DPS and BVSD take off for a better vision of high school sports

BRIGHTON, Colo. — FlyRoute, a drone company specializing in athletics, has entered into a new partnership with Denver Public Schools (DPS) and Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) to capture footage of high school sports games for coaches.

“As the education went on, we really taught them about the safety of using drones and the benefits for athletes and coaches,” said Collin Caffrey, founder and president of FlyRoute. “Now we’re in all the major school districts, so we’re really excited to move forward with Denver and Boulder.”

Schools and individual sports programs, typically football teams, can hire FlyRoute to bring their FAA-certified drone pilots to games. FlyRoute also offers pilot training if schools prefer to do everything themselves.

“When coaches saw the film online, it spread like wildfire,” Caffrey said. “They had never seen anything like it. They saw the film and immediately said, “This is going to make my job 1,000 times easier.” »

Fairview High School head football coach Tom McCartney, who spoke before the game at Brighton High School, believes drones are a valuable training tool.

Ethan Carlson of Denver7

“We can see everything. You can see the piece developing. We see everyone on the pitch. You can see the media coverage,” McCartney said. “You can see it longer. Sometimes from other angles you won’t be able to see things. So, just from vision alone, drones give you a great angle to see and teach. That’s why I love them.

FlyRoute uses its drones to record matches and provides the footage to teams once the matches are over. Teams also have the option of using a replay system during live matches so they can watch footage almost immediately after a game ends.

Video can be a valuable tool for players hoping to compete at the collegiate level. It can be difficult to stand out on an internet filled with gaming highlights, and McCartney believes the drone footage will do just that.

“When our district gave approval, we were really excited,” McCartney said. “First, it’s teaching. Second, players put together their highlights and everything else. So it’s a great tool for everyone.

FlyRoute also offers internships to high school students who want to pursue drone photography as a hobby or possibly get into the drone industry.

“This stuff is really cool to see,” Caffrey said. “It all started flying drones Friday night, and now they’re in the industry working full time with drones.”