2024 was a landmark year for Texas high school football, as in-game video replay technology was approved for the first time. Among the programs taking advantage of this new technology were the Anna Coyotes Football. After winning the 4A Texas state championship in 2023, the Coyotes moved up to compete at the 5A level. In their first season in the tougher division, Anna finished with a solid 9-4 record and advanced to the 3rd round of the playoffs.
We sat down with former Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Class 4A Coach of the Year, Head Coach Seth Parr, and Director of Football Operations and Defensive Assistant Kyle Stevens to discuss their experience using GameStrat for in-game video replay and how it helped them navigate their first year in 5A.
Photo Credits: Shafkat Anowar / Dallas Morning News
We began by asking Coach Parr about how significant the introduction of in-game video was to his program compared to what he had initially expected. His response was clear:
It’s a very significant advantage. A picture’s worth a thousand words. When you can look at a play seconds after it’s happened and get that immediate information, it makes the world of a difference.
When in-game video replay was approved, the Anna coaching staff immediately began searching for a reliable system. After thorough research, GameStrat became the clear choice. Coach Parr explained:
Some of the other replay systems we looked at did in-game video, but they also did 3 or 4 other things on top of that. We wanted to find the company that majored in sideline video, and we found that to be GameStrat.
Photo Credits: Shafkat Anowar / Dallas Morning News
We also asked Director of Football Operations Kyle Stevens about the onboarding process and how the team got set up with GameStrat. He shared:
The setup was very easy and straightforward. The tutorials did a great job highlighting what we needed to do.
This smooth integration allowed the Coyotes to quickly adopt the system and focus on making it an essential part of their gameday workflow.
Before using in-game video, Anna’s coaches relied on verbal feedback from several different coaches & players to piece together what was happening on the field. Coach Parr mentioned that process would open up the potential for human error - if what they saw was what really happened. GameStrat changed everything, giving them a clearer picture and helping them make smarter halftime adjustments.
GameStrat completely simplified the in-game adjustment process. We used to meet as a staff at halftime and get tidbits of information from each coach, but now we get to see it all. It’s a game-changer.
Photo Credits: Shafkat Anowar / Dallas Morning News
Coach Stevens highlighted how GameStrat's unique tagging feature allowed the staff to identify their opponents tendencies faster:
We came up with a system where we color-coded concepts based on tendencies, so at halftime, we could quickly pull up certain types of passes or runs. That was huge for us.
GameStrat’s user-friendly picture-in-picture functionality also stood out, making it easy to analyze different parts of the game.
If I’m watching the D-line and want to switch to the sideline view, I can do it in just one click, and it’s all synced up. There’s no delay when switching angles, which makes it very easy to handle.
Photo Credits: Shafkat Anowar / Dallas Morning News
As the Coyotes continue to build on the success they’ve achieved under Coach Parr’s leadership in recent years — highlighted by a state championship at the 4A level in 2023 and a strong debut in 5A — GameStrat is proud to be a small part of their journey. Their hard work and dedication have been key to their success, and we’re glad to provide tools that help support their efforts on the field.
GameStrat was a great tool for us. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be, and I can’t wait to use it again this season!
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