On the mic: How Glenn Cowham informs, entertains Lightning fans at the Leesburg ballpark

LEESBURG — Public address announcers are the unsung heroes at the ballpark.

The best of them, however, often become an integral part of the game-day experience, providing fans with starting lineups and factoids, all while entertaining everyone with music — old and new — between innings.

Leesburg Lightning fans might be among the most fortunate in the Florida Collegiate Summer League. Since the Lightning played their first game in 2007, the Lightning Nation has been treated to two of the best stadium voices in the FCSL.

While the personalities, vocal mannerisms and intonations of Chuck Johnson and Glenn Cowham couldn’t be more different, their differences are their calling cards and made each equally well-liked and effective.

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A different style than Chuck Johnson

Johnson manned the stadium mic for the Lightning’s first 13 years. An unabashed — and unapologetic — homer, Johnson was a fan favorite known for his booming voice that rarely required a microphone to be heard around the ballpark, especially when he and umpires didn’t see eye-to-eye.

In fact, Johnson is the only PA announcer in league history to be thrown out of a game.

Cowham, the Lightning’s current announcer, will never be mistaken for Johnson. Now in his third season with the team, Cowham speaks in more measured and less frenetic tones.

Johnson's high-energy commentary made fans believe Lightning games were the important thing on the planet at that moment. Meanwhile, Cowham’s comforting narration reminds fans that it’s only one game, and there will be another one tomorrow.

“I feel like my job here is multifaceted,” said Cowham, who made his season debut Friday after missing the first week of the regular season after he and his wife contracted the coronavirus. In his absence, Johnson stepped in and filled the void for the Lightning’s first four home games.

“I want to be informative and let fans know when game time is and provide them with any other information they might need, like our concessions, and team shop. And I also want to help everyone have as much fun as possible by playing music between innings and commenting on our various fan-interaction activities.”

Like Johnson, who is an attorney, Cowham has a day job. He is a licensed real estate agent and property manager.

Glenn Cowham also voice of Lake-Sumter College and Auburn Tigers

Cowham’s work behind the mic first began over a decade ago, when he began “perfecting a little craft” with the First Academy of Leesburg athletic program. He worked basketball, volleyball and football games for the Eagles, oftentimes calling football games from the back of a flatbed truck at the Sleepy Hollow and Susan Street sports complexes.

In recent years he has become the voice for Lake-Sumter State College volleyball and baseball games, and since the 2020-21 school year, he’s made weekend trips to Auburn University — his alma mater – to work soccer, swimming and diving, volleyball and softball games.

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While Cowham works Lightning games strictly for fun, he approaches the job professionally. His side of the press box looks like a business office cubbie. On a wall to his left is a paper with a list of the between-inning activities and scenarios that he coordinates with team interns, and in front of him is a multi-page script that he writes each day.

In addition, he programs the computer that plays walk-up music for each Lightning batter with the stroke of a "hot key," as well as rhythmic tunes designed to get fans involved by clapping in unison or yelling “charge”. There are also sound effects, such as a window being smashed when a foul ball leaves the stadium, and celebratory melodies when the Lightning score a run or make a crucial play.

“I’m a scripted guy,” said Cowham. “I like a having a game plan and I try to follow that game plan as closely as I can. Like most people here, I’m a homer; I always want the Lightning, or the (LSSC) Lakehawks, or the (Auburn) Tigers to win, and fans know how a game is going along by the energy in my voice.”

Cowham admits to using lessons learned from listening to Carl Stephens, a former longtime PA announcer for Auburn football and Ric Smith, the Tigers’ announcer now. He stops short of imitating either, but takes snippets from each and mixes them with his own personality to create style — and level of energy — that is all his own.

No matter the differences between Cowham’s and Johnson’s approaches, Lightning management agree that both achieve their goals.

John Meier, Lightning statistician and member of franchise’s board of directors since it was founded, has sat beside both for all but three home games since Lightning debuted. As a team and league statistician, Meier works closely with the PA announcer, providing various statistical notes during games, such as scoring decisions.

“Chuck and Glenn always want to inform and entertain, first and foremost,” said Meier. “Chuck has always been very passionate about the Lightning and I think has a certain aura about him, the game and, especially, the fans. He always had the ability to connect with the fans, especially when we were starting out.

“Glenn, meanwhile, is more even-keeled about the way he works a game. He’s passionate, like Chuck, and he slants his calls toward the Lightning, which is what we want. But, if an opposing player makes an outstanding play, Glenn also will compliment that player.”

Cowham hopes to continue working with all three organizations — LSSC, the Lightning and Auburn — for the foreseeable future. He’s hired an assistant to help keep up with the day-to-day demands of real estate work, and his employer has been accommodating about allowing him to work from the road when necessary.

His primary profession, after all, still pays the bills and puts food on the table.

“There simply aren’t many NCAA Division I public address announcers in college who can make a comfortable living strictly behind the mic,” said Cowham.

But, he can dream.

“Right now, this is for fun,” Cowham said. “I’ll keep working at it and hopefully getting better and who knows what can happen? I’d love for this to turn something more than it is right now.

“And even if it doesn’t, I’m having a great time.”

This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: College baseball: PA announcer informs, entertains Leesburg Lightning fans