July 26, 2022
High-tech system bolsters coaching and college recruitment
The latest hit streaming show has nonstop action, heroic comebacks and edge-of-your-seat thrills… but you won’t find it on Netflix or Hulu. And the stars are City Schools student-athletes!
City Schools’ launched its interscholastic athletics live streaming service during the 2021-2022 school year. Now, family, friends, college coaches and Baltimore sports fans can tune into games at the district’s traditional high schools (live or on replay) through Roku, Amazon Fire, or any internet-connected device.
Tony Hart, a rising senior at Paul Lawrence Dunbar High School plays safety and receiver for the city-champion Poets. “It makes a really big impact on me because my mom and dad can’t always make it to the games in-person since they’re working a lot,” says Tony. “Now they always see my games, and it’s much easier to get your game film out to colleges. It’s great for student-athletes.”
Fans tuning into high school games are treated to an experience that uses multiple cameras at each school to create a professional-level sports broadcast, complete with an on-screen scoreboard. Once City Schools’ staff enters the schedule of games into the computer system, the highly advanced software handles the rest: The cameras automatically activate at game time and follow the on-field (or on-court) action — no cameraperson required!
“One of our priorities is to create opportunities for as many stakeholders as possible to be involved in athletics,” says Tonisha Montgomery, staff specialist, interscholastic athletics. “It can be a challenge for parents, guardians and fans to attend games and matches — work schedules don’t always allow for it — so this was really important to get right. We viewed this past year as a soft launch of streaming, and we’re thrilled with the success. We’re adding more cameras and features as we prepare for the fall sports season.”
The streaming system is also a great help for coaches. “We used to spend so much time recording and trading game film among coaches,” says Dunbar football coach (and 2021 Ravens High School Coach of the Year) Lawrence Smith. “The time we could have spent working with our players was spent driving, meeting coaches and exchanging tape. Now we can scout other teams without leaving our school.”
Not only is City Schools streaming sports connecting friends and family with on-field action like never before, it’s offering new opportunities for students to take their academic and athletic talents to the next level. City Schools student-athletes can quickly upload their game footage to online recruiting platforms like HUDL to ensure college coaches can see their in-game performances.
“So much of the modern college recruiting process takes place online,” says Coach Smith. “With streaming sports, we know every play is captured and accessible anywhere. When coaches are making tough decisions about scholarships, we want to make sure our players' film is a click away.”
Catch City Schools interscholastic sports action this fall, winter and spring on https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/