Students broadcast basketball games
Gabe Freeman
Staff Writer
This year, Milken introduced live streaming video broadcasts of the boys basketball games by sports enthusiast Jacob Pollack.
The latest addition to the athletic department has been in the makes for several years. The idea began a few years back, when Mr. Jason Kelly, athletic director, spotted a young 6th grader on ESPN. Jacob Pollack ’14 was on TV, doing analysis of USC football.
“I told him that when he gets to high school, I will have a job for him,” Kelly explained.
Three years later, Kelly kept his promise, as Pollack announced the inaugural broadcast when the Wildcats played YULA. Over 80 people tuned in to the game and watched the overtime thriller as the Wildcats lost by one point.
“The students have taken the idea to the next level,” Kelly said. “I came to them with the idea, and now look how far we have come.”
Along with Pollack, several other students have shown interest in announcing games. David Lauterbach ’12, Eytan Wallace ’14, and Jason Welsh ’13 are all hoping to announce this season.
“I have always been interested in announcing,” Welsh said. “Sometimes I find myself saying things right before the commentators do on TV during football or basketball games.”
Tomer Elkayim ’12 and Sam Furie ’12 have been taping the games thus far.
Kelly knows that this idea is still in its very early stages.
“We are just a bunch of pioneers playing with ideas. Now we can continue to build.”
Soon, Milken plans to purchase a channel in order to abandon the automatic advertisements that come with the free website. He hopes that the broadcast will expand to cover all sports at Milken. Eventually, with the proper equipment, Kelly would like to cover away games as well.
Kelly says the athletic department is thrilled to fulfill its goal of expanding this year. In the past few years, Milken athletics has taken huge steps forward, propelling both our boys’ baseball and girls’ volleyball teams to the CIF Finals. Coincidence is certainly out of the question as our athletics department has been working hard to improve the program.
