![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
Davis Field buzzes with excitement as the varsity football team huddles up to prepare for its season opener. When a whistle blows at the start of the game, the players begin to spread out, but something else in the background hooks everyone’s attention with its flashing white numbers. Behind a mass of green uniforms, the newly installed video scoreboard stands tall, its crisp digital display drawing the gazes of players and crowd members alike.
A notable upgrade, the full video scoreboard replaces the traditional fixed-digit LED scoreboard from previous years with customizable and dynamic features. Personalized team colors and logos illuminate the screen, video animations add flair to the spectator experience and player statistics boost team morale with in-game and seasonal accolades.
“The old scoreboard was on its last legs,” Athletics Director Dan Molin said. “So, we decided to get as modern as we could. Scoring a game will be the easy part; it’s all the extra bells and whistles that we’re gonna take a little bit of time to learn and figure out.”
Molin requested the replacement last year, and construction commenced between July and the start of school. The athletics department chose to purchase the board from sports software company ScoreVision. Besides its eminent reputation in the industry, the company also shares a personal connection with Harker. ScoreVision Regional Director of the West Coast Brian Dombrowski attended the middle school from 1990 to 1994.
“Harker was where my interest and love of sports started,” Dombrowski said. “Having a program that facilitated athletics and emphasized their importance and physical education at such a young age really sparked my interest in playing more competitive sports and having it be a daily part of my life. It set the path for my whole career. Here I am, putting a scoreboard up where it all started.”
Dombrowski reflected on the positive impact of the upgrade on game engagement, seeing the scoreboard as an opportunity to inspire both athletes and audience members.
“Once people see this board in action, it will change the entire atmosphere of all the events that take place out there,” Dombrowski said. “You can show students’ photos or videos up on the board with animations after they make a great play. Knowing what that does for the athletes, for the community and especially parents, that gets me really excited.”
ScoreVision’s customizable iPad app Scorekeeper syncs with the board’s interface and allows operators to determine the players’ yardage or show the next down with just the click of a button. Outside of games, the display of the scoreboard functions as a large LED flatscreen suitable for any type of projection. With the screen’s vast flexibility, Molin hopes to utilize it beyond its scoring capabilities.
“We can put any kind of video on the flat screen,” Molin said. “It’s not just for athletics. I want it to be more for all-school purposes, so we can have movie nights out here.”
With the fall sports seasons underway, students and faculty have the opportunity to watch the new scoreboard in action. Defensive and offensive line varsity football player Henry Fradin (11) recalled his first time seeing the board during the scrimmage on Aug. 30.
“It was exciting because we’ve had the old one for a while and it was just cool to get an updated scoreboard,” Henry said. “I like it much better than the old one. It has a much wider range of stuff that you can do with it.”
In light of the scoreboard’s simple interface, the athletics department plans to establish a new Student Sports Information Director position. Position responsibilities would include working with the scoreboard software, sending out game results and coordinating collaborative uses of the scoreboard with other departments.
“Students who want to do any kind of media work, video production, graphic design and animation now have this incredible place to showcase their work,” Dombrowski said. “I know that Harker is full of very smart, motivated students who will recognize the opportunity that ScoreVision will open up to those interested in production experience.”
