Camcorder Dads: Film for the Love of Football, Family

The best seats in the house for a high school football game are usually taken midway through the sophomore game that precedes varsity.

Perched along the top row of the bleachers, to either side of the press box, parents get the ideal view of the game, though for many it's through the lens of a video camera that helps share memories with family and in some cases get their kids recruited to colleges.

Friday night marked the opening to high school football in Illinois, and as , parents on both sides taped the games for various reasons.

"I want some good clips so he has something to look back on his high school career," said Dennis Keenan, who was cheering on his son, Colten, a sophomore cornerback.

Keenan said he's also got family from out of town, and they like watching the games when they visit. Being able to share their kids' accomplishments and life with out-of-state family was a sentiment shared by many parents.

John Cap's son, Tony, graduated from Lincoln-Way East a couple years ago and is now a firefighter with the Air Force in Alaska. Cap said his son enjoys watching his brother's games.

The game tape is as much for the student athletes as anyone else, though. Not only can they get some additional, focused film sessions, but a good play or two captured on tape can also go a long way to getting an athlete noticed by college recruiters.

"You have to be proactive as a parent. You can’t always wait on the coach to be reaching out to colleges," said Nate Johnson, who started filming games about four years ago when he had kids playing at Thornridge. His son, Ryan, now plays at Concordia University in Chicago.

Johnson was on Friday to tape just as a hobby "for the love of the game." Ross Stremme, whose son Ross is a senior lineman on North and hopes to play in college, also tapes the games. He said he sends his tapes to a company that highlights the player of choice and edits movies that can be sent to coaches.

Many parents said they've been teaching themselves how to work the camera and edit ("I'm getting better," Stremme said.) video, and there's other time commitments like burning DVDs and mailing them to potential colleges.

Beyond the shared memories and college opportunities, all the parents agreed the tapes will be something nice for the kids to have to show for their high school careers.

“We’re just really proud of our kids," Cap said.

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