Southern Volleyball Showcase on December 5, 2020
HiCast Sports Network is proud to announce a partnership with the #1 nationally-ranked A5 Volleyball Club (out of ~5,000 clubs in the U.S.) and the addition of live and on-demand video coverage for the A5 Sportsplex in Roswell, Georgia. We kicked off coverage on Saturday, December 5 for the 2020 Southern Volleyball Showcase, a 12-year running annual exposure event that attracted more than 350 registered college coaches to watch 546 of the best volleyball players from 25 states demonstrate their skills.
Due to the extended Division I (DI) dead period and travel concerns imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, on-site attendance at the A5 Sportsplex for D2 and D3 coaches was limited this year. Less than 30 coaches (down from 100-150 last year) attended the event on-site, but thanks to live-streaming provided by HiCast Sports Network, more than 2,100 viewers tuned in to watch the event live safely from home. Livestream access and effective marketing by A5 this year contributed to a 45% increase in showcase player participation, attracting them to the A5 Sportsplex from more than double the number of states over 2019.
On the decision to partner with HiCast Sports Network, A5 founder and chairman of the board, Bob Westbrook, shares, “With everything being colored by the turbulent landscape that we currently operate on, the first question we had to answer was ‘Are we going to have a showcase?’ and the next question was, ‘If we did, how will it look?” That lead us to the fact that it had to be digital, so the next question was ‘Who can do that?’ We talked to a couple of companies and made a leap to work with HiCast who had never done anything to this magnitude. Very little of this had been done in the volleyball club sports world. It was a leap of faith on all of our parts that these were the right people, that we had the right facility, that we could employ the technology and make the grid interactive and that it would work for the college coaches and parents. We knew that if we did it well, it would set the standard for a platform we’d continue to use in the future, but if we failed, we’d miss that opportunity. Everybody knocked it out of the park. HiCast and our team did a remarkable job.”
Photo Credit: A5 Volleyball
To provide comprehensive coverage on all 11 courts at A5 Sportsplex, HiCast Sports Network installed two automated, fixed cameras discreetly over the baselines on each court, providing optimal views for all players. For the Southern Volleyball Showcase, HiCast Sports worked with A5 to create a custom web-based user interface, giving college coaches a player directory with quick links to find and follow individual players (wearing numbered jerseys) through three waves of play (9am, 12pm and 3pm) across the 22 views on 11 courts. A5 had the ability to immediately update player data through the event with support from the HiCast Sports team. The pace and tempo of the showcase and the simplicity and efficiency of the interactive functionality HiCast Sports created really set this A5 college showcase apart from others. Couple that with on-demand access to the event for up to three months to attract even more college coaches who can view the results roster provided by A5 and study video footage whenever it’s most convenient for them, and the solution is a win-win.
A5 Club Director and coach, Gabe Armamian, shares, “It was revolutionary. Nothing like this had really been done before at this level and all the feedback that we got from players to families and college coaches was just outstanding. It was definitely a turning point for us and the way showcases can be done.”
Beyond access for college coaches, HiCast Sports introduced the start of live coverage for A5 Sportsplex to families and fans as a free trial on the day of the event, and now offer subscribers the option to view that footage on-demand, as well as all upcoming practices and events live or on-demand at A5 Sportsplex. Gabe goes on to share, “The ability to watch from your home is so impactful. Kids have relatives that live in different states and even countries, and now they can watch them perform. HiCast will have a profound impact for our families. It’s extraordinary.” Using the HiCast Sports mobile app for iOS, subscribers can save and share highlights from the footage for personal use and work with A5 to create custom highlight reels for college recruiting purposes.
At A5, Gabe envisions coaches watching HiCast footage on-demand with players to help improve their game. “Being able to review and see what players need to change is paramount to their development. They have to do it when they get to college. Watching film is about a quarter of all time spent when it comes to developing your skills so learning that at an early age is important. Having the ability to go back and review their practice or game is a critical aspect of how they continue to find success with their technique and skill set,” shares Gabe.
“Volleyball is among the fastest growing youth sports in the country and it’s an honor for us to partner with A5 Volleyball Club. While our coverage has been focused on baseball and softball thus far, we’re excited to expand our solution across a variety of playing fields and surfaces to meet the increasing demands of remote viewers,” shares Stephanie Calabrese, co-founder and chief brand officer for HiCast Sports Network. The 2020 State of Play report by Aspen Institute Project Play states that there are 2M+ volleyball players ages 6-17 who participate in the sport on a regular basis and shows 8% growth in 2019 participation for youth ages 13-17 over 2018. There are 1,000+ NCAA volleyball teams across Division I, II and III colleges.
A5 Volleyball Club, formed in 2004 as a 501-C(3) organization, coaches more than 1,000 players ages 7-18 spanning ~90 number of teams (excluding the sand volleyball program) across three locations in Georgia including Roswell, Suwanee and Tyrone. Several players travel in from out-of-state to play on A5 teams because the demand to play at A5 is so high. “Every one of our girls that have come through our 18s program who wanted to play in college, got that opportunity,” shares Gabe.
What makes A5 Volleyball Club unique? Gabe shares, “We stay true to our mission statement, ‘Teaching Life Lessons Through the Sport of Volleyball.’ It’s not always about the #1 ranking. The amount of kids that we have come back after they’re done with their volleyball college career to work or spend time with us is one of the most satisfying things that happen for us. And we are fortunate to have one of the strongest coaching staffs in the country and we believe it’s the crux of our success.”
Bob adds, “We don’t spend a lot of time thinking we’re good. We spend a lot more time thinking about what we can do to get better. We’re in the business of families and each individual family matters. You can’t pay lip service to that. You have to know what they need and what they want and we have to help them achieve that – and sometimes it’s different from what their athlete can actually achieve. We want to create an experience… for the people who work with us, the athletes who train with us, and the families who support us… that changes their lives in a way that is meaningful.”
A5 will host their first season of volleyball tournaments at the new 13-court A5 Sportsplex in Roswell beginning in January 2021 with families, college coaches and fans watching from all over the world. It represents a significant milestone for A5 and particularly its founder, Bob, who came to Atlanta 44 years ago to start junior volleyball. Bob shares, “To know that we started (girls volleyball) at Sutton Middle School in 1976 with three girls… and then to stand in a 13-court facility with every court filled with all ages is mostly cathartic to have played some small part in that vision.”
Read the A5 Press Release: https://www.einpresswire.com/article/532754208/being-seen-the-college-volleyball-recruiting-process-is-on
Watch A5 Volleyball live or on-demand weekdays 4:45pm - 10:15pm and anytime on Saturday and Sunday. Sign up now: http://www.hicastsports.com/a5
