Tyger River Park sits on 140+ acres in Spartanburg, SC and attracts nearly 2,000 teams each year. This beautiful 12-field venue serves as home base for local youth softball and baseball players, and a comfortable tournament destination for USA Softball of South Carolina and other leagues. In 2018 they'll host the USA Fast Pitch Girls' Class A 12U National Championship. Meet Trey Glover, Park Operations Manager, and Chad Green, USA Softball Commissioner for SC, and hear what they value most about being a part of the HiCast Sports Network.
HiCast Sports Network Hits a Home Run for the Baseball Youth All-American Games
Last weekend, the Baseball Youth All-American Games brought 335 youth athletes from 39 states and three neighboring countries (Canada, Puerto Rico and Mexico) together to play ball at Elizabethtown Sports Park in Kentucky. But here's the best part... teammates met for the first time on arrival to the ballpark!
Photo Courtesy of Baseball Youth
The All-American Games gives the best of the best youth baseball players (all nominated) a unique opportunity to team up with fellow athletes across state and country lines to form Baseball Youth teams (United, Eagles, Patriots, Freedom, Stars, and Firecrackers) spanning six different age groups. On the field, you’ll find players identified by their home state or country displayed on the back of their jersey. But beyond the top-notch competition, the All-American Games creates a solid playing field for new friendships to form, uniting diverse players and families.
"We have players coming from all over the United States and travel is expensive. Not everyone can attend. Parents and grandparents want to see their player participate in an All-American event like this, even though they can't be there in person. People were thrilled that we were doing that. The quality was fantastic. No issues at all. We were pleasantly surprised and pleased by that. Having HiCast Sports Network involved was very valuable for us and we hope to continue that with other events we put on.” Shared Scott Hacker, founder of Baseball Youth.
Scott Hacker (former collegiate and professional player) created Baseball Youth in 2005, starting with the Baseball Youth Magazine. About three years ago, Baseball Youth, began hosting their own youth baseball tournaments, both individual events such as the All-American games and week-long team events with great success, growing their fanbase of followers not only at ballparks but across social media networks, spanning more than 350,000 fans.
Photo Courtesy of Baseball Youth
“The All American Games is a unique experience not only for the players, but for families. It's a rare opportunity to play on a team with kids from across the country and it's a bonding experience for the families. These kids come together to play on a team with kids they've never met, and they leave as best buddies. If you're a top level player from Maryland, you're playing with kids at that same level from California, Texas or even Alaska. The whole experience... from the opening ceremonies held at the University of Louisville Jim Patterson Stadium... to workouts and skills measurables, to games all weekend long... it's just very unique." shares Scott Hacker. "It's one of those memories they will never forget from their youth baseball career."
Photo Courtesy of Baseball Youth
Each player is asked to share their primary and secondary position, and Baseball Youth puts a lot of effort in forming team rosters that mix players from different states, and not only give athletes a chance to showcase their skills, but also stretch them by giving them an opportunity to play different positions. "We try to make it a lot less stressful and more enjoyable than playing on their home-based travel ball team." says Scott Hacker.
HiCast Sports Network set up a temporary network installation at Elizabethtown Sports Park to cover the event on the four key championship fields, and live-streamed select games through Baseball Youth's Facebook page 300k+ followers, to play off live tournament excitement. We provided live and on-demand through our HiCast Sports Network mobile app and web viewer, giving players, coaches and fans the ability to save and share their favorite highlights from the game in the HiCast Sports Network and beyond. User highlights from the tournament appeared in Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, receiving thousands of views.
How does Baseball Youth feel about players and fans having the ability to save and share tournament highlights from the HiCast Sports Network? Scott Hacker said, ”It's unbelievable. It's great for the parents. It's great for the venue, and our tournament. You'll see us doing a lot of that as we go through the tournament archive and share highlights through our social networks."
What would Baseball Youth say to venues considering the HiCast Sports Network? "It's a no-brainer. Everything that we requested was done this past weekend, and it worked perfectly in our mind. For any destination-type of venue... why would you not install the HiCast Sports Network and showcase your ballpark? It just makes perfect sense,” shared Scott Hacker.
If you're a tournament director hosting games at venues in our HiCast Sports Network, join our Promoter Program. And if you're hosting tournaments somewhere else, give us a shout and let's team up to cover the venue.
If you're a venue owner or general manager, fill out this form to see you qualify for a limited-time, discount on HiCast Sports Network installation.
Why Diamond Nation Joined the HiCast Sports Network
Diamond Nation in Flemington, NJ, home to the nationally-renowned Jack Cust Baseball Academy and Jennie Finch Softball Academy, is one of the top ballparks in America offering the ultimate player and fan experience for more than 3,000 teams each year. See how they're using the HiCast Sports Network to increase exposure for athletes across the country with recruiters and sharing HiCast highlights to boost the confidence of their athletes and their social media engagement with fans worldwide. And put your eyes on Diamond Jacks Super 16 player Stephen Reid who's already committed to play ball for Georgia Tech. We're proud to cover Diamond Nation.
How Baseball Heaven is Winning with the HiCast Sports Network
Meet our partners at Baseball Heaven, General Manager Frank Zataglio and Travel Team Director and Coach Steve Hassan, and a few of our HiCast Sports subscribers in Yaphank, NY to hear what they have to say about the HiCast Sports Network. At Baseball Heaven, we're covering games for nearly 3,000 teams each year not only in the northeast region, but across the country. Host to the National Youth Baseball Championship for the second year, this iconic ballpark is second to none. We're proud to cover Baseball Heaven.
HiCast Sports Network to Cover the National Youth Baseball Championships at Baseball Heaven
The 10th Annual National Youth Baseball Championships (NYBC) kicks off its Championship Week starting today, July 22 at Baseball Heaven in Yaphank, NY (Long Island) for a major league tournament experience, and ending with championship games for each age division on Saturday, July 29 and Sunday, July 30.
In its 10th year, the NYBC is bringing together the best of the best youth travel baseball players from 9U-14U age divisions representing 70 teams from 14 states across America. Each team had to earn a bid to compete in this final week of championship games by way of NYBC Qualifiers that occurred March - July throughout the US.
Nathan Clinkenbeard, Communications Manager for Steel Sports, shares, “It all comes down to providing the ultimate tournament for these players and families to experience… beyond the games, we’re providing opening ceremonies, skills competitions, a home run derby and Friday is our big festival day. We understand the time and financial commitment these families make to come to New York for a week and we just want to give back, and celebrate these young athletes and families for all the hard work they put it all season long.”
NYBC was founded in 2008 by former Chicago White Sox vice chairman and minority owner former Eddie Einhorn. His vision was to give youth travel baseball athletes a platform to showcase their skills. Steel Sports expanded the NYBC to include more age groups. “We want to give these players that unique opportunity to play for a national audience. While we get a lot of hype around our 12 games to be televised by CBS Sports, the great news is that ALL of our games at Baseball Heaven will be covered by HiCast Sports Network,” said Clinkenbeard.
How does NYBC feel about HiCast Sports Network putting game highlights in the hands of players and fans at Baseball Heaven? Clinkenbeard answers, “These kids love being able to see their highlights and we love sharing them too in our NYBC social media. Getting exposure for a great hit or a big play is everything to them. These are the future stars. You’ll see many of these players in Major League Baseball one day.”
Catch the entire tournament live or on-demand July 25 - 30 on the HiCast Sports Network. Start your free trial here: http://www.hicastsports.com/baseballheaven
Championship Moments: Triple Crown Sports 2017 U.S. Club Nationals
We're proud to have covered the Triple Crown Sports 2017 U.S. Club Nationals, delivering all games throughout the week live and on-demand to players, coaches, families and friends across America. Championship Day on Saturday, July 22 showcased phenomenal young athletes at legendary East Cobb Baseball Complex. Triple Crown Sports, lead by Executive Director of Baseball Joe Santilli, managed a truly memorable event. High fives to all 900 players and their coaches, and big cheers to these champions:
9U Five Star Tigers Hannah win 5-3 over Five Start Tigers Labbe
10U Five Start Tigers DeMarini win 4-2 over 6-4-3 DB Baseball
11U Five Start Tigers DeMarini win 8-1 over 6-4-3 DB Baseball
12U East Cobb Astros win 16-4 over 6-4-3 DB Baseball
13U Dallas Tigers win 12-7 over East Cobb Astros
14U East Cobb Astros win 13-5 over Tidewater Drillers
Top 3 Final Club Standings:
Replay the games on-demand and save and share your favorite highlights from the tournament. Sign up to watch here: http://www.hicastsports.com/triplecrown
Learn more about the Triple Crown Sports 2017 US Club Nationals.
Welcome Triple Crown Sports 2017 U.S. Club Nationals
Big high fives to the Triple Crown Sports U.S. Club Nationals teams today at Media Day today! We're excited to be covering the tournament live and on-demand starting tomorrow at East Cobb Baseball Complex through championship games on Saturday! Learn more about our partnership with Triple Crown for this tournament and catch these top baseball clubs (900 athletes spanning 9U-14U teams) across America and Ontario, Canada in our HiCast Sports Network as they compete for the crown:
Central Alabama Baseball Academy – Alabama
South Bay Surf Baseball – California
Slammers Baseball – Colorado
Five Star Tigers – Florida
6-4-3 DP Athletic – Georgia
Georgia Bombers Baseball – Georgia
East Cobb Baseball – Georgia
EvoShield Canes Baseball – North Carolina
Mound Time Baseball – Oregon
Dallas Tigers Baseball Club – Texas
Dallas Patriots Baseball – Texas
Tidewater Drillers – Virginia
Field House Pirates – Ontario, Canada
Crack of the Bat and Neigh of the Horse?
We're always up for a challenge, of course! Today and tomorrow we're covering the H.J. Fox Summer Classics event featuring Hunters and Jumpers live and on-demand at the Georgia International Horse Park. This event is a first trial run of our ability to cover an equestrian event, and we couldn't be more excited by the horses and their fine folks.
Covering an equestrian event brings the challenge of a super wide-angle view to cover all of the action. For this event, we've created zoomed views to offer a closer look on three of the rings. For the future, we're working on a solution that will give you the ability to more seamlessly shift between a wide-angle view and supporting zoomed views while you're watching an event, making it possible for you to save and share highlights that cross multiple views. This experience is a solid step for us in that direction.
We're also planning to make way for more sports in the app, so when you tag your Moments That Matter™, you can choose from custom tags specific to the sporting event you're watching and organize your venues and highlights by sport. These things take time, but we're excited about what's to come, and sharing a heartfelt welcome to our new equestrian athletes and their families and all of you horse show fans.
Triple Crown Sports Teams Up with HiCast Sports Network to Bring Families Across America Together on One Playing Field
Triple Crown Sports will host its second annual US Club Nationals at legendary East Cobb Baseball Complex in Marietta, Georgia on July 18 - 22, bringing together 12 baseball clubs from across the country and one from Canada representing 900 youth athletes from 9U to 14U age divisions to compete for coveted championship titles. Even though each of the teams will be competing in their own age divisions, they’ll be earning points for their clubs. Triple Crown Sports will crown one club the overall champion at the closing ceremonies to be held at The Battery Atlanta and SunTrust Park (home of the Atlanta Braves) on July 22.
Joe Santilli, Executive Director of Baseball for Triple Crown Sports, shares “The geographic representation is phenomenal. We limit how many clubs we invite from each region. Our criteria is not just performance on the field. We invite clubs that are highly competitive and highly organized. They’ll be 10-16 games in each division, but because of the high caliber of play, you know every game is going to be a good one.” Clubs represented in this year’s event include:
- Alabama – Central Alabama Nationals
- California – South Bay Surf
- Colorado – Slammers Baseball
- Florida – Five Star Tigers
- Georgia – 6-4-3 DB Baseball, Georgia Bombers and East Cobb Baseball
- North Carolina – EvoShield Canes
- Oregon – Mound Time Baseball
- Texas – Dallas Patriots and Dallas Tigers
- Virginia – Tidewater Drillers
- Ontario, Canada – Fieldhouse Pirates
Triple Crown Sports selected East Cobb Baseball Complex to host the US Club Nationals because of the park’s reputation. “It’s a beautiful facility. Well kept. The East Cobb Baseball organization is legendary in travel baseball. And what we saw last year with the HiCast Sports Network at East Cobb Baseball Complex was just great. It enhanced the experience,” shared Santilli. True to their core value of putting “Family First,” Triple Crown Sports goes beyond the competition on the field to create a fun experience for the whole family including tickets to an Atlanta Braves game and tours at the new SunTrust Park and entertainment at The Battery Atlanta.
“Triple Crown Sports is about building memories. And our events are all about providing those moments that will give someone a lifelong memory. When I was originally involved as a coach with Triple Crown Sports, I still have these crystal clear memories in my head of teams that I coached in the Steam Boat World Series, but HiCast is actually capturing those memories. So no matter how clear it is in my head, no matter how I explain these memories to someone, it’s never going to be the same. HiCast makes it possible for someone to save and actually show it to someone. Triple Crown Sports is creating the event for these memories to happen, and HiCast is capturing them, which is just a great addition and a great partnership for us.”
Catch the entire tournament live or on-demand July 18-22 on the HiCast Sports Network using your mobile device or computer and use our HiCast Sports mobile app to save and share your favorite highlights from the tournament. Championship Games for 13U and 14U will also be televised on ESPN3.
Covering the Leap of Faith at Baseball Heaven
Salvatore Catanzaro of Woodridge, NJ started playing baseball at age four at the local YMCA in Garfield, NJ. While most kids his age were focused on learning to hit the ball off a tee, Salvatore’s dad Sal was pitching balls to him from the get-go in the backyard or at the local park. “As soon as he was able to stand up and walk, he had a bat in his hand,” shared Sal Catanzaro.
By age six, his early skill in the recreational league caught the eye of a Legit Baseball Club coach. They sought him out to join their competitive team of top players throughout Bergen County – a team of eight and nine year-olds. “He was pitching, and he held his own despite the age difference,” said Sal. Salvatore’s been playing for the Legit Baseball Club travel team ever since, competing in tournaments not only in the northeast, but up and down the east coast. Salvatore will often play 5-6 games most weekends throughout the spring and summer months. “It’s a lot of commitment and sometimes it’s tough, but it’s fun,” shares Sal.
While many young athletes playing travel baseball tend to focus intensively on the sport year-round to stay competitive, Salvatore builds his confidence and skills with a focus on speed and agility – training four days each week, while playing other sports year round.
But something special happened on a baseball field at Baseball Heaven in Yaphank, NY on Saturday, June 10. Salvatore’s team, Legit Baseball Club 10U, was playing in one of several National Youth Baseball Championship Qualifier games that weekend. It was the third inning of the game, and Salvatore’s team had the lead but the score was close. Salvatore had just stolen third base. His coach at third told Salvatore that if the catcher drops the ball and it goes behind him, “You’re stealing on the pitch.”
And it happened. Salvatore shared, “I was ready to run, but then I hesitated to go back to the base. And then I was like, ‘you know what, I’m just gonna go.’ I was going and when the catcher got the ball I thought ‘oh no, why am I doing this?’ and I had to think of something fast. I’m too small to run over the catcher, but I knew I could jump over him, so I did.” And after the umpire called “Safe!”… Salvatore shared, “I felt amazing.”
But his dad wasn’t there to see it. “I couldn’t make it to the game because I had to work,” shared Sal. He works for the Post Office so he’s never able to make his son’s games on Saturdays. Shortly after Salvatore scored, a dad of a teammate sent a text message to Sal telling him that his son just jumped over the catcher to score. Sal confessed that he didn’t think much about it, even after Salvatore came home after the game and told him about it. “I just thought, he does crazy stuff like this all the time.”
The next morning, another teammate’s dad used the HiCast Sports mobile app to replay that highlight from the game on-demand. The HiCast Sports Network covers games live and on-demand in partnership with Baseball Heaven and other top ballparks nationwide. The user saved the video highlight from the game, and shared it with Sal via text message so he could watch it.
Sal said, “I didn’t think anyone had video of it. It was just so clear. If I had been there video taping it, it wouldn’t have been the same because the camera angle was so perfect. Having the HiCast Sports Network there… it was just meant to be. When I saw the video and showed it to Salvatore, he said ‘I told you I did that!’ He was very happy that it was actually on a video that he could save and share with his friends.” Salvatore texted the video to his friends and shared it on his Instagram account. What did his friends think? Salvatore replied, “Some of them didn’t even believe it was me!”
Sal shared the highlight with a friend who shared the highlight on Twitter and within no time, the video went viral – viewed, retweeted, shared, and applauded by millions of fans worldwide throughout social media, fueled by traditional media shares from ESPN, USA Today, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, NBC Sports, and the Washington Post. The highlight went on to land in the number one spot of Sports Center’s Top Ten Plays of the week. “I was amazed. I felt really proud,” said Salvatore.
The Washington Post likened Salvatore’s jump over the catcher to a similar move unsuccessfully executed by MLB Pirates player Andrew McCutchen just the week before, but Salvatore hadn’t seen it. Sal shared, “The funny thing is, he didn’t copy anyone. He rarely watches TV because he’s always doing something outside. The timing of it was pure coincidence.”
Sal shared, “There were lots of comments on the video and I’ve read some but the one that really stood out to me was from a guy who said, ‘If this was my son, I’d be so proud of him.’ I’m not sure who wrote it, but it was a really nice comment. It was a special moment. I’m so happy that HiCast Sports has cameras at these fields.”
“We’re all about bringing families together around youth sports and giving our users the power to save and share the moments that matter with the people who matter most. We’re proud to partner with our venues like Baseball Heaven across the country to cover memorable moments like this one by Salvatore.” said Stephanie Calabrese, Chief Brand Officer and Co-founder of the HiCast Sports Network.
Salvatore and his team lost their semi-final game that weekend and didn’t qualify for the National Youth Baseball Championship Finals, but you can find Salvatore in a number 7 jersey pitching or playing center field (or over home plate doing the #salvatoresteal) for the Legit Baseball Club on the HiCast Sports Network at Baseball Heaven in Yaphank NY, Diamond Nation in Flemington, NJ and Sports at the Beach in Georgetown, DE.
This video is © HiCast Sports Network. For media inquiries or usage requests, send an email to: scalabrese@hicastsports.com
East Cobb Baseball on the HiCast Sports Network
We're proud to partner with East Cobb Baseball Complex where we're covering their nationally-ranked East Cobb Baseball teams and travel ball tournaments lead by Triple Crown Sports, Perfect Game, CABA and Travel Ball Select hosted at this legendary ballpark in Marietta, Georgia.
Documenting a Day at East Cobb Baseball Complex
Guerry Baldwin, founder of East Cobb Baseball Complex
We sure loved documenting a day at East Cobb Baseball Complex. ECB is the legendary, nationally-recognized youth baseball program and facility lead by founder Guerry Baldwin with support from his top-notch staff including Director of Baseball Operations, Jamie Crane.
"Do we have really good players? We do. Have we had a lot who have done incredibly well? We have. But it's also about kids having fun with the game, and getting better no matter what their level is." – Guerry Baldwin
Wishing BIG luck to Caleb Reis, 16-year old athlete for the ECB Astros. Catcher, pitcher and first baseman. Super impressed with this young man who spent time with us yesterday. His high school team, Mt. Bethel Christian Academy, will play in the State Championship game at ECB this Monday night.
We can't wait to share the video story with you! And we sure are proud to have ECB among our partners.
Caleb Reis, ECB Astros 16U, catcher, pitcher and first baseman
Jamie Crane, Director of Baseball Operations at East Cobb Baseball Complex
Android? We've got you covered.
We're excited to announce the official release of our HiCast Sports App for Android today! Now you can stay in the game and share the Moments That Matter™ using any device. Anytime. Anywhere. Create your HiCast Sports account to get started, then download our app from the Google Play Store.
Need help? Check our answers to frequently asked questions or give our coaching staff a shout.
Catch Your Game and Highlights on the Big Screen
You asked for it, so we delivered! Now you can watch games live and on-demand, and follow subscriber highlights shared in our HiCast Feed using our Web Viewer on your computer. We've already heard from some grandparents telling us how much they love watching your games when they can't be in the stands. Sharing your Moments that Matter™ with the people who matter most makes us happy!
If you're already a HiCast Sports Network subscriber, you can login to our Web Viewer just as you would using our HiCast Sports mobile app. Your one account works across all of our viewing platforms. To save, edit and share your favorite highlights from the game, you'll need our app for that.
If you're new to our HiCast Sports Network, join now and try it for free! We've got a 24-hour free pass waiting for you.
Sitting in the Stands? Live tag your moments on the field!
Did you know that you can use our mobile app like a remote control to live-tag your player's game while you keep your eyes on the field? It's easy.
Make sure your location services is turned on for our HiCast Sports app. If it is, we'll serve up our super cool Live Tag feature when you visit one of our ballparks. Find your venue, then the field and game in our app, and tap the Live Tag bar to reveal the tag screen. It's synced with our cameras so when a great hit or play happens, tap to tag your moments, then edit and share 'em between innings or after the game.
Need help? Give us a shout and someone from our coaching staff will get right back to you.
Come Test Drive Our HiCast Sports App for Android
We've got a pre-release of our Android app ready for you to try now in the Google Play Store!
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hicast.android
Test drive our Android app to watch games on-demand, and save and share your favorite highlights. We're still refining our live view, adding more features like our zoom tool and the ability to make highlight reels, and tightening functionality to get it ready for prime time. But we're eager to get it in your hands, and we welcome your feedback!
You can share comments, issues and questions with us in the Google Play Store after you download the app, or give us a shout and include your Android device type and version information found in your Device settings.
Welcome NYO Sports to the HiCast Sports Network
We're proud to welcome our newest venue partner, Northside Youth Organization (NYO Sports), home to young athletes, in Atlanta, Georgia. We'll be covering the Wilkins Field, and bringing you their youth baseball games for their Broncos and Majors teams starting this weekend, NYO's Jane Wilkins Baseball/Softball Opening Day. Welcome NYO Sports players, coaches, families and fans!
Welcome Spring-Klein Sports Association
Updated April 4: We're fired up to welcome our newest venue partner, Spring Klein Sports Association, home of many great World Series and championship teams, in Spring, Texas, just outside of Houston. We'll be covering their 14 baseball fields, and bringing you their full lineup of youth baseball and adult softball league games and Nations Baseball Travel Tournaments.
We are currently working through the final stages of integration for the Spring Klein ballpark installation. We're eager to get the games in your hands, and we'll give you a heads up when we're live soon. Welcome Spring-Klein players, coaches, families and fans!
Envisioning the Future of Entertainment
We're thankful and proud to have contributed our perspective in the creation of this compelling report on The Future of Entertainment According to AT&T Foundry created by AT&T Foundry, Ericsson, and Rocketspace. This report from The Futurist Report Series puts forward 10 Bold Projections:
1. User-generated content will become part of primetime television
2. Algorithms will enable the Gold Age of Storytelling
3. Media companies will be run by fans
4. A digital rights revolution will empower creators
5. A new media gateway will emerge as your TV Guide
6. Virtual assistants will win your living room (and your Connected Life)
7. Screens will be fluid, not fixed
8. Live experiences will transcend boundaries of time and space
9. Media will be emotionally intelligent
10. Immersive experiences will be full-sensory and social
We're aligned with and excited by these projections, and we believe that you – the player, the coach, the fan – should not only have access to the media you care about, but be empowered to save and share the memories that matter most to you.
Our latest app update is ready for you!
We've been working hard to continue to improve your experience with our HiCast Sports Network and we're excited to announce that our latest app update, version 3.03, is now ready for you. If your iOS device is set to auto update your apps, you've got it in your hands. If not, go to the App Store app and tap Updates. You'll find our HiCast Sports update waiting for you.
In this update, we've squashed some bugs, improved video playback performance, and made some enhancements to your user experience. Now you can...
– Move forward and back in the event video timeline with more precision to find your favorite highlights. Tap the arrows to move second-by-second, or tap and hold to jump in 10-second increments.
– Get real-time camera status updates letting you know when a camera is live or temporarily down, and the ability to request a notification when the camera status changes.
– Follow all the highlights from your favorite venue. Just tap on the Search icon on the HiCast Feed screen and you'll see all user highlights sorted by venue.
– Track your highlight views. When you share a highlight in our HiCast Feed, you can now see your number of views. Just tap on the views to see who liked your highlight.
We hope you love it, and we're here if you need any help. Check our Support page for answers to frequently asked questions or give us a shout support@hicastsports.com.