When students walked into the gym for the first time this school year, they were met with something new: giant, bright digital screens flashing graphics for all to see.
Videoboards serve many different purposes, but for Normal West, they’ve become a dynamic tool for sharing announcements, highlighting achievements, and keeping the school community informed.
For years, students and athletes looked up at scoreboards that were older than many of the teams playing beneath them, but now bright new video boards have taken their place.
Normal West Athletic Director Wes Temples says the inspiration came from the new IHSA rule of required shot clocks that will be in place next year.
“So, with the upgrade of having to have shot clocks, our systems were old; they didn’t connect,” Temples said. “Long story short, we were able to get a system that all works together and also, you know, hopefully generate revenue for the school.”
Choosing the type of board also came with challenges, as several companies came in to give estimates for their products.
“The reason we went with the company we went with is because it was the same company as our tables because we’re digital,” Temples added. “So, now instead of having two different systems and boards, our tables, our scoreboards, and our shot clocks are all the same.”
Having multiple boards can add up financially, but thankfully the school was able to get them funded by the district.
Temples described the installation process as “a pain.”
“They had to come back multiple times because wiring wasn’t done correctly or [they] forgot a couple outlets or things because we also got a new sound system,” Temples said. “So, we had to put the sound system into this world board system. And all those had to work together, so that was kind of a hurdle to bite itself.”
But the challenges didn’t stop the team, and getting past the hurdles will be worth it in the long run.
When asked about how the atmosphere will change, Temples answered, “I’m hoping it makes it more fun. I think the kids like it.”
And as much as the kids like it, it also has high potential to make the school some money.
“It does offer some opportunity to generate revenue for our school,” Temples added. “The most important thing, we’re hoping, is to become something that our kids [students] produce and run, and something that’s fun for our fans.”
Temples also noted some features West hopes to add: “we’re working on having live playback, [something] we can show immediately back up on the board.”
The coaches and players who have used the boards so far love them.
“It gives them an opportunity to do some different stuff and it kind of separates our schools, us and Normal [Community High School],” Temples said. “We both have the same thing, so from some other people that we play, I think we need an opportunity.”
The overall goal of these boards, outside of the connected system, is to show the investment in students and athletes and continue to create special memories.
In fact they can be used for many events outside of sports such as movie nights or assemblies with even more opportunities in the future.
Temples also noted they can be used for graduation practices, practice time, or simply to display pictures and announcements during the school day.
District instructional technology coach and Normal West head boys basketball coach Ed Hafermann has also been heavily involved in this transition.
Hafermann said the old system made daily practices difficult.
“They were aging quite a bit, and we were having issues running practices…because the boards were not connecting the correct way,” he explained.
Even after replacing parts, “we were still having more connectivity issues with them, and it was becoming quite obvious that the equipment that we had was aging out,” he added.
The new boards have already generated a ton of excitement among athletes.
“There’s been a lot of excitement. They like them,” Hafermann said, especially after volleyball got to use them first.
He added that he and Coach Mueller were able to “customize the scoreboard for volleyball” and that he recently started creating “graphics for the basketball scoreboard,” as well.
One of the biggest hits has been the graphic tied to big plays.
“If a girl spikes the ball, we are able to throw up a graphic that yells ‘boom,’ and [for aces], ‘Ace Ventura gets thrown up there doing his little dance,’” Hafermann said.
Hafermann said the boards have completely transformed the atmosphere.
“[They are] overall appealing, the look of it makes the gym look better. They’re sharp, they’re big,” Hafermann noted.
And it’s not just the big screens. The team added to the scorer’s table to. With the signs, they are able to add advertisements, the WildcatLive logo as well as QR codes for fans.
This fall, the Normal West athletic department even started recording weekly student-athlete announcements in front of the green screen.
“It’s connected to our new speaker system in the gym, so it’s awesome that you can actually hear that you see up there too,” Hafermann noted.
Near the end of volleyball season, Hafermann even figured out a replay trick. Because of the Wildcat Live delay, “we can have it almost look like a replay,” he boasted.
Looking ahead, Hafermann thinks every program will find new ways to use the boards.
“It’s appealing to whatever team is playing…it makes everything look sharp,” he stated.
He mentioned that girls basketball hired someone to create a new hype video like volleyball, and that that the boards are a great way to share information during timeouts or breaks.
He also has big dreams for the future: full instant replay software, movie-night themes, eSports watch parties, livestream integration, and more.
“If our gaming club…would somehow like to…highlight games being livestreamed…that’s something else,” Hafermann said.
He even sees more assemblies using the screens in the future.
Most of all, the investment into these boards is appreciated.
Halfermann describes it as “a major upgrade…and it’s a source of pride.”
Normal West physical education teacher and volleyball coach Kelsey Mueller describes the new technology as really impressive.
“The picture on it is so clear, and it’s really cool how the scoreboard was pretty customizable. I love that we have two of them on each side and they are large and just really nice,” Mueller noted.
The boards were especially useful during the volleyball season that just ended.
“They added a fun new element to our games,” Mueller mentioned. “We were able to have live stats up there for kills and digs and were able to create cool graphics for matches and theme nights.”
Having live stats, replays, and highlights on the boards was a huge help in making everything look professional and reflect each game.
Not only were the boards useful for players and teams, but also for the roaring student section.
“They would often say out loud what graphic was being displayed, for example ‘Point Wildcats!’ and things like that,” Mueller said.
She also made a suggestion for future events.
“I think for things like senior night and other theme nights, it gives the audience things to look at even if it’s watching the commercials. I loved the videos where we had current students talking about what was coming up that week, so would love to see more of that!” she added.
The boards can also be used outside of sports to promote clubs and other aspects of the school, as well as quick graphics in between sets or plays.
Normal West is always looking for improvements, and Mueller, along with the rest of the school, is appreciative of the new technology.
“I’m just really grateful to have the upgrades to the facility for all our sports and events in the gym,” Mueller said. “I know it made our players feel special, excited, and proud to be a Wildcat. To give our students and athletes that experience is awesome.”
In just a few months, the videoboards have changed the atmosphere of West’s gym completely.
They highlight our athletes, hype up our fans, and give the whole school something to be proud of.
Be sure to check the hype out on Friday, December 5 when the varsity boys and girls basketball teams play Urbana. Tip-off for the boys begins at 5:30 pm. Girls tip off at 7 pm.
