PROVO, Utah —A new camera system custom-designed for BYU gymnastics is providing the program with another competitive edge this season.
Thanks to the new system, Cougar gymnasts receive immediate, high-quality video feedback as they practice their routines during practice. Installed this summer, the new system's cameras are constantly recording with a delayed playback to help the gymnasts take full advantage of timely feedback while maintaining efficient workouts.
“You can take a turn, get a correction and catch your breath, and then you look up and your turn is now playing,” explained head coach Guard Young. “It’s quick and efficient. The girls don’t have to spend time running across the gym to watch the turn, and no one has to dial up the playback video.”
As Young began the research process for a new camera system, he discovered issues related to outdated technologies and systems that weren’t capable of the recording capacities needed for effective video feedback in practice.
Young turned to an architect, one of the gymnast’s dads, who put him in touch with an electrical engineer and then a security company. This created a brainstorming team that built a product from scratch. The new system the team devised would help the gymnasts’ needs with the angles and playback ability necessary.
“The system totally helps these girls visualize how they look when competing, and gymnastics is a sport that gets judged on how you look in your routine,” Young commented. “Through repetition and doing that every turn, small corrections can be made that will eventually lead to higher scores.”
Coaches or gymnasts can also use the touch-screen technology to swipe back and forth to view turns.
“It’s awesome to see the girls use it,” Young shared. “It’s not just me coming in and turning it on and making sure that it’s working. They know how to run it and take full advantage of it.”
BYU assistant coaches, Natalie Broekman and Brogan Evanson, have also loved seeing the results of the camera system for the gymnasts.
“I see the girls’ confidence really developing as they see for themselves how they’re improving and the corrections they’re able to make,” Broekman said.
“I’ve had individual girls say, ‘I didn’t know I bent my knee on that’ or ‘you’re right, my split is not as big as it needs to be'," Evanson added. "They’re finding their own corrections.”
No part of the camera system project would have been possible without generous donors to BYU athletics and gymnastics. The system simply wasn’t going to be able to be purchased or installed without the help of donors.
“My sincere, grateful heart goes out to those who made this possible and their willingness to help the gymnastics team,” Young expressed. “It was only through their generosity we were able to get the funds needed to put in this system.”
Watch the camera system at work on our social media channels. Donate to BYU Gymnastics by clicking the donate button above.