Analy and El Molino High Schools have made plans to bring live sports into the homes of local fans this year, providing games are allowed to resume next year.
Football, along with most indoor sports such as volleyball and basketball will be streamed live online on the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) network, a website that has been around for a decade but is now gaining wide popularity due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although the Tigers have been streaming football and basketball games on the NFHS network for the last few years, Athletic Director Joe Ellwood and video coordinator Randy Hall are working on a plan to expand coverage to most indoor and outdoor sports, including those for varsity, JV and frosh teams.
“That is the plan,” Ellwood confirmed this week. “I have a meeting on Monday with the NFHS people about getting a (Pixellot) camera for the stadium and one for the gym. They have the ability to follow the game automatically so we could do it with a limited amount of help if needed. I’ll know more next week,” he added.
Once the games are scheduled for streaming, fans can subscribe to the NFHS network for a nominal fee, allowing them to watch games live from the safety and comfort of their own homes.
While the California Interscholastic Federation has announced the start of official fall practices to begin in December, California high schools will need the go-ahead from both state and local health officials to move forward. A very real possibility may be to allow games to be played while banning fans from attendance.
El Molino High School is also moving forward with plans to stream games on the same network, with the details to be worked out in the next couple of months.
“I’ve been weighing options but I believe I’ve settled on a NFHS program that includes cameras installed in the gym and on the football field,” Athletic Director Mike Roan said. “Spectators would be able to view by purchasing an NFHS subscription.”
