Adekale Ande's full circle NJCAA experience

Charlotte, NC – Adekale Ande, current Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant at Lenoir-Rhyne University (NC), experienced a full circle moment in his media career when he served as an on-air play-by-play announcer during the 2021 NJCAA DII Women's Basketball Championship which was streamed live on the NJCAA Network. 

Ande was able to call the first three days of the five-day event that was held at the Tarlton Complex in Hickory, NC, his first time covering an NJCAA championship in the play-by-play seat.  

"It was just a really awesome experience to come help out and be a part of the NJCAA again," said Adekale Ande. "I was a part of the first class of interns and to be able to come back and help out with my passion of play-by-play it speaks wonders to the tag line 'opportunities start here'."  

During the summer of 2018, Ande had the opportunity to participate in the inaugural class of the NJCAA National Office's internship program within the marketing department. The then Berry College (GA) undergraduate student designed social media graphics, was responsible for covering the NJCAA DIII Baseball World Series in Greeneville, TN, conducted interviews, and wrote stories for the NJCAA Women's Basketball All-Star Showcase. The four-month stint provided Ande with intercollegiate athletic experience that spanned over 500 member schools in 44 states. 

Since interning with the National Office, Ande has grown exponentially in the media relations industry, building on his play-by-play, audio-visual production, social media, and video editing skills. In the coming months, as graduate school comes to a close, Ande will obtain a Master of Arts in University Leadership. 

"I am forever grateful to the NJCAA and Dr. Christopher Parker for the opportunities they have given me," Ande added. "Calling 15 games in three days was a new experience and I got see some different talent on the court. It was a really fun three days!"