The Fountain Hills High School athletics program is getting a new learning and sharing tool this year thanks to a donation from the Athletic Booster Club, including four new high definition cameras and subscriptions to Hudl, a video service that allows coaches and players to upload, view and distribute game film.

The official donation was made during the Booster Club’s Aug. 11 meeting. Each of the four kits includes a hard case for carrying the equipment, the camera and all of its accessories, a camera bag, as well as a tripod.

From there, the HD footage can be uploaded onto a computer and, thanks to the donated Hudl accounts, distributed online, too.

Each season, high school coaches may check out one of the kits to use during practices and at games. Along with watching their own footage as a team for future improvements, players can now view game film at home via Hudl, which can also be used for swapping film among coaches or with college scouts.

“Hudl is an effective teaching tool providing a web-based video editing, analyzing and sharing service for coaches and athletes,” reads a press release from the Booster Club.

“The service allows coaches to store and break down game video, then share the lessons with the individual players online…Athletes can then create their own individual video highlight and academic information pages that can easily be sent to college coaches and recruiters.”

FHHS football coach Jim Fairfield said that his squad has used Hudl for the past three years and have gotten a lot of use out of the program. The girls basketball coach, Amanda Baca, agreed.

“It’s awesome,” she said.

“It gives the coaches a great opportunity to break down film and share with players. You have the flexibility to use the software in a group setting, or assign film sessions to individual players for them to watch as time allows.”

Baca said she is also excited to utilize the new cameras, which she said will benefit all FHHS athletics.

“We are very grateful and want to extend a huge thank you to the boosters for not only donating the cameras, but for all they do,” Baca added.

FHUSD Athletic Director Mike Briguglio was on hand to accept the donation at the August Boosters meeting, with member and assistant girls basketball coach Greg Shupe making the presentation.

“Our equipment needed upgrading, bottom line, whether we used Hudl or not,” Shupe said.

“It’s important to have good quality film for the kids to be able to use and also to share when they want to send it out to colleges, and the Hudl program is an important tool in that process.”

Shupe added that Hudl is utilized by the majority of national high schools, as well as college and professional teams.

According to Briguglio, his coaches are very excited about the donation.

“We have four kits, which should be the max we’ll ever need at one time,” Briguglio said.

“That’s what we try to do with the Booster Club; work on projects that are for the greater good, benefiting as many programs as possible at once.”