After nearly a year of dealing with COVID-19 protocols, Pioneer's athletic program is ready to take a bold new step in bringing sports coverage to the masses.
During the week of Feb. 8, Pioneer will begin streaming live games from the high school gym. A new automated camera, made by Hudl, will allow the games to be streamed to the district's new YouTube channel.
At first, boys and girls basketball will be featured, as junior varsity and varsity teams navigate their schedule of home games. The hope is they will be joined by other sports such as wrestling and volleyball later in the year.
Fans are not allowed to attend Section VI events at this time. A recent story in the Buffalo News highlighted how parents and other fans have had to resort to rooting for their athletes virtually because of the pandemic.
Panthers fans are urged to subscribe to the Pioneer Panthers Athletics channel on YouTube, where a few recent swimming and bowling streams have been posted.
Athletic Director William Weidner urged patience as Pioneer gets the new system up and running. He said plans call for another Hudl camera to be installed in the Memorial Stadium by next fall, to handle the sports that utilize the turf field.