District utilizing video service for sports fans

If parents and other interested spectators are not allowed to watch young athletes in person this season, the Mars Area School District is offering the next best thing.

Jeff Bitzer, the district’s director of school safety and security, told school board members Tuesday that the district is using Hudl, a subscription video service, and will have four cameras in the stadium and others in the gyms to film the games.

The games will be livestreamed on the district’s YouTube channel and can be watched there later as well.

“The cameras look great,” he said. “They follow the ball. They follow the action. And they don’t require a student or a coach to operate.”

Mr. Bitzer said the system was tested during a football scrimmage on Sept. 5 with only three cameras. “It looked acceptable. We are looking for better video out of the four- camera system.”

Athletic director Scott Heinauer said the cameras are set for three hours, but the time can be extended with an application that trainers and coaches have on their phones.

“It’s not what we want, but it will work,” said board President John Kennedy.

The cameras are free with the Hudl subscription.

In a related matter, Ruth O’Donnell, president of the Mars Area Band Boosters, offered a suggestion on how to get more fans into the games when spectators are allowed. The boosters are suggesting allowing the marching band to do both their pregame and halftime shows before the game. Then the band parents and others who want only to see the band perform can leave, which will make more spots available for football and cheerleading parents.

She said the band can sit on portable bleachers just outside the stadium to play supporting music during the game.

“This is far from ideal but allows out- of- the- box thinking,” she said.

The band is only scheduled to perform at the three home football games, and its competition season was canceled. The first home game is Sept. 25 against Plum.