Calling the Plays from a Screen: A Closer Look at Project Indigo through an Athletics Lens

As the deafening roar of the crowd washes over the field, the sideline is filled with players huddled around a 10-inch screen. Their next move plays out in front of them, a tactical move designed on the spot based on the game so far, an advantage that wasn’t possible just last season. The players step back on the field with renewed confidence, and the animation watched just seconds earlier comes to life as the ball moves closer to the goal.

Matt Ogden, head women’s soccer coach, has incorporated his Project Indigo iPad and Apple pencil into his everyday coaching style. Whether he is watching game film to create a highlight reel or drawing plays to win the next game on the bus, Ogden uses his iPad to connect with his players in new ways.

“The old school mentality is that you have a pen and a piece of paper or a whiteboard at halftime,” said Ogden. “I think having the ability to use this technology definitely streamlines the things I’ve been able to do.”

Project Indigo is an initiative by Capital University to close the technology gap felt on campus. Committed to offering equitable access to education, Capital has provided an eighth-generation Apple iPad and first-generation Apple pencil to incoming and returning undergraduate students, staff, and faculty. Through Project Indigo, Capital provides the digital tools necessary to connect in both the real and virtual world.

“The iPad has allowed me to give more detailed descriptions of tactical situations or changes that we may want to make, or just to highlight something. The program I have actually allows animations, so I can quickly make up an animation of a situation,” said Ogden. “I think just having those visual representations to reinforce what I’m saying verbally has been a great addition to what I can do on the sideline.”

Merging technology with a traditional playbook gives Ogden “a little more clarity to the coaching point that I’m trying to make during the run of the game.”

Those on the field are not the only ones affected by technology. From the moment fans step foot inside a Capital Comets event, the Project Indigo iPads have impacted their game-day experience.

During events, Nick Astalos, sports information director, uses his iPad to play pregame and endgame playlists and to manage attendance.

“We have online ticketing now through HomeTown ticketing,” said Astalos. “Basically, external audiences need to come with an online ticket, a barcode or QR code, whatever generates from their ticket purchase. Then our students use an app on the iPad to scan all the tickets into games. It helps us track attendance and ensures that people are entering appropriately.”

Using HomeTown has eliminated the exchange of cash on game day and made the entire ticketing process easy for both fans and students.

“It helps with our game day experience,” said Astalos. “I’d say probably 98 percent of the people that purchase from us, don’t say anything negative. So, it’s been a pretty positive response.”

For more information about Capital Athletics, visit https://athletics.capital.edu/.

To learn more about Matt Ogden, go to https://athletics.capital.edu/sports/womens-soccer/roster/coaches/matt-ogden/337.

To read more about Project Indigo, go to https://apps.capital.edu/indigo/.