CHEERSPORT + Dartfish = REVOLUTIONARY (UPDATED)

By: Jackie Martin & Shane Womack

Here they go again! On January 24th, CHEERSPORT did a test run with new partner Dartfish, whose revolutionary technology allows the competition judges to manipulate video in a variety of ways to breakdown routines and allows for creative uses of the video for participants and fans. In 1997, after extensive research, Dartfish, created SimulCam™ technology in Lausanne, Switzerland and quickly became recognized for its innovative digital image enhancements in the sports broadcast world Today, Dartfish technologies are used extensively in television production (NBC has used the technology in several Olympic Games) as well as in breakthrough training applications for sports, education, healthcare, and more. 

Inside Cheerleading's Jackie Martin stopped by the Atlanta Dome to check in on the action. It was remarkable. Jackie had the opportunity to go behind the scenes with CHEERSPORT President Kevin Brubaker to see how the technology and competition were coming together in anticipation of the largest cheerleading competition in the world. The tour began upstairs in the Georgia Dome in the “review room,” where the logistics are coordinated. As the competition begins on the floor with the judging panel, each judge watching the routine has one hand on the number pad, which is labeled, (i.e. fall, bobble, hands down etc.) Instead of having to look down to write, they can tap the number of what they have just seen. This will then be digitally sent to the review booth upstairs, where that segment of the routine will replay to double check the deduction. This system secures accuracy in case a number was pressed incorrectly.

“The possibilities with Dartfish are endless,” says Shane Womack, Director of Marketing for Inside Cheerleading magazine who recently was trained on the technology for use with iC's Dartfish Channel, coming soon. “This is only a preview of what is going to become revolutionary for the cheerleading world. I think this will forever change the way competitive cheerleading is judged.”

Within two minutes of the routine, viewers online at home could view the routine on CHEERSPORT's DartfishTV channel, an industry first in making competition routines available almost immediately to viewers around the world. “The video review process made possible through the Dartfish software will be fully integrated into CHEERSPORT Nationals judging process,” says Brubaker. “Every point deduction, level play violation penalty or any routine placing below the top range on our grid will be reviewed twice and in many cases three times before any teams score is reduced.The technology is amazing and we are going to take full advantage.”

Beyond the technical part of the day, the cheerleaders were having tons of fun with the Dartfish technology during the competition. There was a strip of spring floor set up where they could tumble and be recorded, and then could see their mistakes using the Dartfish SimulCam™ and StroMotion™ technology. Former Kentucky cheerleader, Garrett Vatt, now a tumbling instructor for Charlotte All-Star program, provided feedback to the athletes and gave the technology a big “thumbs-up.”

“The Dartfish system can do just about anything- pause, slow motion, show angles of the body, just to name a few of the applications,” said Martin. “CHEERSPORT is known for being at the forefront of innovation and once again I think they have a hit on their hands.”

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