CSVA

The Collegiate Sports Video Association (CSVA) was created in the early 1990s as an organization to enhance the role of the video coordinator and their department within the athletic organization. Since the original meetings at a Holiday Inn in South Bend, Indiana during the Summer of 1993, the organization has definitely come a long way.

It has taken many years to organize the CSVA convention to its present state. Many different formats of the convention have come and gone, searching for the right amount of time for professionals to gain valuable knowledge make themselves better, then passing on the benefits to their athletic program and coaching staff. Classes are now offered in the areas of post-production, seminars bringing together the best in their fields discussing the new and changing technology, as well as vendors promoting their trade allowing the video coordinators to make their jobs easier.

This past week the annual convention was held outside of Chicago in Schaumberg, Illinois. Video Coordinators from the different college levels as well as high schools and NFL team gathered to network, learn and debate what is best for the association as a whole as technology evolves. Tours were offered to the Chicago Bears facility as well as the studios of the Big Ten Network. The entire week is not serious as participants enjoy an afternoon of golf (this year rained out), dinner and award ceremony as well as casino night.

The hot topic facing video coordinators at the college and NFL level is the transition to High Definition coaching video. Currently there are no NFL or college teams operating in a full-HD environment, but the time that happens is not far off. Camera technology is where it needs to be, but the editing and exchange companies are continuing to make their product efficiently work for a football team's existing needs. Above representatives from Sony, Panasonic, XOS Digital, Webb are among the panelists discussing where the HD environment exists today.

In between sessions video coordinators and their staffs have the opportunity to visit with those who have a direct affect on their jobs. Over twenty vendors set up shop and discussed the latest and greatest they have to make a video coordinator help prepare their team best.

The banquet on the last night, the highlight is the announcing of the CSVA Video Coordinator of the Year award. Each conference's winner is among those who can be voted the national winner. Matt Harper and Tom Shepherd of Michigan State represented the Big Ten, but were unable to take the national honor. That special recognition was awarded to Doug Aucoin of Louisiana State University.