HiCast Sports Network Delivers Video Coverage for the Nation’s #1 Volleyball Club

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.

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“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

COVID-19 Pauses Live Play, So We've Unarchived All of Your 2019 Games

Spring tournaments across our network came to an unexpected close by March 15, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At present, most our ballparks have paused play indefinitely with a common hope to resume sooner than later. It’s a difficult time for all of us right now, but coming together as a country to help slow the spread of this virus, flatten the curve for our healthcare system, and to support one another as one team is what’s most important right now.

But we know you need some good news while you’re homebound, and a way to stay connected to the game you love, so we've unarchived ALL of your games from 2019, so you can replay the Moments That Matter™ on-demand! Take advantage of this time you have with your family to dive into the archives together and watch your favorite games from ballparks across our network. Be sure to use our mobile app to tag highlights as you watch... We've got a contest coming soon! 

We couldn't have made this happen without our ballpark partners: Baseball Heaven, Sports at the Beach, Diamond Nation, Baseball USA "The Yard" Powered by Marucci Elite Texas and Texas USSSA Baseball, The Shipyard Park, Tyger River Park, Ballparks of America, East Cobb Baseball Complex, Buckhead Baseball, and JockJive Sports. Thanks for standing by us as we all wait this out together as a team.

Solving the Umpire Shortage in Youth Sports Requires a Team Approach

February 14, 2020 – HiCast Sports Network co-founders Stephanie Calabrese and Robert Stribling recently attended the Grand Slam Tournaments annual meeting in Panama City Beach, Florida. It was a unique opportunity for us to spend time with tournament organizers across the southeast and to learn ways in which we can come together as a youth baseball/softball community to support each other and the game we love. 

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Marty Clark at Diamond Nation. Photo provided by Diamond Nation

One of the topics raised by Larry Thompson, Grand Slam Tournaments Owner/CEO, was concern over the shortage of umpires and challenges in recruiting (particularly young adults) as the national average age of baseball officials has risen to 54. We know travel baseball has experienced explosive growth over the past several years, but have we looked closely at the impact on our officials? We’ve heard and seen verbal abuse from coaches and fans cited as a contributing factor to the umpire shortage, but what other factors are at play? And most importantly, what can each of us do to help solve the problem?

To get better insight and advice, we reached out to three of the top UICs (Umpire in Chief) in youth baseball across the country, each with more than three decades of experience officiating  and educating officials, and the founder of UmpireBible.com to hear what they had to say. We hope their perspectives give you an inside look at the challenges we face as a youth sports community, and inspire you to think about ways you can be part of the solution. 

Our contributors:

James Jesse, Vice President (Umpires) for Grand Slam Tournaments (GS), leads corporate oversight of all GS umpires and directly manages a team of 60 umpires in Atlanta, Georgia. Jesse played baseball for many years, served in the U.S. Army for 15 years, and began officiating 32 years ago.

Marty Clark, Umpire in Chief (UIC) and Tournament Director for Diamond Nation, became an umpire 44 years ago, inspired by his older brother AL who went on to become an MLB umpire. Marty has worked with Diamond Nation in Flemington, NJ for the past ten years where he manages a staff of 95 umpires.

John Turner, founder of Central Georgia Umpires lead a staff of 100 umpires officiating games at East Cobb Baseball (ECB) Complex and surrounding venues in Marietta, Georgia. He began officiating 38 years ago, working under his father who ran the umpire association for the organization where John grew up playing baseball. He was an official at the NCAA level for one year and served more than 10 years at the high school level. John is currently officiating baseball in Toronto, Canada.

Nick Gattuccio, founder of UmpireBible.com, created this resource five years ago to support umpires, coaches and fans in their knowledge of the rules of baseball in plain speak. A retired technical writer for Microsoft, he served as a youth sports umpire for 18 years in the Seattle, WA area. Nick blends these skills to help improve our understanding of the game.

What’s driving the shortage of umpires in youth sports?

More games. And better job opportunities with less harassment and risk.

“I don’t really think there’s a shortage of officials. Maybe there are too many games being played,” shares John Turner with a laugh. With the reduction of local league play and the dramatic growth in travel teams and tournament organizations over the past several years, we’re experiencing a dramatic increase in the quantity of games being played. For example, a national championship tournament to be held at East Cobb Baseball Complex this summer will bring in more than 250 teams and offer a 7-game minimum. That’s 1750 games or 3,500 umpire spots during a 7-day timeframe. Before the dawn of travel ball, a local league team typically played just 2-3 games per week for a three-month spring season. So while the  demand for more baseball games has increased, we’ve outpaced the growth rate of umpires joining the ranks.

“There is a shortage of umpires,” says John Turner, “That is a true statement, but to say that we’re having a hard time recruiting umpires just because parents are abusive is a scapegoat. Travel organizations need to help drive umpire recruiting and retention with dollars and cents. Going back 35 years ago, I played baseball in high school and then got in to officiating. For most of us at that time, if you didn’t play in college or professionally, there were very few avenues for you to continue with baseball other than officiating. There’s less of a need to officiate to stay involved in the game today, because young adults can continue to play in amateur leagues or pursue opportunities as coaches or administrators within the travel ball industry. Young adults have so many other part-time job opportunities before them now to earn more money with less hassle.”

Central Georgia Umpires in training at East Cobb Baseball Complex. Photo © Stephanie Calabrese

And risk. If a game is rained out, the umpire doesn’t get paid. If tournament schedules get behind or delayed by weather conditions, the umpire spends more time at the ballpark without extra compensation. Couple that with the need for umpires to secure secondary insurance to help cover their liabilities not only for injuries, but disputes on their calls… and choosing to pursue a part-time job as an umpire is a tough call.

Does age matter when it comes to our community of umpires?

Maybe. The average age of 17,000 officials responding to the National Association of Sports Officials survey (NASO) Survey in 2017 was 52 years old. Of the 6562 baseball officials surveyed, the average age was 54.

James Jesse has been successful in recruiting and training younger umpires. The average age of his Georgia team of umpires is 35. “How you treat the individual, how you work with them, and how you pay them is going to determine if they are willing to stay with you long term,” shares Jesse. 44 umpires of his 60-person team of umpires have been working with him for more than 10 years. 

Marty Clark shares that the average age of his 95-person team of umpires is about 40 as he tends to hire umpires who already have 3-5 years of experience because of the high level of play at Diamond Nation, a ballpark that regularly attracts college recruiters from around the country. Marty also officiates for high schools and emphasized that umpire recruiting has been particularly challenging. “At the high school level, we are drowning for officials. We see retirees coming in to officiate, but it’s tough to recruit college age officials partly because they don’t want to deal with the parents.”

Diamond Nation umpire at work. Photo © Stephanie Calabrese

Nick Gattuccio adds, “There’s increasing hostility directed at umpires. I ran a junior umpire program for a league in the Seattle area and it was difficult to retain kids because you put a teenager on the field with an alpha male coach, and it’s a really difficult thing to ask of a kid. The kids quit. They don’t want to put up with it. Even adult umpires have difficulty. You need a thick skin, but even with a thick skin, after a while it begins to wear down.”

How much of a problem is umpire abuse from coaches and parents?

It’s big. But, let’s also look at some underlying challenges that might contribute to this.

According to the NASO 2017 survey, the majority of baseball officials surveyed (59%) stated that sportsmanship is getting worse particularly at the youth competitive level of play (37%) over the youth recreational level (16%) and even high school level (11%) – pointing the finger at parents (41%), rather than coaches (29%) or players (8%) as the source of the problems.

Marty Clark adds, “It’s a challenge for my umpires – to ignore (abuse) as much as they can until they can’t ignore it anymore. A human being can only be yelled at for so long without taking action. And we have a policy in place to take care of things of that nature.”

Grand Slam and Diamond Nation both have an Umpire-in-Chief on site during tournaments, citing this as a critical element in keeping things cool in a heated environment. If there is a discrepancy on the field between a coach and an umpire, the UIC can be there to provide support and an objective perspective on the rule and the call. It gives the coach an opportunity to express their concern to a senior level umpire who was not involved in the call. This helps coaches develop confidence in the  officiating of a tournament and respect for one another. Last year Diamond Nation hosted more than 6,000 games and had just 12 ejections.

John Turner believes that abuse from coaches and fans would be less of an issue if tournament organizers are hiring well-trained and more experienced umpires. He shares, “I consider myself one of the better officials and as a general rule, when I walk off a ball field, parents tell me ‘We’re glad you’re here. We can tell that you know what you’re doing and you’ve put in the effort to be good at this, and thanks.’ If umpires would do the backend work of going to clinics, learning the systems and the mechanics to officiate correctly, and really be a true steward of the game and commit to it, the abuse from parents would be less of an issue.”

John Turner leading a Central Georgia Umpire clinic at East Cobb Baseball Complex. Photo © Stephanie Calabrese

Often times, due to the increasing growth rate of tournaments and games, UICs are pushed to place two less experienced umpires on a field together, which can lead to challenges. James Jesse shares, “If I ever put a junior-level umpire on a field, I always place him or her with a senior-level umpire. When I train the junior officials, I don’t let them work the plate until I am confident they can work the plate. Not all tournament organizations do this as some are much more focused on increasing their team numbers for tournaments and less focused on the quality of officiating games. Less experienced officials put in this challenging position can lead to complaints from coaches on the field.”

If we want top-notch officials, who pays the price?

We all need to step up to the plate.

The majority of umpires on your ball fields are independent contractors who are paid on a game-by-game basis and work in affiliation with one or more tournament organizations, leagues or venues hosting their own tournaments. Each umpire is responsible for covering and tracking their own expenses such as uniforms, a chest protector, plate shoes, travel expenses, insurance, meals and background checks; and they invest their own time for clinics and evaluations.

For most umpires you see on travel baseball/softball fields, officiating is a second, part-time job for them and an opportunity to earn some extra income while staying involved in a game they have loved most of their lives. The National Association of Sports Officials 2017 survey backs this up citing that the vast majority of its respondents got into officiating “For the love of the game” and most continue to officiate for three reasons: 1. to monitor newer officials, 2. to challenge themselves, and 3. to stay fit. James Jesse shares that many of his umpires are educators and some junior-level umpires are college students who have more flexible time in the summer to work games for some extra income when travel tournaments really start to heat up.

The UICs we talked to shared that umpires are paid by the game. An umpire officiating a 13U and up game typically earns $50-65 per game; a 12U and down game will bring in less; and a one-hour coach-pitch game will earn $25-30 per game. So, consider that an umpire officiating three 13U games at $50 per game on Saturday in 90-degree heat and two games on Sunday in drizzling rain will earn $250 for 10 hours of his time on the field, excluding wait time between games, and travel time to the ballpark.

John Turner shares, “The independent contractor model is part of what has caused our industry some problems. We as umpires haven’t really had a true advocate for us. The price of umpire gear has gone up every year for the last 20 years. In 1998, I bought a new chest protector for $90. That same chest protector now is a minimum of $150. And yet tournament organizers still want to pay us $50-60 per game. At some point, for someone officiating as a side job, it becomes difficult to justify. If it’s not going to financially benefit someone to the point that they think it’s worth it, they’re going to stop doing it and it’s going to be difficult to recruit others.”

What about college officials? The New York Times reports that, “Though compensation varies depending on the college conference, baseball umpires working in Division 1 can earn about $400 a game and mileage, lodging and a modest per diem. John Turner adds, “You’re not going to get an umpire who’s used to making $400 per game in the college season to come work youth tournaments for $60 per game in the summer. I think the way to fix the problem is to raise the rates.”

Are there opportunities to help umpires reduce their expenses? 

Likely. Maybe you can help.

We here at HiCast Sports Network are doing our part by offering free Monthly Passes to all officials through our venue partners and tournament organizer relationships. Providing HiCast Sports at no cost to umpires at ballparks within our network can only help improve umpire training and the quality of games across our entire network.

John Turner leading a Central Georgia Umpire clinic at East Cobb Baseball Complex. Photo © Stephanie Calabrese

John Turner who’s been officiating baseball just outside of Toronto, Canada for the last few years, suggests that the U.S. officiating community can learn from Canada’s centralized background check approach. Nationally all recreational baseball is governed by Baseball Canada. “In the U.S. there’s a push to do state-by-state background checks on officials, which I completely support. But if you are a multi-sport official, you’ve got to pay for a background check for each of the sports.” Peopletrail, a company that provides such background checks, charges $70 for the first sport, $20 for the second sport, and $15 for each additional sport. John adds, “Here in Canada, I can do one background check and it’s good for all of Canada, for all sports.”

Aside from abuse on the field, what’s the biggest challenge for an umpire? 

Continuing to improve their own game, while educating players, coaches and fans on the fly.

Marty Clark shares, “Most umpires I know want to be perfect. They have a lot of self pride. They study the rule book. They go to classes. We’re always talking about how to become better. Everybody who does this, even though it’s not their profession as much as a vocation, wants to do the best they can day in and day out because they love the game.

So the challenge is to get better every day and to learn from the mistakes. Honestly, that’s where HiCast Sports comes in, especially with positioning. Over the past couple of years we’ve been using it here at Diamond Nation. I’m able to bring up a video to show them where they were and then we can talk about it, or I can look at a particular field at a certain time to evaluate a play in question. HiCast has become a very good teaching and accountability tool for us.”

James Jesse shares that educating the players, coaches and parents (to a degree) the rules of the game while the game is in progress and emotions are high can be challenging. “If there is a situation where a coach might question a call, it’s our job to help them understand the rules in a respectful way and without embarrassing them. Coaches are doing their best to represent their team in a high pressure environment and parents are watching them. Parents expect their coaches to advocate for their team and we understand that. It’s important that we not make the coach look bad even if they don’t understand the rule.”

What can players, coaches and fans do to improve the situation?

Adjust your actions based on the umpire’s calls, show respect, and know the rules.

James Jesse shares, “If I’m calling low strikes, what does that mean? Step up in the box. If I’m calling high strikes, move back in the box. As the umpire, I’m not going to adjust my calls because I’m trying to remain consistent. If I did, I’d be criticized for being all over the place.” It’s the coach’s job to adjust the actions of their players based on the umpire’s calls. 

And think before you speak (or yell)! Know the rules governing your game. James Jesse shares, “Playing the game and coaching the game are two different things. Playing the game, coaching the game, and officiating the game are three different things.” And to keep it interesting, different organizations play by different rules. Grand Slam Tournaments and Diamond Nation follow National Federation of High School Rules. USSSA plays by Official Baseball Regulations (OBR), and while the majority of the rules are the same, about 10% of the rules are different. That 10% might distinguish what the rule is for a balk for example.

Marty Clark at Diamond Nation. Photo provided by Diamond Nation

Marty Clark adds, “Each rule is not just black and white. You can rule a number of different ways on each individual play depending on the definition of what transpired. For instance I had a mother yelling at an umpire last year about a player running out of the baseline. And the umpire was 100% correct because every time a player turns to go in a different direction in a run-down situation, he creates a new baseline. And the mother didn’t understand that. When I spoke to her to explain the rule, she just said, ‘Oh, I didn’t know that.’ Education and knowledge is a very powerful thing.”

John Turner suggests, “Knowing the rules would cure more than half of what goes on with parents screaming at umpires. We have to ask ourselves what life skills are we teaching our kids. Some of it is humility. It’s understanding that you are as much an influence on the team as you are in the dugout or the clubhouse as you are on the field. The same is true for parents. Rather than yell at the umpire, the best thing you can do for your kid, is to show them how to respect others, rise above adversity, and take the initiative to educate yourself on the game.”

* * *

Learn the Rules:

Umpire Bible: www.umpirebible.com – a website for new and developing umpires of amateur baseball, as well as for players, coaches, and fans who want to enhance their command of the rules of baseball. You’ll find NFHS and OBR rule differences, rule myths and more. 

2020 Changes to the National Federation of High Schools Rule Book: https://www.nfhs.org/sports-resource-content/baseball-rules-changes-2020/

HiCast Sports Network Partners with Rawlings® to Award the Most Valuable Plays in Youth Baseball

ATLANTA – November 19, 2018 – HiCast Sports Network, a game-changing, subscription-based social broadcast company which allows youth athletes, their coaches, families and friends to view and engage with sporting events at top venues across the nation anywhere, anytime, on any device, is proud to host the HiCast Sports 2018 MVP Awards recognizing the most valuable offensive and defensive plays in youth baseball in partnership with Rawlings. From more than 4,000 video highlight entries saved and shared by HiCast Sports mobile app users from top ballparks across the country, the HiCast Sports team selected and announced the Top 50 Semi-Finalists on November 5th. These impressive plays include a runner’s leap over the catcher to score, diving catches, first home runs, stellar base stealing, an unassisted double play, a game-winning grand slam and more. Featured youth baseball players range from age eight to 18 and reside across America.

The contest is currently in its online voting phase, whereby anyone can cast a vote for one or more of their favorite plays from the 50 Semi-Finalists by November 30, 2018 at: http://www.hicastsports.com/vote. Highlights receiving the most votes secure spots among the Top 10 Finalists for Best Offensive Play and Top 10 Finalists for Best Defensive Play on December 1, 2018. Finalists will go before a professional ballplayer judge, provided by Rawlings. He will choose three winners in each category, and winners will be announced on the HiCast Sports website on December 10, 2018.

For the HiCast Sports MVP Awards, Rawlings provides a powerful lineup of prizes. These include the new 2019 Quatro Bats for the three Best Offensive Play winners and custom gloves for the three Best Defensive Play winners; new Mach batting helmets for the finalists; and sackpacks for all semi-finalists.

“We really value the opportunity to celebrate these young players and their Moments That Matter™. We’ve enjoyed watching and sharing their highlights in our app and in social media all year long, and felt that this contest would be a really fun and meaningful way to elevate some of their most memorable moments with a broader audience and to reward them. Teaming up with Rawlings took our initial idea for the contest to the next level, and we’re thrilled with the response we’ve had from our users and the general public’s support of these youth athletes. Tens of thousands of fans have viewed our Semi-Finalists’ highlights within the first week of the online voting phase of the contest,” said Stephanie Calabrese, HiCast Sports Network Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer.

“Youth sports is important to us. Teaming up with the HiCast Sports Network to honor these young athletes and reward their achievements on the playing field is exciting. Capturing and sharing memorable moments like these 50 Semi-Finalists’ highlights not only builds confidence for these kids, but it brings people together around a game we love. We’re happy to be a part of that,” shared Mark Kraemer, Director, Sports Marketing for Rawlings Sporting Goods.

About HiCast Sports Network

HiCast Sports Network offers an automated, turnkey video technology solution for venue owners and managers who want to provide the ultimate player and fan experience, reach more viewers, engage with fans beyond their stands through shared game highlights via social media, support coaching and player development, and better manage their facility. The app makes it easy for users to not only see the whole game, but to save, trim, zoom and share their Moments That Matter™ in clips or highlight reels.

HiCast operates with a robust network of partners (venues) and promoters (sporting leagues and event organizers) with which they cultivate win-win relationships. In 2018, HiCast Sports Network users from around the world have watched more than 2 million game minutes featuring hundreds of thousands of athletes playing on more than 100 baseball and softball fields at premier venues in Delaware, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina and Texas.

Find HiCast Sports online at: www.hicastsports.com and cast your vote for the HiCast Sports 2018 MVP Awards Presented by Rawlings at: www.hicastsports.com/vote.

About Rawlings

Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc. is an innovative manufacturer and marketer of sporting goods worldwide. Founded in 1887, Rawlings is an authentic global sports brand, trusted by generations of athletes of all skill levels. Rawlings’ unparalleled quality, innovative engineering and expert craftsmanship are the fundamental reasons why more professional athletes, national governing bodies and sports leagues choose Rawlings. Rawlings is the Official Ball Supplier and Batting Helmet of Major League Baseball®, the official baseball of Minor League Baseball™ and the NCAA®, and the approved baseball, basketball, football and softball of the National High School Federation®. For more information, please visit Rawlings.com or by phone at (314) 819-2800.

View the release on PR Wire.

Triple Crown Sports Teams Up with HiCast Sports Network to Bring Families Across America Together on One Playing Field

Triple Crown Sports will host its second annual US Club Nationals at legendary East Cobb Baseball Complex in Marietta, Georgia on July 18 - 22, bringing together 12 baseball clubs from across the country and one from Canada representing 900 youth athletes from 9U to 14U age divisions to compete for coveted championship titles. Even though each of the teams will be competing in their own age divisions, they’ll be earning points for their clubs. Triple Crown Sports will crown one club the overall champion at the closing ceremonies to be held at The Battery Atlanta and SunTrust Park (home of the Atlanta Braves) on July 22.

Joe Santilli, Executive Director of Baseball for Triple Crown Sports, shares “The geographic representation is phenomenal. We limit how many clubs we invite from each region. Our criteria is not just performance on the field. We invite clubs that are highly competitive and highly organized. They’ll be 10-16 games in each division, but because of the high caliber of play, you know every game is going to be a good one.” Clubs represented in this year’s event include:

• Alabama – Central Alabama Nationals
• California – South Bay Surf
• Colorado – Slammers Baseball
• Florida – Five Star Tigers
• Georgia – 6-4-3 DB Baseball, Georgia Bombers and East Cobb Baseball
• North Carolina – EvoShield Canes
• Oregon – Mound Time Baseball
• Texas – Dallas Patriots and Dallas Tigers
• Virginia – Tidewater Drillers
• Ontario, Canada – Fieldhouse Pirates

Triple Crown Sports selected East Cobb Baseball Complex to host the US Club Nationals because of the park’s reputation. “It’s a beautiful facility. Well kept. The East Cobb Baseball organization is legendary in travel baseball. And what we saw last year with the HiCast Sports Network at East Cobb Baseball Complex was just great. It enhanced the experience,” shared Santilli. True to their core value of putting “Family First,” Triple Crown Sports goes beyond the competition on the field to create a fun experience for the whole family including tickets to an Atlanta Braves game and tours at the new SunTrust Park and entertainment at The Battery Atlanta.

“Triple Crown Sports is about building memories. And our events are all about providing those moments that will give someone a lifelong memory. When I was originally involved as a coach with Triple Crown Sports, I still have these crystal clear memories in my head of teams that I coached in the Steam Boat World Series, but HiCast is actually capturing those memories. So no matter how clear it is in my head, no matter how I explain these memories to someone, it’s never going to be the same. HiCast makes it possible for someone to save and actually show it to someone. Triple Crown Sports is creating the event for these memories to happen, and HiCast is capturing them, which is just a great addition and a great partnership for us.”

Catch the entire tournament live or on-demand July 18-22 on the HiCast Sports Network using your mobile device or computer and use our HiCast Sports mobile app to save and share your favorite highlights from the tournament. Championship Games for 13U and 14U will also be televised on ESPN3.

HiCast Sports Network Featured on Futurecast Innovation Series

Moderator Andrew Keen interviews HiCast Sports Network Chief Brand Officer, Stephanie Calabrese, in a collaborative discussion on Technology Shaping the Future of Sports at AT&T Park, San Francisco, in conjunction with AT&T's SHAPE Tech Expo on July 15, 2016.

The Futurecast Technology Innovation Series is sponsored by AT&T Foundry and Ericsson. It's a series of discussion-based events that revolve around how technology is shaping our world and bring together leaders in technology, government, business and beyond. Attendees debate and challenge one another to vet current solutions and propose new ones to move our collective technology future forward.

Futurecast: How Technology is Enhancing the Fan Experience

"Just as technology has reshaped so many aspects of daily life, it’s brought new dimensions to the way sports are played, as well as the ways fans engage with their favorite teams and players. From real-time data analytics, live streaming, virtual reality and more, sports in the 21st century is a whole new ball game." – futurecastseries.com

We're really honored to have been invited to participate in Futurecast, an ongoing technology series hosted by AT&T Foundry and Ericsson. On July 15 at AT&T Park in San Francisco, CA, HiCast Sports Network leaders joined featured guest, Kenny Lauer, VP Marketing and Digital for the Golden State Warriors; moderator Andrew Keen, author, entrepreneur and Techcrunch chat show host; and a select group of sports technology innovators and media influencers for a salon-style discussion that explored "How Technology is Sharing the Future of Sports".

In this video excerpt from the event, hear Chief Brand Officer, Stephanie Calabrese, share a perspective from HiCast Sports Network, then catch more of the conversation at Futurecast.