Thanks for a great season! This past year, fans of Pike athletics enjoyed their favorite team in an entirely new way, with Red Devil athletics streamed live online, part of a new, cutting-edge Internet operation that pairs broadcast television professionals with student volunteers, eager to learn more about the world of broadcasting.
Enjoy your favorite team from the comfort of your home, with Red Devil athletics streamed live online, part of a new, cutting-edge Internet operation that pairs broadcast television professionals with student volunteers, eager to learn more about the world of broadcasting.
PikeSportsLive.com was created in 2008 with the help of WRTV's Dan Spehler and his colleague Chad Bouslog, who donated their time and talents to help launch the new project by mentoring and assisting Pike students learning about the world of broadcast media.
The web site features live video web casts of Pike home varsity football games, while also broadcasting live basketball coverage, and streaming video highlights of other athletic events throughout the year.
"This is going to benefit Pike students in so many different ways," said Pike District Athletic Director James Perkins.
“Not only because of all the friends and family around the country who can go to their computers now on Fridays and watch their loved ones on the field, but more importantly for the educational aspect, and the chance for our students to work side-by-side with real broadcast professionals."
“Students are excited,” added Jeanne Burroughs, Business & IT department chair, “It’s an opportunity to obtain real-world experiences in the field of broadcasting that are sure to move them ahead of the learning curve as they prepare to enter the next phase of their education or career.”
Pike has also secured an impressive lineup of local sponsors to help pay for the broadcasts, including St. Vincent Sports Performance, Chick-Fil-A at the Pyramids, and two local McDonald’s restaurants – the 71st St. location by I-465 and the location at 56th and Georgetown.
As many as 72 live athletic events could be involved in the deal. And fans will also be able to view and listen to archived game broadcasts, plus highlights and post-game interviews that will be available online immediately after each football game, so fans can watch as soon as they get home.
In addition to the live game broadcasts, there are also plans in the works for a weekly online coaches' show, giving aspiring students plenty of opportunities to work 'on-the-air' -- exactly the kind of opportunity which helped spark Spehler's interest in broadcasting when he was young.
"Broadcasting is such a unique field," Spehler said. "I think hands-on training is incredibly valuable to aspiring students. I got to do play-by-play like this when I was in high school and college, and then interning in TV, I know how truly important it was for me to learn from the real pros. So really, a lot of this is me wanting to give back that same way."
"It's really a wonderful arrangement," Perkins said. "When we first approached each other about doing this, we all knew it would be something that could really help our students."
Pike Sports Live!
