When Tom Allen started announcing for the Lakota Nation Invitational Tournament, he was the voice of the LNI.

But as the tournament has grown, Allen has become a recruiter and organizer for new talent.

"I did all the games at first," Allen said. "I announced four games a day, every day of the tournament."

That was "about 28 years ago," according to Allen. He had to learn how to conserve his voice so he wouldn't lose it by the final day of the tournament.

"The key was to not talk so much outside of the games. But that was kind of hard because I like to talk."

His love of speaking is what got him into announcing in the first place. When he went to basketball games, he would make himself heard. Most of his comments he directed toward the referees.

"I was such a bad fan they made me an announcer. Since I was always yelling at the refs, someone decided, 'We might as well put him on the mike.'"

That began a new chapter in his life that eventually branched out to other events. "I've done rodeos, football games, wrestling. I've even done a few funerals.

"I did a football game once without a PA. Since I have a big mouth, someone gave me a bullhorn, and I used that to announce the game."

Allen developed his announcing style - which LNI fans have come to expect and look forward to - by listening to other announcers. He started by going to powwows and listening to announcers like Tony and Paul Apple and Francis Menard.

"Powwow announcers keep things going all the time. The tournament is like that, except you don't talk during the game.

"I make use of Indian humor like powwow announcers do. I joke and tease. Not in a bad way. A lot of humor makes fun of other people, but in a mean-spirited way. Indian humor is more good-natured. It's kind of a fine line."

Thursday afternoon, Allen was announcing the Custer-Pine Ridge girls game, played at Rapid City Central High School. Allen works hard to pronounce names correctly. He checks before the game with coaches and managers to make sure he gets them right. But occasionally, things get mixed up. When he went to read off a name, he couldn't find the right number.

"Sorry for the delay, folks," Allen said over the mike. "I can't read the number in the scorebook." After a short pause he added, "A coaches' penmanship class will be held after the game."

Allen refuses to take all the credit for the quips he offers the fans. "There's a lot of people at the scorer's table making comments and telling me I should say this or that. I'm just dumb enough to say it.

"Sometimes, somebody walking by will make a suggestion, and I might say that, too." Although it's Allen's humor that the fans really appreciate, Allen makes it clear that the person on the mike is just a sideshow.

"The kids are the show. I tell the new announcers, 'Remember, we're here to showcase the kids.'"

In an effort to recruit new voices, Allen announces that fans can contact him if they would like to do some announcing.

During the second quarter of the Custer-Pine Ridge girls game, Allen handed the microphone off to 27-year-old Justin Poor Bear, who had announced middle school games in Pine Ridge.

"Tom's taking a break," Poor Bear explained to the crowd. "He's busy texting right now."

Allen didn't take the mike back until the end of the game, when he announced, "That was the first time Justin Poor Bear has announced a Lakota Nation Tourney game. Let's give him a round of applause."