From time to time, we have the privilege of immersing ourselves in the vibrant game day experience at our schools. This past week, our team embarked on a journey to Hastings, Nebraska - a charming town of approximately 25,000 people, situated just 100 miles west of the Nebraska state capital. Our destination? Adams-Central High School – a public school providing education to nearly 400 talented students. Our intent for this visit was to observe and evaluate the use of our system at the first football game of the season, but what we uncovered was a burning passion for student involvement and a teacher willing to turn interest into opportunity.
Adams-Central upgraded their fixed-digit scoreboard to a 32' x 22' outdoor LED display in 2023 after a fairly extensive renovation of their pressbox and stadium. “We are proud to have partnered with Adams-Central and ScoreVision to bring this beautiful Digital Scoreboard to life. We are thrilled to see how Adams-central is using this great technology and how the students are learning hands-on, and how the school community has responded. We could not be more proud," said Chris Kirn, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Digital Scoreboards. The project featured turn-key design, engineering, and installation of the display and accompanying structure by our partners at Digital Scoreboards.
Expanding student involvement at Adams-Central High School
During our visit, we met Crystal Hassentstab, a teacher working full-time with students in the classroom whose interests relate to sports and video production. After installing the new scoreboard, the school offered students an opportunity to take a new class called Videoboard Production. As part of the class, students create graphics, animations, and videos to display on the new scoreboard during home games. "Our students created over 50 graphics for tonight’s game…they put so much time into this. They even came out on the night of our scrimmage to practice," explained Crystal. The new class offers students the chance to learn valuable skills, such as communicating in professional settings, graphic design for mixed mediums, and following brand guidelines.
The course is new to the school this year and includes 16 students, plus an additional three seniors who are creating content through an advanced art class. They plan to continue to grow the experience at Adams-Central and build the program for students in the future to learn more about how they can be a part of athletics beyond the sport.
Adams-Central is not the first to become a ScoreVision user in the Hastings area. Hastings College became a customer in 2016 after installing an indoor scoreboard in their gymnasium. As the ScoreVision game-day experience continues to expand, we hope to see students develop connections and expand opportunities in the sports production industry.