Sports

Intro to Sports Video

Everyday sports are being played all around the world. Each year it’s becoming more popular for coaches, athletes and team managers to use video as a resource to improve their game. In this book, you’ll learn how to make sports video accessible to coaches, fans and athletes. You will learn how to record video, live stream, deliver sideline instant replay and create highlight reels.

Sports video professionals young and old are working together to set up, test and prove that video can enhance the game in more ways than one. Live streaming has opened up a new world of accessibility and fan engagement, enabling viewers to experience games from anywhere, at any time. Recorded video is easier than ever to share online, allowing athletes better access and teams new communication routes that were once only available to professional teams. And Sideline Instant Replay systems are providing coaches with video to review with players and referees to help teams improve in real-time.

For schools, local clubs and smaller leagues, modern sports video tools have improved team communication, analysis, scorekeeping and fan engagement. Sports video makes it easier to capture and share game footage for coaching, recruitment and community outreach. Parents who can’t make it to the game or a fan from across the country can still catch every moment in real time. Statistics and graphics on live broadcasts are getting easier to use. Graphics allow fans to understand the game more thoroughly and connect with athletes and coaches in deeper and more meaningful ways. This accessibility has changed sports for the better, leveling the playing field between large organizations and smaller sports teams who now have the power of digital scorekeeping, live streaming and sports analytics in the palm of their hands.

Many of these exciting advancements are made possible by production teams small and large, putting their heads together and using live video production tools to produce sports video. During the writing of this book, I spent many hours setting up and breaking down sports video systems sometimes in the same venues as the official NBC Sports broadcasters. While I often used a video system that costs less than a single camera used for professional sports, the same fundamentals of sports video apply.

GameChanger makes it easy to manage a team roster, schedule and scorekeeping.

One of the amazing things about technology is the great democratization and accessibility advancements allowing so many people to contribute with varying skill levels. Using online tools, a coach can now easily help build out the team roster and input the team schedule to connect not just the athletes and parents, but volunteers and assistant coaches too. Parents can help in new meaningful ways to keep score and RSVP for upcoming games. Similarly video production teams have unique roles, from video switching, to camera operation and audio production. In this book, you’ll learn how everything fits together and how the people on your team can work together productively to increase team spirit and ultimately the overall success of your sports productions.

GameChanger has a live streaming feature which can be integrated into the scorekeeping allowing users to collaborate.

Whether it’s a coach organizing logistics, parents contributing to the game-day experience or a video production team capturing the action, everyone has a role to play. When everything comes together, technology and collaboration can make amazing things happen. With so many new roles and opportunities to contribute, take advantage of your team’s emerging video needs and aspirations by promoting volunteerism and video team membership.

GameChanger is a perfect example of an app that combines a team roster, schedule and scorekeeping. I have spent many games on the sidelines score-keeping for my son’s soccer games. The app allows you to easily attribute goals to specific individuals which in turn can enable powerful statistics and post-game reports. Similarly, when you combine real-time scorekeeping with live streamed video, GameChanger knows exactly when the keyplays have happened. This allows the app to automatically make highlight reels from the live streamed video.

Each person’s role in a sports production team is valuable. Coaches can go the extra mile by providing team rosters and schedules to keep everyone on the same page about the team’s future. Parents and volunteers contribute by keeping score, helping with logistics or even assisting with equipment setup. Meanwhile, video production teams collaborate on tasks like camera operation, video switching and audio management. By integrating tools like GameChanger, real-time scorekeeping can be synced with live video, allowing for automatic highlight reels and detailed player statistics. When everyone works together, technology empowers the team to capture the excitement of the game and share it in innovative ways.

Roles in Sports Video Teams

While you may be able to do many of these tasks yourself, here’s a list of roles and responsibilities in sports video.

Pre-Production Roles

Coach/Organizer
- Provides team rosters and game schedules.
- Coordinates logistics such as player arrival times and venue setup.
- Works with the production team to highlight key plays or moments to capture.

Pro Tip: As a coach, you can use apps like GameChanger or Team Snap to organize your team roster and game schedules. Ask athletes and parents to join and upload player pictures before the first practice/game. This makes it much easier for your team to match names to faces and helps build a sense of community and familiarity within the team from the start. Plus, having all the information in one place streamlines communication and ensures everyone stays on the same page.

Parents/Volunteers
- Help set up equipment (tripods, cameras, etc.).
- Manage pre-game activities and support logistics (snacks, uniforms, etc.).
- Act as liaisons between the production team and the sports team.
- Use apps like GameChanger or Team Snap to RSVP athlete attendance.
- Ideal Volunteer Opportunities: Scorekeeper, Camera Operator, Commentator, Data Analyst, Video Editor.
Technical Director
- Collaborates with the Video Director: Works together to plan camera angles, placements and overall production workflow.
- Ensures Equipment Readiness: Oversees the operation of all equipment, including cameras, audio systems, physical scoreboards or data feeds integrated into software.
- Handles Connections: Sets up and manages electrical, Ethernet and WiFi connections for live streaming and recording.
- Manages Key Roles: Takes on both pre-production and production responsibilities, often acting as a switcher or instant replay operator while executing directions from a dedicated director.

Production Roles

Camera Operator
- Captures live game footage with a focus on players, action and audience.
- Adjusts cameras to follow the action dynamically.
Scorekeeper
- Uses applications like GameChanger to record goals, points and statistics.
- Syncs real-time scorekeeping with live video feeds.
Director
- Oversees the video production process, including camera switching and overlays.
- Ensures the production aligns with the narrative (e.g., highlight key players or moments).
- Communicates with camera operators and technical staff.
Commentator
- Provides live commentary, giving context and excitement to the video.
- Engages viewers by sharing player stats and backstories.
- Talks with field reporters who themselves may be interviewing players or coaches during time-outs and other breaks in the action
- Operates Telestrator to hand draw over video to explain plays.

Post-Production Roles

Editor
- Creates highlight reels using applications like GameChanger, Premier or Final Cut Pro.
- Synchronizes live-streamed footage with key plays and statistics.
- Adds graphics, music and transitions to enhance the video.
Data Analyst
- Analyzes the recorded footage and synced statistics for performance insights.
- Generates reports for coaches and players to review.
Marketing/Media Coordinator
- Publishes highlights and game footage on social media or team websites.
- Promotes the team and players for scouts or recruitment.

In this book, you’ll discover how to harness the power of technology and teamwork to create high-quality productions that not only showcase the game but also bring the community closer together. Congratulations for taking it upon yourself to enhance your sports streaming skills. In this next chapter, we’ll explore the motivations behind live streaming sports, the benefits it brings to different audiences and why now is the perfect time to dive into the world of sports streaming.

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