14 minute read
A Partner for Headsets, Cameras, Drones, Devices and Other Tech Needs
Sideline Power: Setting the Standard in Coaching Technology The last thing a coach wants to think about during a game is technology – whether it comes in the form of headsets, end zone cameras, sideline replays, timing systems, drones or portable sound systems. Sideline Power owns that responsibility so coaches can focus on the action.
BY DAN GUTTENPLAN
Launched in 2011, Sideline Power specializes in outfitting teams with headsets, end zone and sideline cameras, timing systems, drones and portable sound systems to improve the game experience for coaches, players and fans alike.
“We take care of our clients’ needs,” said Matt Starr, CEO of Sideline Power. “We support our clients by providing the best products for the best price with the best support.”
Sideline Power started in 2011 as a leader in headset communication technology for coaching staffs. Over the last decade, the company has developed packages as basic as the X Series All-in-one, which is priced as low as $400 per headset for a two-, three- or four-coach setup, and as elaborate as the Vokkero Guardian C2C, which is priced at $21,584 for a package with a 16-coach setup.
Over time, the innovators at Sideline Power have embraced the latest advances in technology in sideline and end zone replay, as well as Lazser Down first-down markers, timing systems, coach tablets, drones and portable sound systems. Sideline Power supplies coaches with several drone options – made by DJI, and many coaches use the aerial photography to get practice footage.
ONLINE: SIDELINEPOWER.COM PHONE: 1-800-496-4290
– TOBY WADE, COACH AT SAN MARCOS ACADEMY (TEXAS)
Sideline Power also specializes in portable sound systems that allow coaches to simulate crowd noise. The speakers can serve as public address systems and provide in-game entertainment in the form of music or hype speeches. The Bigfoot Sound System uses Bluetooth wireless technology, so it is portable with a weight of less than 50 pounds.
“We started a Good, Better, Best Program, so we don’t just target highbudget programs,” Starr said. “We’ll work with you whether it fits your budget or not. We have something for you.”
SIDELINE POWER IS THE NO. 1 CHOICE IN COACHING COMMUNCATION
providing a wide variety of coaching headsets, end zone cameras, drones, timer, portable sound systems and other technology needs for all athletic programs.
Q& A
with Sideline Power CEO Matt Starr
BY DAN GUTTENPLAN
Matt Starr is the Founder and CEO of Sideline Power. Sideline Power works to find and bring cutting edge technology to the football industry in order to help coaches win.
f How has your business been affected by the pandemic?
“We saw a little dip in March when everything hit. April was a record month of April for us. It was pretty good for us. We’ve been busy and off to a great start for May.” f Are you getting most of your business from high school or college coaches?
“A little bit of both. I heard from a lot of high school coaches who said the buses weren’t running so they had a little extra money to spend. It’s either spend it now or lose it. They took advantage of that, so we hit up a lot of schools and got a lot of orders.” f Is your background in coaching or technology? How did you become the founder of Sideline Power?
“It’s been a wide variety of things. I started Sideline Power in 2011. My previous background was with the U.S. Olympics years ago. Then I got into semi-pro indoor football. I went to a company, Game Plan, in 2004 and 2005. It was a short stint, and then I was one of the ones that got DSV rolling. DSV sold to HUDL in 2011, so I had a lot of coaching contacts at the time. I was doing editing software, and then I focused on coaching headsets. Our main focus was headsets in 2011, and it grew from there. I added on several products, and we now offer a wide variety of coaching communication needs.” f How do you stay ahead of the trends?
“I’m kind of a tech nerd myself. I always look for the latest and greatest thing. I’m a coach myself. I coach high school basketball so I see the needs. I understand the football world. I always see the needs and try to get them the latest and greatest products.” f How has your team been communicating with clients during the pandemic?
“We always have guys on the road visiting coaches and clinics. Now, we have time. We created a #PoweredUp coaching community page on Facebook that already has 1,000 coaches. We’re sharing ideas. We offer a free live clinic on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. We also have one of our reps – a former WWF wrestler and professional football player – do a Q&A on Thursday at 2 p.m. We have been very creative in finding ways of marketing our products. We’re not trying to push it down our clients’ throats. We’re seeing what we can do to help coaches get through this.” f How do you think the industry will change as a result of all this?
“We’re doing more demos on Zoom instead of face-to-face meetings. We’re hopping on Zoom and going over products from A to Z. We still specialize in end zone cameras, drones and headsets. We offer one of the best reconditioning programs out there with a thorough cleaning. Not much of what we sell will change, but how we sell will change with more Zoom meetings.”
Podcast Alert
Starr joined FNF Coaches Managing Editor Dan Guttenplan on the FNF Coaches podcast in May. Visit FNFCoaches.com/ podcast to listen to his interview.
The Sideline Power Lineup
JACKIE STARR
OFFICE MANAGER
MARC SHEIL
VP OF SALES & MARKETING
BILL DANENHAUER
NATIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGER
ANDREW BENNER
SALES ASSISTANT
MITCH MCCOY
SUPPORT & SERVICE MANAGER
BRETT DAVIS
CLINIC DIRECTOR
LARRY THEXTON
TEXAS REP
CHRIS HANCOCK
DRONE SPECIALIST/ CONTENT WRITER
Sideline Power’s Most Popular Products Sideline Power is the No. 1 Choice in Coaching Communication providing a wide variety of coaching headsets, end zone cameras, drones and other technology needs for all athletic programs. Here are some of the most popular products for coaches in 2020.
EVS25 Complete Setup with Sony Camera MSRP: $5,595
The EVS25 has been the top selling endzone tower for over a decade because of its versatility and ease of operation. The EVS25 has stood the test of time because of standard options such as the winch system, the patented pan/tilt, and other features that set EVS apart from all others.
https://sidelinepower.com/product/evs25- complete-setup-with-sony-camera/
For more great products visit sidelinepower.com
Legacy End Zone Camera Monopod MSRP: $1,650
Take your practice film to the next level with the 15ft Legacy MonoPod. Made out of lightweight carbon fiber, the MonoPod allows your filmer to be mobile and move around the field to capture the action up close and personal. Easy to set up and use, the MonoPod will give you a simple and direct view to see what the players are seeing.
https://sidelinepower.com/ product/legacy-monopod-15/
The CoachPad MSRP: $850
The CoachPad™ is an efficient way to prepare scout cards for practice, whether that is loading a PDF from a drawing software you currently use (Hudl Practice Scripts, JustPlay, Visio, PowerPoint, etc) or by drawing them all by hand. No more stuffing a binder full of clear vinyl sheets! Ever have a card drawn wrong or wanted to modify the play? The CoachPad™ allows you to erase and redraw easier than ever outdoors on either a PDF or hand drawn card.
https://sidelinepower.com/product/thecoachpad/
X Series All-In-One Headsets MSRP: $400 PER HEADSET
The X Series All-In-One Headset is an affordable option for easy-to-use, clear communication during the game and at practice.
https://sidelinepower.com/product/xseries-all-in-one-headset-4-coachpackage/
The #PoweredUp Clinics
In 2021, Sideline Power will host four #PoweredUp clinics in 2020 – two in Nebraska, one in Nevada, and one in Arkansas. The #PoweredUp clinic offers coaches freebies, technology information, coaching advice, and opportunities to expand their networks. Sideline Power specializes in outfitting teams with headsets, end zone and sideline cameras, drones and portable sound systems.
Per the terms of a recent partnership agreement, Sideline Power will host the Clinic of Champions in Reno, Nev. – the longest-running coaches clinic for high school football coaches.
“It has helped with our relationships,” Starr said. “We were going to several clinic a year, and this is a way to give back and get our products in front of coaches.”
“We’ve taken feedback from coaches on what makes up a great clinic,” said #PoweredUp Coaches Clinic director Brett Davis. “We focus ourselves on customer service, and we really try to make this a great experience for coaches. It’s an opportunity to do some networking through small group sessions. We’re custom-fitting our clinic to meet coaches’ needs.”
THE LIST OF SPEAKERS FROM THE 2020 #POWEREDUP COACHES CLINICS INCLUDED:
SPEAKER SCHOOL
John Stiegelmeier South Dakota State University Ryan Gottula Lincoln Southeast High (Neb.) Michael Huffman Bellevue West High (Neb.) Kody Morgan North Dakota State (N.D.) Guy Rosenberg Elkhorn South High (Neb.) Steve Martin Wichita Northwest High (Kan.) Shannon Moore University of Wyoming Chad Fox Wahoo High (Neb.) Reed Manstedt Waverly High (Neb.) Seth McClain Freemont High (Neb.) Conor Riley Kansas State University Andrew Shanle Cypress Ridge High (Tex.) Aaron Danenhauer Bentonville High (Ark.) Casey Dick Fayetville High (Ark.) Nathan Foster Tulsa Union High (Okla.) Jacob Gill Shiloh Christian High (Ark.) Sean Riley Southwest Assemblies of God University (Tex.) Loren Montgomery Bixby High (Okla.) Jeff Conaway Shiloh Christian High (Ark.) Justin Kramer Missouri State University Adam Gaylor Jenks High (Okla.) Missouri State Coaching Staff
Apps for Coaches
Using apps has become an essential part of being a coach, as we try to find new ways to connect with players on a variety of platforms. Here is a collection of apps that have served coaches in the changing landscape of high school football.
COACH.ME
Create your playbooks with ease. Everything needed to bring your play to life is just a click away. With stateof-the-art animation tools and customizable player options, CoachMe® PlayBook provides you the canvas for your masterpiece. The CoachMe® Network (mobile to web collaboration) enables you to create, edit and share in both the mobile and web platforms.
GOOGLE MEET
Meet uses the same protections that Google uses to secure your information and safeguard your privacy. Meet video conferences are encrypted in transit, and our array of safety measures are continuously updated for added protection. Get the whole crew together in Google Meet, where you can present face to face.
GOTOMEETING
GoToMeeting is designed to broadcast the desktop view of a host computer to a group of computers connected to the host through the Internet. Transmissions are protected with high-security encryption and optional passwords. By combining a web-hosted subscription service with software installed on the host computer, transmissions can be passed through highly restrictive firewalls.
GROUPME
It’s like a private chat room for your team, position group or coaching staff. Have as many as you want, and it’s always free. Now, you can coordinate or organize meetings, practices, transportation, or parent communication. Keep in touch with your entire team all in the same place.
JUSTPLAY
Just Play provides coaches with football playbook and game planning tools to prepare faster and engage with today’s athlete. Build scouting reports, playbooks, and video quizzes with easyto-use digital coaching tools. Integrate with Hudl/XOS/ DVSport video. Print play sheets and scouts.
SPORTSYOU
A free communication app, sportsYou is created specifically for the needs of coaches. It gives coaches the ability to privately communicate, schedule and share media with their team. With no character limits and the ability to send one-way messages, sportsYou is a highly versatile communication app for coaches.
TACKLE FOOTBALL PLAYMAKER X
Tackle Football Playmaker X is a playbook design, collaboration and printing app. We’ve built on the foundation of our coachfavorite Playmaker app and added cloud backup, multidevice syncing, advanced diagramming, deeper printing options and more.
FOOTBALL PLAY DESIGNER
Play Designer Football is the easiest way to draw, share and show live motion football plays. Play Designer Football helps coach your players, create plays on the fly and manage your playbook. It’s super easy to use and you will find your players learning curve and retention increase as they watch your tactics and strategy unfold in live motion.
5HUDL Technique Functions You May Not Know About Video analysis is the process of using motion recording and gaining useful and actionable information from it. HUDL is shifting toward providing coaches with the capability to analyze video to coach players on technique.
BY DAN GUTTENPLAN, FNF COACHES EDITOR
More and more football coaches are starting to use HUDL Technique to help players improve through slow motion video analysis. Use an iPhone, iTouch or iPad camera to record and break down technique for instant feedback during a practice or game. Analyze a player’s technique in super slow motion, compare side-by-side to a pro’s, or study the video frame by frame. With Hudl Technique, players have another avenue to improve.
Here are five functions of HUDL Technique that can help football players.
1Analyze Using Drawing Tools Example: If an offensive lineman is too wide in his stance, use the drawing tool to demonstrate the proper foot position.
Instructions: Draw directly on top of your video to help illustrate the technique shown. Open Hudl Technique and choose a video to analyze. Tap the pencil icon to open your drawing toolbox. Select what tool and color you’d like to use from the options. The angle drawing tool can be used for emphasis. Use the circular end points to adjust the lengths. The stopwatch tool is for timing analysis. Tap the Aa icon to add text to the video. Tap Clear to delete all drawings or Undo to delete your most recent drawing. To save drawings, create a video review.
2Use Slow-Motion Controls Example: Show a wide receiver why he is struggling to make precise cuts due to being off balance by slowing down the video.
Instructions: Open the Hudl Technique app and select a video. Control video frame by frame by using the scrubber at the bottom. Play the video back at 1⁄2, 1⁄4, or 1⁄8 speed.
3Create a Video Review Example: Add your own commentary of coaching points over the video.
Instructions: Open the Hudl Technique app and select a video to review. Tap play. Tap the microphone icon to begin. The ■ Audio ■ Scrubbing ■ Drawing ■ Slow Motion ■ Zooming & Panning review will capture the following:
Tap the stop icon when you finish the review. Select the review from your video menu to begin watching.
4Compare Videos Example: Show a quarterback how his throwing motion compares to that of Patrick Mahomes.
Instructions: Open the Hudl Technique app and select a video. ■ Record a ■ Compare with ■ Compare to new video pro athletes your videos Tap Compare. Select one of the three following options:
Play back each video individually or sync the two videos on a specific frame by tapping the lock icon in the bottom right. Turn your device to landscape mode for a side-by-side view. To overlay the videos, tap the overlay icon at the top of the screen. Use the sliding bar to adjust transparency of the videos. Match the video sizes by pinching each one to zoom in and out. To save the comparison, create a video review.
5Flip Videos Example: Look at blocking angles on a different plane to show a running back how plays develop.
Instructions: Open the Hudl Technique app and select a video. Tap the Options icon. Tap Flip original to flip that video. Tap Save as new video to create a separate flipped video. Your video will now be flipped and ready to review.
