NYSPHSAA Riding the Wave of Technology to Improve the Experience for Everyolne

By: Anthony Cordero, Spring 2025 Intern

The evolution and implementation of technology in high school sports has transformed how we administer, strategize and officiate in sports.

For the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) careful strategic implementation is key. Managing 785 member schools and 38 state championships means managing innovative technology and ensuring its done right for student athletes, coaches, officials and administrators.

So where do we start? In just the last ten years alone, NYSPHSAA has integrated numerous technological methods in interscholastic athletics.

One big change starting in 2019 was partnering with PlayOn Sports, a streaming partner that provides broadcasts of all State Championship events. The access of content and viewing experience has reached new levels that high school sports have never seen before. From advancements of technology to implementation of its robotic cameras, PlayOn Sports is improving the streaming experience for all viewers. A new technological feature announced by the company for the upcoming 2025-2026 football season will include first down and scrimmage lines for their streams.

“We’re enhancing our fan experience by improving player and gameplay tracking, but most important, generating post-event content,” says Logan Teffertiller, “PlayOn!” video lab manager. “We’re already well underway to create useful tools and automation for schools to present content to fans. As we work with our product, we will get more accurate and content experiences will be even better.”

Practice and competition is another area that technology plays a part in. It has changed how coaches train their athletes to push for advancement in skills and injury prevention.

A recent study from the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) highlighted that wearable technology has increased in availability, quality and safety for athletes and gives coaches a chance to do more. Examples of this tech include the Q-Collar, a neck-worn device that stabilizes the neck to protect head impacts during collisions. Also, sensor-embedded bats for baseball and softball to track swing speed, angle and potential launch velocity. New coach to catcher electronic communication for use in baseball and softball for more strategic scenarios in matchups.

NYSPHSAA has also implemented technology to ensure the right call is made by an official. Video replay was approved for use in the sports of boy and girls basketball, wrestling, ice hockey and cheer.

In addition to video replay, NYSPHSAA has also partnered with scoring and athlete entry platforms including Universal Tennis Rating (gathers results of athletes to help with tournament seeding), Gamechanger (scoring/statistical app used in baseball and softball), SwimCloud (an entry and seeding platform for swimming and diving) and MileSplit (an entry platform and scoring platform in cross  country, indoor & outdoor track).

Prior to COVID, NYSPHSAA also went cashless with its ticketing operations at state championships.  Their partner, GoFan, provides a user-friendly platform to manage online ticket sales for all of its events which eliminates cash on site, decreases staffing and allows for immediate attendance reports.

“Our sport committees are constantly seeking ways to improve the game from a technology standpoint,” said Joe Altieri, NYSPHSAA Assistant Director and liaison to the association’s sport committees. “With the help of the NFHS and other organizations we’re able to implement various technologies to aid officials, allow coaches to more efficiently teach athletes, and have the best scoring and timing platforms for our state championship events. Technology is becoming a necessity not a luxury for interscholastic athletics in New York State.”

NYSPHSAA is determined to remain ahead of the technological curve and adapt before implementation.

“We stay ahead by continuously monitoring emerging trends in sports technology and data analytics, ensuring we adopt advancements that enhance safety, performance and efficiency in high school athletes,” said Dr. Robert Zayas, NYSPHSAA Executive Director.

Ethical implementation is another critical component with the implementation of advanced technology. “NYSPHSAA works to identify and promote cost-effective solutions while advocating for resources to support schools with limited access. By maintaining open dialogue with school administrators, we strive to ensure all schools have a fair opportunity to integrate effectively,” says Dr. Robert Zayas.

The future of high school sports is entering a new era and it’s all driven by advancements of technology.