TECHNOLOGY
CoachComm Cobalt PLUS Headsets Are For More Than Just Games CoachComm has brought leading-edge products to the game, and the Cobalt PLUS is a continuation of that trend. The Cobalt line of headsets provides worry-free and reliable communications with exceptional sound quality and industry leading technology. BY DAN GUTTENPLAN, FNF COACHES EDITOR
S ■■Shiloh Christian (Ark.) coach Jeff Conaway communicated with his players at practice through the Cobalt PLUS Player Receiver.
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hiloh Christian’s (Ark.) HFC Jeff Conaway is the first to admit that
his team probably wouldn’t have won a 2020 state championship without the CoachComm Cobalt PLUS headset system. Using the Cobalt system for the first time in 2020, Conaway and his staff took advantage of the Player Receiver. During each practice, eight of his players wore receivers on their arms, giving the coaches a direct line of communication. “We put them on the quarterback, running back and wide receiver,” Conaway said. “On defense, we put them on two defensive linemen, a linebacker and a defensive back. We are an uptempo practice team. We don’t want to slow down. We want to communicate as fast as possible. “Now, I can give my quarterback cues that I otherwise wouldn’t be able to give him as efficiently,” Conaway said. “If our running back needs to know an alignment, his coach can give cues. It enhances our ability to communicate with players. It gave us a huge advantage down the stretch. If I wasn’t able to communicate with my sophomore quarterback the way I
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was in practice, I don’t think he would have performed as well as he did in the semifinals or state championship game.” The CoachComm Cobalt PLUS system offers the popular SmartBoom PRO headsets with a flip-up boom to mute the mic technology. Without the need for a basestation, Cobalt PLUS provides a compact, weather-resistant communications belt pack with an easy-to-use interface. In addition, the system provides a collegiate-type workflow for coaches who want to offer primary and secondary channels so the entire staff can work on game day. This is done by offering six (6) channels of communication, allowing each coach to customize and access up to three (3) of these channels from the coach’s belt pack. “Up until last year, we only wore headsets on game day,” Conaway said. “This year, we wore the Cobalt PLUS with SmartBoom LITE headsets at practice. They were both light and functional. We changed the way we communicate as coaches and with players.” Conaway also found that he didn’t encounter as many surprises -- like injuries or personnel issues -- at the end of each practice. “To be able to communicate with every coach on the field as a head coach is priceless,” Conaway said. “In the past, I had to yell or get in close proximity. Now, I have the ability to flip my mic boom down and talk to my coaches while also listening to them coach. As the head coach, it gives me a feeling that I know what’s going on.” Conaway is one of many coaches who saw players improve and develop faster because of the extra attention they received from coaches after making the switch to the Cobalt PLUS. CoachComm Vice President of Sales Mike Whitley feels that the Cobalt PLUS will be of even greater value in the post-pandemic atmosphere. “COVID gave coaches an opportunity to pull back and look at everything they do,” Whitley said. “It made it easier for coaches to communicate. What they found from the offseason drills to 7-on7s to real practice is it became a very good tool for them. Now, the ones who use it in practice say they can’t practice without it.”
