Saginaw Spirit, MI - OHL Case Study
The Saginaw Spirit are coming off an impressive season in 2024, winning the Memorial Cup on home ice in Saginaw, Michigan. It was the Spirit's first Memorial Cup victory since the franchise moved to Saginaw in 2002. By winning, the Spirit became only the 13th team in OHL history to win the Cup on home ice.
Photo Credit: Eric Young
We had a chance to speak with Saginaw's Goalie & Tech Coach Rick Ice about the season and particularly on their decision to switch to GameStrat for live to bench replay. When Rick first got to Saginaw in 2021, Spirit Head Coach Chris Lazary was already looking for live to bench replay systems to get iPads on the bench. Rick details the process of shopping around different systems/options as a 'no-brainer'.
There was no hesitation really. Seeing the other options were either very expensive, or not quite what we wanted. GameStrat was exactly what we were looking for.
Photo Credit: Steven Frank
Including Saginaw, GameStrat now works with 14/20 teams in the OHL. We asked Rick to give his input on what he would say to any team that is on the fence about implementing live to bench video technology within their program.
I highly suggest GameStrat. Using it the past 3 years it's been easy to use, easy to setup and it's been very efficient for us.
Photo Credit: Steven Frank
Having used the system for the last 3 years, the Spirit staff are now extremely well versed with GameStrat. However, Rick emphasized that the ease of use has allowed for smooth sailing since day one.
Following the instructions it was actually very simple to setup. It integrates very well with the software we use to clip games, so it's been simple from the first day all the way to the last day.
Photo Credit: Steven Frank
Rick mentioned the GameStrat system as being a great coaching tool for them. When a coach or player wanted to see a certain play, the staff was able to pull it up immediately thanks to GameStrat's seamless integration with their clipping software.
We got the most out of the in-game clipping. If our coaches need to go back and see a certain play or show a player a certain thing, they can make those adjustments and give that instant feedback.
Not only is it great to be able to access live feeds in a game, but having that instant feedback during practice proved to be very helpful for the Spirit all throughout the season as well.
We use it in practice working on powerplay & penalty-killing. Having access to that footage in real time was huge for us throughout the season and allowed us to be more efficient with our time.
Photo Credit: Steven Frank
Before we wrapped up our call with Saginaw's Tech Coach, he finished by telling us a story about how GameStrat was able to help other teams in the Memorial Cup tournament. Although 3/4 teams in the Memorial Cup were already GameStrat users, the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the QMJHL were using XOS.
3/4 teams in this years Memorial Cup use GameStrat for bench replay.
When the Voltigeurs arrived in Michigan they immediately experienced issues with getting their system running and needed an alternative. Rick describes getting the team on board with the GameStrat system and getting them set up so they could receive live video.
They were having issues with XOS getting set up. I got them hooked up with GameStrat and from there they had a great feed with no problems.
Previous Post
When your General Manager is NLL Hall of Famer Steve Dietrich, and your Head Coach is the NLL's all-time leading scorer John Tavares, there's a good chance your team will find success. That's exactly what happened this past May when the Buffalo Bandits secured their second straight NLL Championship. We had the chance to sit down with Buffalo Bandits Video Coach Eric Vinc to discuss this past season and everything that went into it. Photo Credits: Buffalo Bandits The Bandits made the mid-season switch to GameStrat this year after experiencing some long delays with their previous system. They were looking for a live to bench replay system that would be an upgrade in reliability from what they were using before. We asked Vinc how himself and the Bandits staff first heard of GameStrat and what made them switch over mid-season. We knew some other teams in the league were using GameStrat and we were using a competitor device. At the beginning of this year, the product we were using had some big delays and that's when we decided to make the switch to GameStrat for the remainder of the year.
Jul 26, 2024Next Post
GameStrat Becomes Exclusive Provider of Sideline Tablet Technology To NCAA FCS United Athletic Conference GameStrat, a leading provider of sideline tablet technology solutions, today announced a groundbreaking partnership with the NCAA's United Athletic Conference (UAC), becoming the exclusive provider of sideline tablet technology for the conference's football programs. The United Athletic Conference is thrilled to partner with GameStrat as its solution tool for in-game team video analysis. GameStrat gives our coaches and players the ability to compete at the highest levels and provides them with an additional resource to allow their talents to shine on gameday. - Kyle Grooms; UAC Chief Operating Officer
Aug 8, 2024