Ford Field Trip Gives Students Taste of Football Finals Broadcasting
By
Jon Ross
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties
December 7, 2021
Four levels above them, in the press box, a group of prospective broadcasters were touring the facilities. The high school students had spent the Fall sports season streaming games to the NFHS Network and now were learning about a career in broadcasting from Eric Vandefifer, a Montrose High grad currently serving as the radio voice of Saginaw Valley State University basketball and as a contributor to a variety of high school broadcast channels including the MHSAA Network.
Seven years ago, Vandefifer was in a similar situation. He was part of a field trip to Ford Field for the Finals that helped him realize sports broadcasting was a career he wanted to pursue. Those field trips were headed by Tom Skinner and Thom Lengyel, who became mentors to Vandefifer. As a high school junior in 2017, Vandefifer was named Best Student Broadcaster nationally by the NFHS Network.
“With Tom Skinner now deceased and Thom Lengyel retired from the broadcast business, I just felt like I had to continue this and their legacy,” Vandefifer said. “It was important to me to keep it going because when I was in school, it was something I looked forward to.”
Nearly 50 students from Lowell, Montrose, Lake Orion, Mount Pleasant and Ann Arbor Greenhills high schools made the Nov. 26-27 trip to Ford Field. They were able to film highlights, interview players, practice announcing the games, meet other members of the press and more. For Vandefifer, giving back to students who are in the position he once was is very rewarding.
“We had the ability to feel like real media members for a day. I wanted to be able to give other students that same opportunity,” Vandefifer said. “Seeing kids who have a love for sportscasting and that drive to get better gives me real hope for the next generation in this business.”
And after the field trips were done each day, Vandefifer put his headphones on, got behind the microphone and called the two afternoon games for the MHSAA Championship Network.
PHOTOS (Top) Eighth grader Sam Belill, left, and freshman Owen Leitelt from Montrose practice calling a game from the Ford Field press box. (Middle) Mount Pleasant make a stop at the press conference room. (Photos provided by the Montrose and Mount Pleasant School Broadcast Programs.)
Tune In for Spring Tournament Coverage
May 21, 2019
By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties
The first three weekends of June will wrap up another school year of MHSAA Tournament action with live audio and video streams on MHSAA.tv and MHSAANetwork.com.
Finals coverage begins June 1 at 10 a.m. (EDT), with live streaming video from the Lower Peninsula and Upper Peninsula Track & Field Finals on MHSAA.tv. The following Saturday – June 8 – Lacrosse takes center stage, with audio streaming on MHSAANetwork.com joining the video streaming of the Boys & Girls Finals at Howell and Novi.
The third weekend features 28 games over three days in three sports. Audio and video streams of the Baseball and Softball Semifinals and Finals take place June 13-15, with four games each day. The Girls Soccer Finals also will have live audio and video June 14-15, with two games each day. All of the action will originate from Old College Field at Michigan State University.
All can be viewed on MHSAA.tv by purchasing a Month Pass for just $9.95. One subscription allows for three logons and is also good for watching other live high school events on the NFHS Network. The audio streams on MHSAANetwork.com are free. Instant downloads of audio and video files are available on the respective websites.
Select tournament games in Lacrosse and Soccer also will be available from MHSAA members participating in the School Broadcast Program.
Here is the schedule for Spring sporting events to be streamed live on MHSAA.tv for May 21-24:
Tuesday - May 21
Softball - Mattawan at Stevensville Lakeshore - 3:52 PM
Boys Lacrosse Regional - Flint Powers v. Bay City Western - 5 PM
JV Girls Soccer – Temperance Bedford at Saline - 5:30 PM
Girls Soccer – Temperance Bedford at Saline - 7 PM
Boys Lacrosse Regional - Pontiac Notre Dame Prep v. B. Hills Cranbrook Kingswood - 7 PM
Girls Regional Lacrosse – Lake Orion at White Lake Lakeland – 7 PM
Wednesday - May 22
Baseball - Houghton at Negaunee - 4 PM
Girls Soccer District – Wyandotte Roosevelt at Woodhaven - 5 PM
Girls Lacrosse Regional - Royal Oak v. B. Hills Cranbrook Kingswood - 5 PM
Boys Lacrosse Regional - Livonia Stevenson at Novi - 6 PM
Boys Lacrosse – Detroit Cass Tech at St. Clair Shores Lake Shore - 6 PM
Girls Soccer District - Clinton at Manchester - 7 PM
Girls Lacrosse Regional - Vicksburg at E. Grand Rapids - 7 PM
Girls Soccer District – Walled Lake Northern at White Lake Lakeland - 7 PM
Girls Lacrosse Regional - Rochester Hills Stoney Creek v. Warren Regina - 7 PM
Thursday - May 23
Softball - Hancock at Negaunee - 4 PM
Girls Soccer District – Grand Rapids Forest Hills Eastern at Cedar Springs - 6 PM
Friday - May 24
Softball - Portage Central at Stevensville Lakeshore - 3:55 PM
Girls Soccer District – Battle Creek Pennfield at Plainwell - 5:45 PM
In its 10th year, the School Broadcast Program gives members an opportunity to showcase excellence in their schools by creating video programming of athletic and non-athletic events, with students gaining skills in announcing, camera operation, directing/producing and graphics. Pixellot – the NFHS Network’s automated streaming solution – is used by schools wishing to live stream games but lacking the ability to staff events. The SBP also gives schools the opportunity to raise money through advertising and viewing subscriptions.
NFHS Network subscriptions begin at $9.95 a month. Subscribers will have access to all live video and streaming statistics across the country. All content becomes available for free, on-demand viewing 72 hours after being shown live. School Broadcast Program participants also are selling Season and Annual Passes at a discounted rate. A portion of every subscription sold by a school goes to benefit its program.
A complete list of participating schools can be found on the School Broadcast Program page of the MHSAA Website.