broadcasting dream he'd harbored since childhood.
After his first year, he left Colorado and returned home, enrolling in a six-month broadcasting program at Career Academy in Boston. Upon completion, he began searching for his first radio job, but finding one proved harder than expected. He sent letters to about 40 radio stations across New England, Pennsylvania, and New York. Of those, only 12 replied, and only three had openings. One station in Newburyport, Massachusetts, just miles from his hometown, was his top choice. He interviewed and felt confident, but didn't get the job. Instead, he landed a position at WIPS in Ticonderoga, New York.
He started as a morning DJ and did some sports for about a year until a shouting match with the manager led to his dismissal. His next stop was a small station in Keene, New Hampshire, where he was an FM disc jockey who mostly played records and had little chance to speak, let alone cover sports. That wasn't what he wanted, so he went back to the drawing board. In 1971, he went to Connecticut to take a course for a license that would give him better credibility and hopefully help him land a job. There he met a man who worked for a station in Rutland, WHWB. Soon after, a position opened up, Healey secured an interview, got the job, and moved to Vermont.
He stayed with WHWB for about five years before leaving for the other Rutland radio station, WSYB, where he finally got his break into sports in the mid-1970s. He was still based in Rutland but worked all over, including Burlington. He did University of Vermont basketball and hockey in Montpelier for radio for a while and was also part of the morning show in Rutland. Interestingly, when he arrived in Rutland in 1971, he wasn't sure he'd stay. He figured he'd be there maybe six months and then move on. That didn't happen because he ended up loving what he was doing.
But one thing lingered in the back of his mind: the opportunity to do radio for the Red Sox. When they had an opening in the late 1980s, he sent in an audition tape. Unfortunately, he didn't get the job. But it was lucky for Castleton. Terry Jarrosak, a Rutland radio legend who co-hosted the morning show with Healey for several years on WSYB, said, "I always felt that Jack could have been the Red Sox guy; he could have been in the Red Sox Hall of Fame if he had gotten that job. Boston's loss was certainly our gain."
Around 2008, Dave Wolk offered Healey the chance to broadcast Castleton home games, and Healey jumped at it, especially with the addition of a football program in 2009. "I love doing it. I look forward to every single game," Healey said with a grin. "It's interesting because I grew up listening to the radio for baseball, football, basketball, and hockey. But sports like field hockey, soccer, volleyball, and lacrosse, I really have been able to learn throughout the years. Those are sports I never would have done if I didn't come here."
Now his voice is not only synonymous with Rutland but has become a trademark of Castleton athletics. Marybeth Lennox-Levins, a sport management professor at VTSU Castleton, said, "Any sports fan in the area instantly recognizes it and feels instantly at home. We call him the Vermont legend." Keith Cieplicki, a former Vermont basketball star and coach, added, "His voice is so distinguishable, and he always had such a great knowledge of the games that correlated so well with his energy."
That legendary voice also keeps family members around the world connected to their loved ones playing at Castleton. For example, Sheila O'Connor, aquatics coordinator and interim volleyball coach at VTSU Castleton, has parents in Iowa who relied on Healey's commentary while watching broadcasts of men's soccer games to see their grandson, Michael O'Connor, play. "He helped them get to know the players and made them feel like they were right there in the stadium. He brings the games to life. That is really special as far as I'm concerned," said John O'Connor, men's soccer coach and Sheila's husband.
Healey is also known for his incredible sports memory. Tom Haley, a sports reporter for the Rutland Herald, said, "Jack's got fantastic recall, and he can do it in the spur of the moment. He remembers things not only that the current players do, but things their parents did some 20 years ago." These qualities have earned him a spot in the Vermont Sports Hall of Fame, the title of Vermont Sportscaster of the Year 20 times, and the honor of having the press box inside Spartan Arena named after him. He has also achieved something most people dream of: finding a job that doesn't feel like work. "I truly love what I do. It's not work for me. Sure, there's prep and things I have to do, but it's all fun stuff. My motto is that this beats work any day," Healey said with a smile.
People who have met him say he has the ability to connect with everyone. Even during an interview in the lobby of Glenbrook Gym, coaches, players, and community members paused to say hello, and he responded with a huge smile and a friendly wave before picking up right where he left off. Ali Blackmer, an athletic communications graduate assistant, said, "He doesn't just focus on the people scoring or getting assists. He makes an effort to recognize everyone who contributes and finds ways to make sure their efforts are acknowledged." But above all, what makes Healey so connectable to fans? He's one of them. Even though he's well-prepared, he's a fan first. "He leads with his heart, he's humble, and he's more than a broadcaster. He's the voice of the Spartans," Jarrosak said.
Originally reported by timesargus.