The Menahga School District adopted a new live streaming service.
Athletic Director Michael Weerts said Hudl (fan.hudl.com) will be beneficial not only to Braves fans, but also coaches.
Live streaming will be free to everyone in the community, he explained at the Monday, Oct. 16 school board meeting.
Everyone in the Park Region Conference uses Hudl, with the exception of Menahga and Sebeka, Weerts reported. “Sebeka is getting on board shortly with it.”
So, for example, when Menahga plays against Wadena or Bertha-Hewitt, they all utilize Hudl cameras.
Menahga School will implement two cameras: one in the main gymnasium and one at the football field.
This allows for live streaming of volleyball, basketball, wrestling, football, softball and baseball games.
Tucker Peve, a Minnesota Hudl account representative, spoke to the board via Google Meet. He explained that the school will have access to the Hudl Focus Exchange Network, meaning road game footage will automatically be uploaded to Menahga coaches’ and student athletes’ Hudl accounts.
Out-of-town games will be simulcasted on Menahga’s Hudl pages. The live stream can also be embedded directly into the district’s website.
Game highlights, team schedules, team rosters, live streams and archived broadcasts are posted at fan.hudl.com, according to Peve. No accounts or fees are required.
With the higher clarity footage, Weerts said coaches can share the live performance with athletes to improve play.
Hudl Assist provides automated analytics and statistical reports on Menahga and all of their opponents. Peve said this helps coaches prepare a better game plan.
Weerts said advertising is a large part of the funding strategy. “We’ll be able to do commercials during half-time, during timeouts,” he said, along with “powered by” sponsors who receive promotion before the broadcast begins.
Peve said the school collects 100% of the sponsorship dollars.
The cameras are fully automated, according to Peve, using the same artificial intelligence technology as Tesla’s auto-driving car. They only require a standard plug-in and ethernet. During the agreement, the cameras are replaced or upgraded free of charge.
Hudl Academy (hudl.com/academy) offers self-paced learning resources for coaches.
Board member Cherie Peterson asked if concerts or graduation ceremonies can be live streamed as well.
Peve said band or choir concerts, or even school board meetings, can be live streamed through Hudl’s remote truck app by using an iPhone or iPad.
Weerts said the cost is $13,000 per year. It’s a three-year agreement. The district currently pays $7,000 for the Hudl services it uses.
The school board approved the purchase, not to exceed $8,000, with board chair Andrea Haverinen absent.
Superintendent Jay Kjos commended Weerts “for his hard work in securing advertising to fund the Hudl purchase. This new system will replace our previous streaming system, which charged our stakeholders for streaming events.”
John Hedstrom, who recently joined the district as assistant K-12 principal, said his previous district utilized Hudl. He suggested that the Park Region Conference negotiate a better price. “It’s very helpful for student athletes that are being recruited by colleges because you can instantly send stats and film to college coaches,” Hedstrom added. “It’s the wave of the future, for sure.”
One potential challenge is navigating parental consent with those who don’t want images of their child live streamed, he noted.
In other business, the school board did this:
- Approved a master agreement with Education Minnesota Menahga (EMM) for school years 2023-25. Kjos said the combined two-year salary and benefits increase is 12.11%. “This contract is going to make Menahga attract, retain and respect teachers,” he said. “We’re going to be super-competitive. Next year it’ll be $51,000 for a starting teacher.”
- Accepted an E-rate system proposal from West Central Telephone Association, totaling $146,271.
- Approved the final draft of the school district’s strategic plan.
- Agreed to contribute $4,213 to the Todd-Wadena Community Concern for Youth Program.
- Approved Dylan Urvig as full-time custodian; Lela Peterson and Michaela Skoog as paraprofessionals; and LuAnn Siltala and Glenn Row as route bus drivers.
- Accepted resignations from bus driver Maryann Honga, effective Oct. 10, and paraprofessional Larry Novak, effective Oct. 16.
- Approved seniority lists for EMM licensed and paraprofessional staff for the 2023-24 school year.
- Heard Tim Ellingson’s opposition to converting the school’s tennis courts into pickleball courts.
