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INDIANAPOLIS — The proliferation of online streaming of high school athletic events has put a new focus on the need for a qualified play-by-play announcer when broadcasting live games.

With the release of the new, free online course “Play-by-Play Announcing,” the NFHS Learning Center provides training to announce a live game properly.

“The NFHS Learning Center is pleased to introduce this first online course and valuable resource specifically for play-by-play announcers,” said Dan Schuster, NFHS director of educational services. “We are committed to assisting members of the interscholastic community and beyond with professional development opportunities to enrich the experience of the young people we serve.”

The best play-by-play announcers use their voice as an instrument, NFHS officials said. This course instructs users how to use proper tone and inflection when delivering game action to the audience and how to determine the important and relevant information of the contest.

An entire section is devoted to starting a broadcast, including planning the open, setting the scene and introducing the game’s participants.

The course demonstrates how to professionally prepare for a game as a play-by-play announcer, before arriving at the game and just prior to broadcast. It also provides a chapter on developing team chemistry with an analyst or sideline reporter.

For more information and to access “Play-by-Play Announcing,” visit nfhslearn.com/courses/play-by-play-announcing.