Under the lights, athletes perform for the fans in the stands. However, behind the lights, stands a crew that brings it all to the screen.

With quick wit, technology skills beyond compare, and a bond to bring it all together, the five MN sportscast members bring game streams to life and ensure that no sport is left behind.

The broadcasting group went live three years ago and has avoided dead air ever since.

Senior Ian Kling leads the voices of the Mustangs as the Play-by-Play Commentator, followed by junior Luke Glasgow and junior Sharish Shapkota, the Color Commentators.

“I am the Head Commentator so during the play I’m talking… I’m  the main guy,” Kling  said. “After play is over he [the  Color  Commentator] adds on or has stats that he [the Color Commentator] brings up, kind of the second guy.”

The first behind-the-scenes member is the Technician, senior Paige Case. Case’s job is to switch from live feed to replays, as well as running the timer and, when at Buell Stadium, the light show.

“I actually came up to do it by mistake. The new lights were at Buell Stadium so I volunteered to do that and, as I was doing that, Harding asked me if I wanted to do [broadcasting] also,” Case said.

To round off the crew is Math Department Head Aaron Harding, the Broadcast Club Leader.

“I  love  getting  to  help students do what they love to do and may want to pursue a career in,” Harding said. “It  is  worth  the  time  and effort to support our students.”

Live-streamed sports include volleyball, wrestling, football,  and  basketball,  with  the  latter  two  including commentary. Live streams can be accessed on the group’s Youtube: Millard North Live Streaming. The rest of the sports are covered on their Instagram account: mnhs_sportscast.

“What I’m trying to do with my Instagram account, the Sportscast, is to cover all the sports that don’t get the main coverage,” Kling said.

Between filming, following, and commentating, members are constantly adjusting to and learning about the sports they cover.

“Things pop up,” Case said. “Sometimes there’s plays that I don’t know what’s going on or I’m not sure how long to set the replay or things like that.”

Not only do students grow in their knowledge of sports, but they also grow in their knowledge of technology and broadcast roles.

“My favorite part about working with students is seeing the growth from when they first start out to when they graduate.  Usually, students have almost no experience with anything related to live broadcast and are very nervous to get started.  But by the time they graduate their confidence has grown significantly and they love what they do,” Harding said.

Despite   not   physically    playing     the     sports   they  cover, the   broadcast  team is actively engaged and involved in them.

“I really like behind-the-scenes work, so I like kind of being a part of a sport but not actually being in it,” Case said. “So  you  learn  some of the players and things like that.”

The sportscast crew members are also involved in activities outside of broadcast, from theater to athletics. They work hard to balance these commitments.

“It’s time-consuming. I  finish  my  practice  for wrestling and then I go and  commentate  a basketball game, so I won’t get home  until  nine [or] ten o’clock, so  balancing that and school has been tough but not impossible,” Kling said.

The earlier students start, the more time they have to develop their skills.

“I  would  start  as  early as  you  can  so  you  can  learn everything you need to,” Harding said. “The difficult part is  finding  the  time  to  train  students  adequately  to  get started  and  also  finding  room  in  everyone’s  busy  schedules.”

The whole team works well together to bring sports to home viewers, but the commentators carry a special role in creating excitement and providing context.

“[Some  skills  developed are] being able to talk smoothly under pressure, having to come up with what to say, when  to  say  it;  timing. Also working with other people, trying to create that banter between the two commentators that make the stream enjoyable to watch,” Kling said.

Where action goes, the sportscast crew follows, impassioned and prepared to keep the Mustang population on the sports channel.