As I type this column, I’m sitting in a hotel room next to the Spokane River. I’m here in town with a team of media and broadcast professionals working hard to increase the accessibility and availability of high school sports broadcasts online statewide — so that fans can watch competitive high school athletics from anywhere in Washington state from home.
Eli Sports Network, based in Centralia, Washington, started from humble roots several years back as an NFHS (national) Affiliate and began by sending crews with video cameras, computers, and audio headsets to high schools all over western Washington, covered additional schools as they picked up additional broadcast equipment over the past several years. As schools began to embrace the concept of broadcasting video live and, as knowledge of home high school sports-viewership has increased, Eli Sports Network (in partnership with SWX here in Spokane) now broadcasts all 180 WIAA “Hardwood Classic” State Tournament games in three locations — Tacoma, Yakima, and Spokane — live and on-demand.
Why is this such a big deal? If you’ve ever been to a state tournament — basketball or otherwise — you know the magic of the experience. There’s just nothing else like the intensity, the heartbreak, and the excitement of high school athletics at its highest levels.
For myself: I had a choice. When Paul, the driving force and primary leadership behind Eli Sports Network, asked me to travel with them this year for the state tournament as an add-on digital media professional, I immediately knew which venue I wanted to be at — Spokane Arena. There was no hesitation for me.
I grew up going to Spokane for the “State B” (1B / 2B) Tournament. I come from a family full of coaches and high school athletes. Almost every February, we made the 6-hour trek from Chehalis to Spokane — sometimes caravan style with multiple vehicles — across the state for a chance to witness all the glory. We’d stay at a hotel in the park and walk over to the arena. Later in life, as a student at Adna, I’d travel to Spokane as a member of the pep band, too. Spokane feels like a part of my childhood.
And, have you ever watched some of these small schools compete? Some of these towns represented at Spokane are only on the map these days because a school exists there. It’s not like the 2A, 3A or 4A tournaments where teams show up from cities. No. In 1B and 2B, these teams show up representing tiny communities that might only have a local gas station and a church or single street to define “town” back home. And glory is on the line.
I jumped at the opportunity for my own media floor pass to be courtside in my favorite venue and try my hand — for the first time — at basketball photography with my newest camera. And, the opportunity to bring higher-level coverage to these smaller communities that don’t always see it.
One of the reasons that I was particularly excited to capture media elements for Eli Sports Network is because of the task I was assigned. I wasn’t just getting photos of the basketball action. No, in fact, because Eli Sports Network Broadcasts video, they didn’t just want sports photos — they wanted video of the band, cheerleaders, and the crowd, too.
You see, when you listen on the radio, you can hear the action and get the updates. And the radio guys are great! I had a blast joking around with them (and other media professionals) on the floor. Bob Dow had to tell me to get out of his way while on air for KELA-KMNT Thursday evening (sorry, listeners!). But when you can see the action yourself — see the students in the cheering section, hear the competition between the opposing team’s pep bands, and see the faces of the athletes — and when you can see that game-winning shot with your own eyes in real time. You can get a sense of that “fan” experience, even if you’re watching from home.
There’s just nothing else like it.
With radio, you get the information. With photos, you get a priceless memory. But with live broadcast? You get the experience.
As I scroll through my phone, looking at all the incredible photos and media that the photographers around me on the court are creating, I encourage you to check out The Chronicle’s follow up photos and coverage and, if you’re an athlete or are supporting an athlete, check out the keepsake options for news pages and photos. And, remember: All those broadcast games are available for replay on-demand, too. You can actually see the moment that led to your favorite photo of the tournament.
We’ll never be able to bottle up the whole state experience into one single photo or video. But being here to help people take in the magic themselves, alongside all of these other professionals (that I have a lot to learn from), has been the adventure of a lifetime.
To learn more about Eli Sports Network, go to EliSportsNetwork.com.
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Brittany Voie is a columnist for The Chronicle. She lives south of Chehalis with her husband and two young sons. She welcomes correspondence from the community at voiedevelopment@comcast.net.
