Charlie Voelker is the co-host of The Drive every weekday afternoon from 3 pm to 7pm. Charlie has been a part of the Capital Region Sports scene for over the last 25 years. In 1996 he joined Big Board Sports host and NewsChannel 13 sports director, Rodger Wyland in the UAlbany broadcast booth for football and basketball. Charlie spent 6 years in minor league baseball, then spent the next 17 years as the Associate Athletic Director for the University at Albany before retiring from that position in 2020. Charlie and his wife Kim live in Albany County with his son Andrew.
Charlie Voelker
Important Capital Region Focus: Student-Athlete Mental Health
Being a student-athlete is not easy at any level. Competing in a sport with the best of your peers can be extremely challenging, physically and mentally. High school student-athletes are going through intense bodily chemical changes as they grow and compete at the same time. Collegiate student-athletes are usually on the back end of the growth spurt but most are living on their own for the first time and are faced with brand new expectations, challenges and temptations.
Why Are Huge Fish Heading Up The Hudson River To Albany, NOW?
Some people don't believe me when I tell them that 30 and 40 pound fish are being caught in the Hudson River, in the area between Albany and Troy right now. Each year in the spring, Striped bass or Morone saxatilis, for you fish species experts, can be caught in the Hudson River all the way up to the Troy dam. BIG ONES!
A Valuable Lesson The New York Yankees Get From Queens
"Make the right baseball decision." That is what New York Mets owner told general manager Billy Eppler on Sunday when faced with the roster reduction deadline Monday from 28 to 26 players. Cohen did what Major League Baseball owners as an entirety should do but especially the New York Yankees. Cohen realizes that the $37.6 million owed to Robinson Canó pales in comparison to the value of bringing a championship to his team's desperate fanbase.
New York Mets Eat $37.6 Million “Canó Sandwich”
On Monday at 4pm, Major League Baseball teams have to reduce their rosters to 26 from 28. The first place New York Mets were wrestling with different scenarios. The first move was painful but easy. Relief pitcher Sean Reid-Foley was put on the Injured List on Saturday. The pitcher that replaced him for Sunday's game was Yoan López.
(Updated) New York Little Leaguer Tragically Dies During Game
Little League baseball seems like a right of passage for boys and girls. 2.6 million kids play Little League baseball each year. Though, the experience is mostly fun and happiness, tragedy comes to the plate at times and sadness prevails.
Siena’s ‘Big Ben’ Secures National Weekly Baseball Award
He stands six foot, six inches tall. On top of a regulation collegiate baseball pitchers mound, make that seven and a half feet and he is listed at 245 pounds. Siena's #47 throws from the left side and with his imposing size, can be a challenge for any hitter. Niagara University certainly found that out last Saturday.
How Will New NCAA Leadership Shape Capital Region College Sports?
On Tuesday, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced that current President Mark Emmert would step down by June 30, 2023. Running an organization that governs the athletic operations of hundreds of a colleges across the country, with different financial models, is an impossible task for the most part. However, having worked at one of those institutions' athletic department for a few decades, Emmert doesn't get a pass for his performance or lack there of.
WATCH! Ex-Capital Region Manager Takes Down New York Mets Polar Bear
As kids, my father would tell us not to fight but if we did, choose your battles wisely. On Wednesday afternoon in St. Louis, as the New York Mets were taking on the Cardinals in the final game of a three game series, a former manager of the Tri City ValleyCats decided he was going to pick the guy they nicknamed the 'Polar Bear.'
Which Capital Region Counties Are Ranked The Healthiest In NY?
Can which New York county you live in determine your life expectancy? Well, it can be a factor. In a cool report compiled by the Princeton, New Jersey based Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Health Population Institute, they ranked all 62 counties in New York State in order of the healthiest to the not so healthy. The annual rankings compile data from the past several years from multiple sources, such as the National Center for Health Statistics.
Out Of Control Yankees Fans Ruin New York’s Celebration
It should have been an awesome celebration. Gleyber Torres came off the bench and delivered a pinch-hit single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning for a 5-4 comeback victory for New York Yankees over the Cleveland Guardians. Fans should have been cheering and players should have been jumping up and down with happiness. That happened briefly, then the ugliness in right-field began.
He Shot A U.S. President & Now Sold-Out Concerts In New York?
We all have our opinions on the criminal justice system, one way or another. However, when it comes to living in a democracy like the United States, some things should be non-negotiable, like getting out of jail after trying to kill the President of the United States. To me, that seems like a no-brainer.
Explicit Photo Accusation Haunts Newest Buffalo Bills Star
If you are a Buffalo Bills fan, all you have to do is look to the Cleveland Browns and Deshaun Watson and you may feel better about this story. However, if you are the team that just invested $120 million in a player that is being accused in court of distributing "sexually explicit photos," well then this may be a bit tougher to digest, especially if you expected this player to be the "defensive face" of the franchise.