Football: The newest way to exchange game video

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In the old days, exchanging videos between football teams was a big hassle. Coaches had to set up a meeting place, grab their video and set up a time at some ridiculous hour.

Now, with the click of a computer, the videos are uploaded to a website, and an opposing team can get it when notified by e-mail. No more phone calls wondering what went wrong with the meeting site.

This season, the four Serra League teams -- Encino Crespi, Los Angeles Loyola, La Puente Bishop Amat and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame -- are using software to upload their videos to a website and exchange game videos with little difficulty via computer. Notre Dame is using Digital Sports Video.

It costs more than $5,000 just for the software, according to Notre Dame assistant coach Mike Curiel. But that’s what the top programs are spending to break down videos. Curiel said there are lots of schools in the Pac-5 Division sending videos via the Internet.

Of course, there’s many programs that can’t afford the sophisticated software and video equipment. They still exchange video the old-fashion way: handing it over at a coffee shop.

But times are changing, and at least booster money is going toward technology upgrades.

-- Eric Sondheimer