If you have tuned into Biola Athletics over the past few years, you have heard the voice of Jeff Woolson. 

Hailing from Carlsbad, California, Woolson found a love for sports playing baseball at his junior college. Baseball is where it all started. Listening to legends like Vin Scully, a sports announcer for the Los Angeles Dodgers, sparked his motivation as he found himself doing play-by-play in the dugouts of his own games. Over time, there was a lot to love about the sports industry and he knew this was where he wanted to be for a long time.

”It came from my love for baseball, and I knew that I was going to have to end the game at one point, and I wanted to keep it going as long as possible,” Woolson said.

ORIGIN

Dave Roberts, general manager for the Los Angeles Dodgers, encouraged him to get involved where he was at. Woolson emailed Ethan McGarvey, Biola’s sports information director, to get started. He started doing color commentary for basketball, eventually moving into baseball.

“I was like, ‘If I’m going to be doing this, if I want to do this professionally, I got to act professional,’” Woolson said.

Building relationships with the players was crucial for Woolson. Knowing the players not only made the games easier to call, but Woolson’s passion grew stronger.

”My motto is, if you know the team well, you can broadcast exceptionally,” Woolson said. 

He gives credit to Neil Morgan and Ethan McGarvey for sticking with him to be able to get his experience in Biola Athletics as a whole for where he is right now. 

With key people in Woolson’s life at Biola, there are also those closest to him who have encouraged him to go after this passion in full force. 

“Gosh, it’s hard not to say my parents, mom and dad, have been some of the biggest supporters of my life through all this,” Woolson said. 

His parents have always encouraged him to hit send on every opportunity.

VERSATILITY AND FAITH

Woolson is now the sports reporter and anchor for KGWN (Great Western Network), based in Casper, Wyoming. His duties vary from things such as anchoring one night to putting together news packages, to recording video. Woolson describes his role as a “Swiss army knife”. 

“I couldn’t be happier, because the more versatile I can be in a role, the more appetizing I can be to other employers in the future,” Woolson said. 

When it comes to entering a field such as this, people of faith can vary. While talking to Woolson, he had his Bible out, early in the morning, making sure to read what is most important. 

“I could not imagine doing this without my trust and faith in Christ, and throughout my broadcasting journey, Isaiah 6:8 really stuck with me; I will go wherever God sends me,” Woolson said.

If it were up to him, he would have liked to start in a high marketing job here in Los Angeles, but he is staying true to his faith in Christ, hitting the ground running where God has him. He recalls Michael Longinow, a journalism professor at Biola, talking about the difficulties of being a person of faith in the field of journalism.

”I totally get that, and I’m kind of seeing that, but the important thing is not to be afraid to do small things to show that you’re a faithful person,” Woolson said.

Being a person of faith does not come easily in any sector of life. Faith is something that needs to be exercised, and that can come into play when doubt rushes in.

”It’s okay to have doubt, but you just got to turn that gear to: thank you for this time of trial,” Woolson said.

Not only is implementing faith in times of doubt important to the Christian life, but implementing it can also look like building relationships with those around you. Woolson speaks to the importance of relationships not only with the athletes but with their families as well. Being able to impact families by listening in on their kid’s games has been a highlight for him. Woolson went from Biola broadcasts to reporting live to camera there in Casper.

DOING WHAT YOU LOVE

Woolson emphasizes loving what you do. It is clear talking to him that he not only loves to talk the specifics of the games, but he loves talking about doing it. 

“Love trumps everything else,” Woolson said. “You got to have gas in the tank and you just got to make sure you’re doing a lot.”

He also credits Stewart Oleson, another one of Biola’s journalism professors, with his advice about doing it all, but making sure to focus on what you really want to do.

”You want to be a Swiss army knife, but you got to have your favorite, you got to have a right hook,” Woolson said.

For Woolson, you are going to get a fun, exciting, and serious guy when needed. 

“You’re gonna get 110%, you’re going to get a fun guy on camera,” Woolson said.

He hopes that watching or listening to him is a fun experience. Many at Biola can say this is true. There is no doubt that Woolson loves what he is doing and has an exciting future ahead of him. Once the voice of Biola Athletics, now the voice of Casper Sports, where else will his voice take him? Tune in to see.