SkyCoach Instant Replay: How Adelphi men’s lacrosse uses real-time game analysis, reviews film on the ride home
The use of in-game replay for coaches may not be allowed in college football (yet), but it is allowed by the NCAA for lacrosse. When the Adelphi University men’s lacrosse coaches started doing their own research to find the best fit for a sideline replay system, they came across SkyCoach.
“We were trying to watch replay via a game live stream, which had a delay and would buffer at different times causing issues,” said Adelphi assistant coach and defensive coordinator Brian Volpi, who is also in charge of film breakdown and recruiting.
“The great thing about SkyCoach is that it’s affordable. That was a big aspect of it. And then the product is great. Just because it’s affordable doesn’t mean you lack in quality. The quality has been great and the SkyCoach system is instantaneous,” he said.
Photo: Adelphi lacrosse
The Panthers started using SkyCoach’s reliable replay system last fall for practice and scrimmages leading up to the season, which just kicked off in February 2024. Volpi came up with a unique idea for attaching their camera side-by-by with the SkyCoach Remote Camera Kit, which completely eliminates the need for a computer. The RCK connects to a camera using an HDMI cord and it will connect to the network using Ethernet. The live feed from the camera will appear on the screen of the RCK.
“I was just in the office and had an idea. I saw people attach it to the top of the camera, but we don’t have that ability. I saw the screw holes and just gave it a go. It works unbelievably,” he said. “As it is mounted to our stand, it’s really easy for the camera operator to maneuver the camera and operate the SkyCoach monitor at the same time as opposed to the RCK being above the camera or on a table next to it. It’s level with the person filming and you can use that monitor instead of the camera. It’s a bigger screen instead of the small camera box.”
Photo: Adelphi lacrosse
“The quality has been great and the SkyCoach system is instantaneous.”
With the setup Volpi has come up with, it allows him to use just one person to control the SkyCoach system and film the game on the camera. He has a graduate assistant on the sideline holding the iPad with the SkyCoach replay app on it whenever he needs to look at something during the game.
“We look at it often,” he said, adding, “It’s great because it doesn’t leave us any doubt or have to interpret stuff. Everything is real time. I’m a field-level coach, so sometimes the backside you’re not able to see guys going through, so I use it as I need or want, which is the best part about it.
“We’re looking for any mistakes or advantages we can gain using it. Maybe if we want to see if the opposing team is doing something different, it shows us what’s going on. The game moves fast so you’re almost left to your own interpretation, but now I can look at the replay and have precise facts or data.”
When asked about an in-game example, Volpi said: “We were a man down going into a scenario and the opposing team was doing something a little different than what we had seen so we were able to show the kids at halftime what they ran and the next time they went man up it was a home run because it’s easier for the kids to see what they’re doing in person than a whiteboard.”
Not only is Volpi using the real-time replay during the game for different situations, but he immediately has access to the entire game on the iPad for the ride home.
“Once the game is over I have it on my iPad. We have a couple of staff members that ride together to the games, so we ‘re looking at it and breaking down plays in the car on the way home,” he said. “We’ve been tagging certain plays — special teams, man up or down, goals, faceoffs. It has been a real help.”
