Watchfire Accelerates Growth in High School Sports

Watchfire is building momentum in high school athletics as districts nationwide invest in LED videoboards to modernize shared sports facilities, elevate the student-athlete experience, and create new opportunities for community engagement and sponsorship revenue.

The timing reflects a defining moment in scholastic sports. The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) reported 8.26 million student-athletes participating in high school sports in 2024–25, the highest total in the survey’s 54-year history.

As participation surges, the Aspen Institute’s Project Play initiative has identified a growing race to lean into digital, as one of the defining trends shaping youth sports today, with districts and communities investing in venues capable of supporting multiple sports, different home teams, sponsorship activation, and year-round community events. Watchfire is at the center of that shift.

Modernizing the stadiums that serve entire communities
In the Houston metro area, Klein Independent School District, which serves students across five high schools, selected Watchfire to replace a 12-year-old scoreboard at its 8,000-seat Klein Memorial Stadium. This heavily-used venue hosts football, soccer, track, and graduation ceremonies for multiple schools throughout the year. The district installed a 10mm Watchfire LED videoboard paired with afixed-digit scoreboard and the Watchfire Action Package for live video and replay.

Nearly 1,500 miles away in Central Texas, Lampasas Independent School District faced a similar challenge: a nearly 20-year-old scoreboard that no longer reflected the community’s ambitions for its athletes or its venue. Lampasas partnered with Watchfire to bring in a modern LED videoboard solution built for athletics, student recognition, and community events alike.

What both districts share is not just aging infrastructure, but a clear vision for what a modernized facility can do.

“We wanted something modern and easy to manage, with strong graphics, video capabilities, and room for advertising,” said Dr. Chane Rascoe, Superintendent of Lampasas ISD. ” The biggest benefit is highlighting the kids. It builds pride and confidence.”

In Klein, the results reinforced that vision and the relationship. Following the Klein Memorial Stadium upgrade, Klein ISD has scheduled five additional Watchfire projects across baseball fields and gymnasiums, a signal that when districts experience Watchfire’s combination of performance and support, they come back.

“Service is a vital piece of the puzzle,” said Derek Koonts, Assistant Director of Athletics for Klein ISD.”Watchfire beat the competition on price and customer service. It was a no-brainer.”

Innovation that simplifies game day
Watchfire’s momentum is also driven by continued product innovation. In December 2025, the company launched TouchConnect, a wireless touchscreen scoreboard controller designed to simplify game-day operations with intuitive, sport-specific layouts, purpose-built for the volunteers and staff who run high school events.

“The TouchConnect eliminates the headaches coaches and operators have faced for years with complicated keypads and confusing interfaces,” said Kyle Dines, vice president of sports, indoor and outdoor advertising for Watchfire. “If you know how the sport is scored, you can master the TouchConnect in under a minute.”

TouchConnect works seamlessly with Watchfire’s Ignite Sports software, giving schools complete control over scoring, video, and venue presentation. In shared facilities, where multiple schools call the same stadium home, Ignite makes it easy to transform the environment instantly, displaying team-specific colors, mascots, sponsors, and rosters with a single click. The result is a polished,professional experience that makes every team feel like the home team.

A commitment beyond the scoreboard
As the Official Scoreboard and Videoboard Manufacturer of the NFHS, Watchfire brings more than hardware to its school partnerships. Every Watchfire videoboard comes pre-programmed with optional content supporting NFHS initiatives focused on sportsmanship, respect for officials, and student participation, reinforcing the values that define education-based athletics.