Half an hour before kickoff at Gothenburg and already the tiny visitor’s press box was crowded with media, statisticians and students charged with recording game tapes for Kimball’s coaching staff. And jammed into one corner, a new group: three parents, unwinding cable and searching for power outlets.

That was September 16, as the Longhorns prepared for their second road appearance of the season. A few weeks before, Danielle and Brad Reader had approached the Kimball High Booster Club with a novel idea. They hoped to broadcast local football and volleyball games live over the Internet.

During the summer they had to leave Las Vegas before their son Jake’s last game in a club basketball tournament. Another parent--one following a kid from the other team, in from Missouri--mentioned citylinktv. Whenever work interfered with the constant rotation of events and travel parents of young athletes experience, this person caught the game on her laptop.

The Readers ended up waiting in the airport, watching Jake and his team--with sound and commentary and everything but replays.

“We got to thinking ‘why can’t we do this in Kimball?’” Danielle Reader recalled.

Citylinktv is, essentially, a streaming service. Dozens of schools, churches and other organizations--most of them in the company’s home state of Missouri--purchase channels on the site. Citylinktv presents live video and archives previous broadcasts.

Buying space on citylinktv costs $600 for 90 days or $2,000 for an entire year. The booster club agreed to try out the service for three months, with Vince’s Corner, FirsTier Bank and Points West Community Bank picking up the tab.

“We pitched in to see what kind of response we’d get,” said Henry Heeg, owner of Vince’s Corner. “Brad and Danielle did most of the leg work.”

That leg work included discussions with citylinktv, purchasing a box to convert video, borrowing audio equipment from Kevin Moser, packing up the family camera and Danielle’s laptop and driving to Gothenburg--dragging Heeg along as play-by-play announcer.

In other words, they dove right in without any formal training.

“That first broadcast did not go well,” Heeg said. “Our broadband card didn’t get a strong enough signal and it constantly buffered.”

They were on the phone throughout the game, trying to solve the issue or just listening to friends back in Kimball describe the intermittent feed, generally with some “it’s not that bad” encouragement.

On another occasion, the novice announcer accidentally switched his microphone off, silencing several minutes of a broadcast. They’ve also fended with old gymnasiums, crowded and rickety press boxes and small towns somewhat ill-equipped for broadband--as well as school officials in places like Gordon and Pine Bluffs eager to help.

“There are going to be growing pains,” Reader acknowledged. “It’s all home grown--no professionals here.”

Growing pains are normal and forgivable. After all, many people consider the prospects for Kimball sports programming truly exciting. Already their efforts have paid off, as people from eleven states logged onto the most recent football webcast from Gordon, amounting to over 360 hits. Heeg and the Readers also receive texts during each event from fans anxious to share their appreciation.

If they can build a steady audience, plans are in place to purchase better equipment through the booster club or school and recruit students interested in broadcasting or the Internet to cover winter sports.

“Basically we’re trying to get it up and running, get the kinks out,” Heeg explained. “Then we hope to get the kids involved.”

Possibilities included not only game coverage, but a studio highlights show hosted by Kimball High students.

“That’s what I want to do--get the kids running it,” said Troy Unzicker, superintendent for Kimball Public Schools (who also doubles as play-by-play announcer for volleyball webcasts).

After talking over some of the Gothenburg issues with Reader, Unzicker set up a wireless system in the Kimball High gym, one capable of providing the necessary bandwidth. If the project continues, he may install a hardwire.

“We don’t want it to cut into support,” he said, expressing some concern that fans might choose to remain home and watch on computer or television rather than turning out for games. “But it’s such a great opportunity.”

By all accounts, the Reader’s spur of the moment impulse to stream Kimball’s games over the Internet has been a huge success.

When the original 90 day contract expires, Reader will set out to find more funding. Basketball and wrestling seasons are about to start, after all.

“It’s getting easier,” she said of the process. “And putting the kids on TV is pretty neat.”