Football season seems so far away, but there is some exciting news for fans of the DeKalb County Tigers for the 2022-23 season, with the team announcing that they will be getting a new jumbotron installed at Dr. John L. Vanhooser Memorial Stadium at DCHS.
Head Tigers Football Coach Steve Trapp said he is working to enhance the atmosphere at the stadium by incorporating a 16 foot by 10 foot video board to the field’s recently updated scoreboard. Funds for the video board were raised through donations and through presold advertising on the screen.
“It will help us build revenue for the program, as well as promote it, by giving fans an enhanced experience,” Coach Trapp said. “It will show the community that because of them we are able to continue to add to what we have out here. It’s all because of the support of the community that we were able to do this.”
There is a question as to whether TSSAA rules would allow replays of the game on the field, but the board could highlight player stats and positions during games. “That’s something we are going to be learning,” Coach Trapp said. “We’ve been to games where there have been replays, but I think it has to do with what kind of set up you have. This coming season we’re going to have an automated camera that will be filming games without a human doing it, so if there’s a way for us to integrate that together, hit a button and show a replay, we’re going to try to do that.”
“We want to be able to use it like if you went and was watching a college or NFL game, with the interactions and the videos, music, and in game sponsors,” Trapp continued. “We’ll continue to sell banners on the field, but we’ll also be selling video ads as well. It’s crowd enhancement, it’s a program enhancement, and it can create revenue. A big thank you to our booster club, and the people who helped make this happen, and our administration that allowed us to do it.”
Coach Trapp said that they have been working on upgrades throughout the years, and there are still things that the team is working on. “Our next vision is to enhance our seating and our lighting, so our crowd can be more comfortable and hopefully fit more people into games. We want to continue to play good ball and we have big focus on the impact of every eye that watches us.”
“During COVID, we had to turn in to TSSAA the number of spectators we could seat and had to cut that by a third,” Trapp explained. “It was surprising to me to learn that less than a thousand people on both sides of the field could actually sit down to watch a game. Truth be told, I don’t feel that is good enough. We’re a 4A school, and when we’re playing good football this community comes out and supports us. That’s out next step, and we do need assistance with that.”
“It started with the fieldhouse, then the fence and the ticket booth, then the grass on the field,” Trapp continued. “After 18 years of being here, slowly but surely we have been able to enhance what we’ve got, and we want to continue to do that. We’re very grateful as a football program for the support we have in the community and the leadership we have. We have a great booster club and parents willing to roll their sleeves up and work.”
Work on installing the video board is expected to begin next month.
