“With the current pandemic affecting many athletic schedules and recruiting calendars, the ability to share our student-athletes and showcase their abilities is of the utmost importance this year.”
NORTH BRIDGTON, ME (July 29th, 2020) – Bridgton Academy is set to become the latest New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) school to add PlaySight’s Smart AI and connected camera sports video technology to its home campus. The Wolverine coaches and student-athletes across campus will soon benefit from PlaySight’s PRO video and performance platform and the school’s student body, family, parents and alumni will be able to tune in and follow the Wolverines through PlaySight’s live streaming and automated production capabilities. Bridgton Academy joins a number of other ‘Smart’ NEPSAC programs, including Trinity-Pawling, Choate Rosemary Hall and Andover.
After testing PlaySight’s portable GO system last year, Bridgton is adding permanent PlaySight PRO technology to its sports facilities. “Our decision to move to the automated PRO system, after utilizing the PlaySight mobile system last year, was driven by our need to capture as much content as we could to serve our student-athletes,” said Aaron Izaryk, Athletic Director & Head Baseball Coach. “We will use practice and game footage to not only supplement our commitment to player development, but also to provide student-athletes with footage that can be used in the college recruiting process. We couldn’t be more excited to share our guys’ ability with college coaches as often as possible.”
The flexibility of PlaySight’s GO and PRO platforms is why schools like Bridgton are able to add the technology across multiple athletic teams. “We used the PlaySight mobile GO system predominantly for basketball and hockey, and both sports benefited greatly from the quality of video and their ability to live stream games for college coaches and families,” said Izaryk. “We had plans to utilize the PRO system for spring sports, as well, before the spring season was interrupted. With the automated system, all of our sports will have the added benefit and value of providing top quality live streaming and video capture for our home events.”
It is a unique time for athletic departments at high schools all over the country. Bridgton looks at its investment in technology as a way to plan ahead for the ‘new normal.’ “With the current pandemic affecting many athletic schedules and recruiting calendars, the ability to share our student-athletes and showcase their abilities is of the utmost importance this year. With limited spectators and travel concerns, the automated system will allow us to hold showcases on our campus, live stream intrasquad scrimmages, and share our home contests with families, college recruiters, prospective student-athletes and alumni,” said Izaryk. “The PlaySight automated PRO system has ensured that our student-athletes will have the very best chance to be seen, and their skills to be showcased, here at Bridgton Academy.”
