School budgets are under pressure. Athletic programs across the country are being asked to do more with less, and coaching technology is one of the first line items that comes under scrutiny.
But most schools approach this the wrong way. They look at the cost and ask: Can we cut this? A better question to lead with is: Are we getting the right value for what we're spending? Is there a smarter way to provide this to our coaches?
Here are five things school leaders should consider before making a decision about coaching film and analytics.
Table of Contents
1. Understand What Your Coaches Actually Use
Not every coaching platform gets used the same way across every sport. Before you evaluate cost or alternatives, talk to your coaches. Find out which features they rely on daily, which ones they've never opened, and what would genuinely hurt their program if it went away.
Most coaching staffs need three things:
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Organized game film they can access without manual uploads
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Stats they can trust
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A way to share clips with athletes for individual review
When you know what's actually being used, you can evaluate options based on what would best support your coaches and student-athletes.
2. Look At Cost Per Team, Not The Total Bill
Athletics budgets feel big when you look at the aggregate. They feel very different when you look at the per-team cost of each tool.
Coaching film and analytics platforms can run into the thousands of dollars per team, per season. If you're supporting multiple teams at once, that number adds up quickly. The question isn't just whether you can afford the total; it's whether each team is getting enough value to justify its share of the spend.
When addressing cost, break it down by sport. Ask which teams are actively using the platform and which ones are paying for access they barely touch. That analysis usually surfaces a few surprises.
3. Map Your Existing Technology Before Signing Anything
Schools often pay for capabilities they already have. They just don't know it.
If your school streams through NFHS Network, you already have potential access to automated film, breakdowns, and highlights through MaxPreps Advantage. Some platforms would require additional camera purchase and manual uploading after every game. Before you evaluate a new analytics tool, understand what your current streaming provider can support.
The same logic applies to stats. If your school is already reporting to a stats platform, ask whether there's a way to connect that data to your coaching tools instead of paying separately for redundant systems.
Schools that audit their existing technology before adding new tools almost always find options they didn't know were available to them.
4. Make Sure "Lower Cost" Doesn't Mean "Less Useful"
This is the trap many principals and athletic directors fall into. When budget pressure hits, the instinct is to find the cheapest option. But coaches need tools they can actually use. A tool that saves money on paper but costs coaches time in practice isn't a true savings at all.
When evaluating alternatives, ask for specifics:
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How is game film organized and delivered?
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Are stats logged by people or automated?
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Can coaches share stat-linked clips directly with athletes?
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Is there sport-specific analysis, or is it one-size-fits-all?
Basketball is a good option to run this test on. A platform that covers football film well but can't deliver possession tracking, shot charts, or play-type analysis for basketball isn't a full replacement. Know exactly what you're getting before you commit.
The goal is to reduce costs without taking useful tools away from coaches. That's a meaningful distinction.
5. Give Your Coaches and AD the Information, Then Let Them Weigh In
Principals don't need to become analytics experts to have a useful conversation about this. But coaches and ADs do need to be part of the decision, because they're the ones who will be using the platform you choose.
Before making a call, share what you've found. Tell your AD what the current platform costs per team. Show them what an alternative would cost. Ask them whether the capabilities cover what they need. If the answer is yes, you've found a way to reduce costs without diminishing the value coaches get. If the answer is no, you have the information you need to make a case for keeping the current spend.
That conversation almost always goes better when the people closest to the coaching program are the ones validating the decision, not just approving a line item.
A Practical Option Worth Examining
One alternative some schools are already using is MaxPreps Advantage.
For schools that stream through NFHS Network, MaxPreps Advantage converts existing game streams into organized film, stats, and breakdowns automatically. No additional camera purchase is required. Coaches get human-logged stats, stat-linked clips, unlimited film storage, and sport-specific analytics across football, flag football, volleyball, basketball, soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, baseball, and softball. For example, Advanced Breakdowns for basketball include possession tracking, shot charts, advanced athlete metrics, and play-type analysis.
The pricing: $300 per team per season for football; $600 per team, per season for all other supported sports. The savings aren’t limited to cost. Elliott Hamilton, Athletic Director at Triangle Math & Science Academy, recently noted that the financial savings weren’t the only benefit to his school. His coaches, with little to no training, saved two hours film breakdown per game.
For many schools, MaxPreps Advantage covers what coaches actually need at a more practical cost per team.
Learn more at playonsports.com/coach.
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PlayOn: Oct 1, 2026, 9:39:40 AM
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