FILMING LACROSSE GAMES, STAYING AHEAD

How to Film a Lacrosse Game and Stay Ahead of Technology Needs

Lacrosse is a growing game in the U.S. and there’s a steady trend of people getting interested and invested in the sport. It’s an awesome game for fans of all ages, with a simple set of rules that can be understood fairly quickly, but strategies and tactics that can take a lifetime to master.
With more people learning the game and wanting to get better, there’s a bigger demand for getting important matches recorded to watch later. Days spent watching game film, while physically relaxing, can be just as valuable as practice time in the gym lifting weights or on the field. 
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But what exactly are players getting from spending valuable time sitting and watching a screen? Film isn’t a digital scrapbook there to remember the good times—it’s an important tool to learn from. It gives your team time to work on unity, learn strategy, and invite internal criticism.

Team Unity

Gathering together in a room to study a film can actually be a valuable team-building exercise. The unity and camaraderie grows, no matter if you are watching a win or a loss. By studying the wins, your team will be able to see the importance of working as a team and the strengths that led them to victory—which will bring everyone closer together. Even in studying the losses, teams can bond by commiserating with each other and looking to find ways to raise each other up.

Strategy

Sometimes when a player is on the field in the heat of the moment, it’s hard to see the bigger picture. It’s difficult for them to conceptualize where defenders and attackers are, and see what options are available. Without a better understanding of the game and the position of the teams, players aren’t always able to make the best choices while on the field. With a recorded game, the team is able to do something they could never do on the field: Pause the game and study. 

With some planning, a coach can pause at key moments and start a discussion with their team about what could be done and their overall strategy. Studying and learning from film gives players the ability to see the field and layout while giving them time to develop better playmaking skills. With enough study of strategy and game mechanics in the film room, mindful play becomes second nature on the field.

Self Criticism

Film offers the chance for reflection and improvement. Even if a coach says nothing while watching the film, a smart player can look at their performance and see the mistakes they are making. These mistakes can lie within their decision-making processes, or even their technical skills. 

Film gives your players a chance to see room for improvement in their abilities and skills. Just like professional dancers practice in a room with mirrors so they can see their movements and make adjustments, studying film gives your players the same chance to see their progress and gaps in skill.

How to Film a Lacrosse Game

There are a few options for recording a lacrosse game, but some are easier to set up and better for the players than others. When you’re determining how to film a lacrosse game you need to consider the cost, accessibility, and range of sight of the camera. 

The cost of a camera can range drastically. You can use everything from a personal phone to a professional HD camcorder. While small handheld cameras are inexpensive, cheap video quality can sometimes get in the way of thorough game analysis. If a player can’t see what they’re doing on the field, the entire purpose of filming is ruined. 

Camera quality is also important.  Fast paced games, where the speed of the ball can travel from 60-100 mph need a camera that can record at 60 frames per second (60p).  Many cameras record at 30 frames per second (60i).  But this does not provide enough frames for good quality film.  Also, having a good quality camera with optical zoom (not digital) is important if you really want good clarity.  Keep in mind, a camera with 4K, but using digital zooming, provides worse resolution than a  HD 1080p camera with a good optical zoom.

Accessibility is important because you don’t want to have a complicated set up that is impossible to use. The more time you spend learning your camera setup, the less time is left for working with your team and helping them improve in meaningful ways.

The angle film is taken is one of the most important aspects of recording a lacrosse match. This allows the viewer to understand spacing and distance - which cannot be seen from the field level. This elevated view also allows the viewer to see the different players and their placement in relation to each other.  Lacrosse is a team sport, and the team needs to look at how they are doing on the field, even when they aren’t at the center of action. The ability of a defenseman or an attacker to position themselves in preparation for what might be coming their way matters and can be improved on.

Handheld

You can always grab a small handheld camera, sit on the sidelines, and hit record. While this option is cheap and easy, it might not be the best choice for your players. When you’re sitting on the sidelines, or even in the bleachers, your view of the field is limited. You might be able to focus on the action surrounding the ball, but lacrosse is complicated and a lot of the most important movements and actions are done when the ball is nowhere near the player. 

Another downside of using a handheld camera is stability in the video quality. Lacrosse games last at least 90 minutes, and managing a camera for that long can become a feat of strength. Your arm will start to droop and wobble, and it can become tiring trying to keep up with the action. Players can’t learn how to be better if the footage lacks focus or stability.

Tripod

A handheld camera on a tripod gives you the stability to record for a long period of time with a stable shot at a cheap cost, but it also has one major downfall: the angle of the recording. Most camera tripods on the market only raise up to about five feet. This means that while the shot might be more stable than a handheld camera, the film is still going to have an extremely limited range of sight.

Camera Pole and Tripod

For some teams, especially high school teams, they practice and play on the football field that is surrounded by high bleachers and set up a tripod at the top of the bleachers. They do this because a camera that is high over the field is able to give the best view of the action. The camera can easily see the full field, and give stable footage tracking the action of the game as a whole. But what about the majority of teams that don’t practice or play in a football stadium? 

For those who practice in open fields that might have a small set of bleachers nearby, a camera pole and tripod is perfect for you. The camera pole allows you to have a camera 16 feet above the field which gives you better angles to see all of the action in HD quality.

So, what is your best option for recording a lacrosse game? Check out SVT Advantage.

Why Choose SVT Advantage?

While there are a few other options to record your games, SVT is the best choice for you and your team. With our different package options, there is a solution ready for you.

High Quality Footage

SVT’s camera system, utilize camera technology that provides high quality film.  Our camcorders utilize 30x optical zoom (not digital cropping) to capture footage.  This leads to better image quality when zooming.  They also don’t utilize fish-eye lenses (found in many action-style cameras), which distort the playing field and perceived distance between players.  Our cameras also record at 60 frames per second (60p), providing a clearer video for these fast-paced sports.  
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Easy to Transport

SVT’s camera system, pole, and tripod are made from heavy-duty poly-webbing with water-resistant metal parts. Despite the amount of quality materials that we include in our packages, our system also breaks down so that it can fit in the back of your car. At only about twenty pounds, it’s easy to carry from your car to the field.

Easy to Use

You don’t need a background in film to understand how to use our products. Once the system is set up on the field, it can be managed by anyone. That means that if you’re a coach, you can choose to spend your time on the sidelines coaching your team where you are needed, rather than huddled by a camera.

Quick Setup

No one wants to have to show up super early just to set up a tripod or have to spend an hour alone on the field putting everything away. That’s why our system is quick to both set up and take down. Within minutes, you can be ready to record your lacrosse match and get professional quality video.

Fast Pan and Tilt System

Lacrosse is a fast sport and with a few quick passes, the ball can cross a field and be a headache to track. That’s why our product has a fast pan and tilt system. No matter where the action is taking place, the Tournament Traveler 4 system from SVT Advantage is able to keep it in sight so you don’t miss a single moment of action.

Your team can benefit from having a film day. With even a few hours spent analyzing and looking over game footage, you will be able to find where you need to focus and improve your game. There’s one clear best option when it comes to recording lacrosse games: Turn to SVT Advantage. Our products are made with quality and cost in mind so that you can get HD footage from your game to study and learn from. Contact us to learn how you can easily and affordably record your  game.