To break through one of professional sports鈥 glass ceilings, Kim Cota-Robles is stepping into a tempered glass box.
The fourth-generation Tucsonan made her debut as the Tucson Roadrunners鈥 public address announcer on Wednesday. She sat at ice level, between the penalty boxes, for the club鈥檚 5-1 preseason loss to Henderson at Tucson Arena.
In doing so, Cota-Robles became the first woman to serve as a regular public-address announcer for North American professional hockey, according the club.
The magnitude there certainly isn鈥檛 lost on Cota-Robles, who admits she was still a bit nervous to have arena patrons here her voice for the first time.
鈥淚 have thought about it. How could I not?鈥 Cota-Robles said of possibly being the first in such a role.
She noted that she鈥檚 used to hearing men over the PA system at sporting events, weddings or in other lively occasions.
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鈥淎 male voice is the voice that gets people hyped up, and then you go to the airport and you hear a woman say, 鈥榯he white zone is for the immediate loading and unloading of passengers only,鈥欌 she said, her voice turning mellow and soothing. 鈥淚 think women historically are more like instructional guide voices than hype voices.
鈥淪o I鈥檓 nervous, and I think it鈥檚 going to take the fans a second to kind of settle into my voice.鈥
Despite a r茅sum茅 that includes significant voiceover work 鈥 experience that gave her the confidence to reach out to the Roadrunners 鈥 Cota-Robles said she thought about 鈥渄ropping my voice a little bit lower in register 鈥 because that鈥檚 where I thought maybe the fans wanted.鈥
She didn鈥檛, though, after those around her who suggested she keep it natural.
And Roadrunners brass, including team president Bob Hoffman, agreed, hiring Cota-Robles to serve as a regular in that seat during the early-season schedule. Come January, she鈥檒l share the P.A. seat with Paul Cicala, a fellow Tucson native and Ch. 4 sports anchor.
鈥淪he just nailed it,鈥 Hoffman said of Cota-Robles鈥 tryout. 鈥淪he blew us away and was the best, by far.鈥
鈥淪he sounds great,鈥 Hoffman said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 done the voiceover work in the past, so that was never a concern. But we told her we don鈥檛 want her to sound like a (typical public address announcer). She鈥檚 conversational.鈥
Cota-Robles plans to treat the job as a fan, and one with 鈥渁mazing seats,鈥 she said.
Part of that, Hoffman and Cota-Robles agree, comes from being a season-ticket holder since since 2016. Cota-Robles鈥 seats are exactly one row behind the ice-level scorers booth, and her cousin has the seats right behind her. So in a way, Cota-Robles upgraded her own seat by a row.
鈥淚 told her, 鈥榣ook, I don鈥檛 want to take away your fandom. You cheer louder than anyone,鈥 Hoffman added.
That鈥檚 why Cota-Robles and Cicala will share duties after Jan. 1. Cota-Robles wants to attend games as a fan alongside her kids, 21-year-old Megan and 12-year-old Max. On nights Cicala is on the mic, she鈥檒l be in her normal seats, vocal as ever.
Cota-Robles said she鈥檚 excited for her new role, and not just because she鈥檚 been following the Roadrunners for years. She鈥檚 a longtime member of the Tucson community, a holder of multiple degrees from the University of 蜜聊直播 who served 11 years in the United States Navy 鈥 she completed her service with the rank of Lieutenant Commander 鈥 and, by day, a physician recruiter for Banner Health.
And her new Roadrunners鈥 duties are hardly her first work foray into hockey. A fan since the early 1990s, Cota-Robles was also a photographer as a UA undergrad, often shooting Icecats games for the 蜜聊直播 Daily Wildcat student newspaper. She鈥檇 then worked as a freelance sports photographer for the 蜜聊直播 Daily Star.
New public address announcer Kim Cota-Robles looks over the rosters before Wednesday鈥檚 exhibition game between the Roadrunners and Silver Knights at Tucson Arena.
Cota-Robles is also a proud hockey parent, too.
鈥淲hen I鈥檓 at (roller hockey), or when we鈥檙e at ice, it鈥檚 always 鈥楳ax鈥檚 Mom,鈥欌 she said with a laugh.
In addition to Cota-Robles and Cicala, the team announced the return of KFMA-FM 102.1 radio personality Beef Vegan for his sixth season an in-game host inside Tucson Arena. Tucson native Yasmine Lopez, an editor, reporter and host with KOLD-TV, will join Vegan as an in-game host.
Hoffman said the addition of all four to the Roadrunners game-night presentation was about 鈥渃reating new fans in Tucson鈥 by putting the city front and center.
鈥淚t totally couples with what we鈥檙e trying to in the community,鈥 he added.
Added Cota-Robles: 鈥淟ook, I drag everybody that I can to Roadrunners games. I will meet people and they鈥檒l be like, 鈥楾here鈥檚 hockey in Tucson?鈥 and I鈥檓 like, 鈥榊eah, OK, we鈥檙e going to go to a game.鈥欌
