Muting the audio while he plays video games, Hubbard High School student Jamie Thomson narrates the plays, blurting out details of the video game as they unfold.
The experience the sports-loving senior has gained while playing games at home is now paying off at school. Jamie is one of eight Hubbard High School students embarking on a new opportunity, providing live play-by-play and color commentary of district athletic events through a new partnership with Your Sports Network (YSN).
“I love it,” said Thomson.
Hubbard Schools, along with the other districts in the Northeast 8 Conference, recently partnered with YSN to broadcast high school athletic events. The live-streaming sports network is the vision of two friends who are making it possible for people in the tri-county area and beyond area to watch live games, matches and events.
“I have always been a very social person and very interested in sports broadcasting. So, I knew I wanted to be a part of this. This is unique opportunity for us at Hubbard High School,” said Hubbard High School senior Max Korenyi-Both.
Unlike many school in the area, Hubbard High School offers classes in broadcasting, sports video and video production. Students gain experience shooting and editing video, writing news and sports stories and broadcasting the information from the high school’s media production studio.
“I wasn’t sure how many students would be interested in this opportunity because this isn’t part of a class. Students have to do this on their own time. However, we’ve had a lot of interest, which is great because our students are gaining great hands-on experience,” said video production teacher Megan Schellhorn.
For districts like Hubbard that have students who are able to call the games, YSN provides the equipment. The district’s students are responsible for showing up to the games early, setting up the cameras and broadcasting equipment, as well as researching the teams, reviewing the rosters, preparing the pregame show and interviewing coaches and players. For districts that don’t have the ability to put on their own broadcast, YSN supplies the talent.
“I’ve always listened to broadcasters and have enjoyed hearing the excitement of the games. I wanted to give it a try as soon as I learned of the opportunity,” said Hubbard freshman Mikey Scoville.
This winter, Hubbard Schools will broadcast all of the home boys and girls basketball games and home wrestling matches. In the spring, YSN will broadcast the district’s home baseball and softball games. You can watch and listen live at YSNLive.com.
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Broadcast Schedule
Boys Dec. 4 - Liberty Dec. 18 - Girard Dec. 21 - South Range Jan. 8 - Jefferson Jan. 11 - Lakeview Jan. 18 - Struthers Jan. 25 - Niles Feb. 8 - Lakeview Feb. 12 - Poland Feb. 22 - West Branch Girls Dec. 13 - South Range Dec. 15 - Niles Jan. 7 - Poland Jan. 14 - Girard Jan. 28 - Jefferson Jan. 31 - Lakeview Feb. 7 - Struthers Feb. 11 - Southeast Feb. 14 - Farrell