If you are a coach, you will no doubt be aware of the many benefits of recording games and practices, but are you also aware of the very common mistakes that people make with their sports video footage?
Recording and editing games and practices for training purposes, for recruitment videos, and for promotional purposes is not always as simple as it first might seem. So, to help you get the most out of modern sports video technology, here are the top ten things to avoid if you don’t want to ruin your video footage.
Handheld Camera Shake
While handheld cameras or even phones and tablets might offer a cheap way to film games and practices, the camera shake that you are likely to get with handheld devices is very likely to make some of your video footage unusable. You really do need a good quality camera and a tripod or an endzone camera tower to get the high quality footage that you need for sports training purposes.
Not Following the Action
Another issue with handheld cameras is that is can be very difficult to keep up with the action, especially in fast-paced games like soccer. You can find yourself always lagging slightly behind the ball and trying to quickly catch up, which can lead to blurred images and very jerky footage. The best way to avoid this is to use a high quality camera and film from a good vantage point. If you film from the high vantage point that you will gain from an elevated endzone camera, you will find it much easier to follow the ball, wherever it goes.
Overdoing the Special Effects
If you are recording games and practices for training purposes and recruitment highlights videos, you really don’t need the distraction of lots of slow motion sequences and other clever special effects. You will achieve the best results if you keep it simple and use proper video coaching systems, like VideoChamp Sports, to collate and edit your video footage.
Running up and down the Sideline
It can be difficult to always be in the right place at the right time when you are recording a game and if you get it wrong, you won’t be able to record the most important aspects of play. If you want to avoid running up and down the sideline, your best option is to invest in a good quality elevated sideline camera. That way, you will be able to pan and zoom with the camera to follow the game and you will get much better footage.
Not Editing and Preparing Footage for Training Sessions
Video is great for instant feedback during a practice, but to be able to make the best use of video for training purposes, you will need to edit game footage and annotate it. The best way to prepare footage for training session is to edit it with a professional video coaching system like VideoChamp Sports, which is designed specifically for that purpose.
Not Having the Right Vantage Point
Coaching experts agree that the best angle to take video footage of field sports, like soccer, rugby and football, is from an elevated position. Without it, your video footage will be severely restricted by the angles that you can get from ground level. The best way to ensure that you can always record games and practices from a high angled vantage point is to invest in a telescoping endzone camera system like the Hi Rise Camera video system.
Not Capturing the Entire Field of Play
If you don’t have an elevated position from which to make your recordings, you won’t be able to see the full picture of the field of play and that will severely limit your ability to see how players are positioned and how passes and set moves are being played out.
Filming from Too Far Away
The high angled view that telescoping endzone camera systems provide will give you a good, wide view of the field of play, but you still need to zoom in to capture individual players as well. Video coaching systems like VideoChamp Sports are designed for both tactical analysis and for individual player performance analysis, so you need to avoid the common mistake of taking too much footage from too far away.
Using a Low Quality Video Camera
Video cameras are nowhere near as expensive as they used to be, but it is still worth investing in the best quality video camera that you can afford, because it will give you sharp images and it will have features like image stabilization, which are essential for taking top quality sports videos. One of the best cameras for using with sports coaching software like VideoChamp Sports is the Sony HDR-CX405 video camera, which is an affordable, but a very powerful video camera.
Using a Low Quality Telescoping Camera Pole
There is quite a large number of telescoping endzone camera systems available on the market at the moment, and some are definitely better than others. A low quality telescoping camera pole is likely to be unstable and it won’t last very long. If you don’t want to ruin your video footage, it is advisable to buy a top quality endzone camera system, such as the Hi Rise Camera System.
