SportsCombine wants to broadcast your next game. All you need is a computer, a microphone, a connection to the Internet, and a seat close to the action.

The SportsCombine webcast test period will conclude February 23. Between now and then, you can broadcast your high school basketball games for free. Just sign-up as one of our prototype beta testers.

What you need to provide:

1. You need a play-by-play announcer. This can be a student, an assistant coach, an interested parent, etc
2. You need an Internet connection close to the action. This can be a telephone line and a 56K modem or, preferably, a faster connection such as a DSL line. It's best to sit at the scorer's table, but anywhere close to the action is ok.
3. You'll need the Microsoft Internet Explorer Browser program, version 6.0 or later, which is freely available from the Microsoft web site.
4. The computer should be medium power or faster, such as laptop computer with a Pentium-200 chip.
5. The microphone can be any standard omni-directional microphone that's sold for $5.00 at the local computer store.

Here's the process to become one of our beta testers:

• SEND AN EMAIL TO SPORTSCOMBINE AT TechSupport@SportsCombine.com. Include your full name, your high school, and your position with the high school or basketball team. Please provide a phone number where we can call to discuss the test audio broadcast.
• We'll give you an account name and password.
• We'll arrange a test the day before your first game so that you can set up your equipment and broadcast for a few minutes. We'll listen and give you immediate feedback on the quality of the audio broadcast and some pointers on how to call the play-by-play during the game.
• For each game that you broadcast, you'll fill out two forms:a description of the audio broadcast (date, time, opponent, etc.) and a post-webcast survey. We're interested in knowing how each game went, the number of listeners, your comments, etc.

The cool thing about the audio webcast is that the listening audience can send text notes to the play-by-play announcer as the game proceeds. There's a two-way interchange between the announcer and the audience that's just not possible with traditional radio broadcasting.

Let's have some fun with this. Contact the Athletic Director and get permission to conduct the test webcast. Get a journalism student or athletic booster to call the play-by-play. Visit the coach before the game and prepare your notes for the webcast. Contact one or two players and ask for post-game interviews. Ask high school administrators to publicize the webcast a few days prior to game via announcements to the student body. Of course the student body will come to the game in person, but they can tell friends, family, and others about the Internet webcast.

Thank you for your interest in the SportsCombine test webcast effort. We look forward to hearing from you.

 

Larry
TechSupport@SportsCombine.com

SportsCombine
2944 Hunter Mill Road
Suite 201
Oakton, Virginia 22124
703-281-0006 - office
877-OUR-STAT - toll free