Independent content creators are becoming a familiar presence on the sidelines of high-school sports in Arizona, prompting new efforts to regulate their work and ensure the safety of student athletes.
The issue was highlighted at the Basha High School football fixture against Liberty High in Chandler on Friday 18 September, where photographers and videographers gathered to capture footage for highlight reels and social media posts.
Some have been nicknamed the “pajama paparazzi”, the “backpack brigade” or “dude bros”. Many are teenagers or college students working independently, while others are hired by parents, teams, booster clubs and sports organisations.
Brandon Jones, who founded BJ Media LLC after graduating from Arizona State University, runs an internship scheme employing college-aged creators to cover local games.
“It all comes down to exposure. We’re in a social media era,” he said.
Jones said his crews generally film highlights for individual players, teams or organisations, with business divided roughly equally between parents and teams.
The demand for personal sports content has increased sharply. Seth Polansky, of the Arizona Interscholastic Association, said the number of applications from creators who did not qualify for standard media access had grown rapidly.
“Probably doubled, like from two years ago to last year, and I’ve already gotten 70 this year since July 1 for those who don’t qualify,” Polansky said.
Arizona schools set boundaries for sports creators
The growth has created a balancing act for the AIA and individual schools. Families and athletic departments increasingly want immediate, professionally shot footage, but creators must operate around young athletes, officials and spectators without disrupting matches.
Although the AIA operates a credential system, schools retain control over who is permitted on the touchline. District athletic directors are responsible for applying those rules at local venues.
Matt Mayo, an athletic director, said many creators had good intentions but were not always aware of the limits of their access.
“I think that a lot of times their intentions are in the right place, but sometimes I think they’re a little aggressive, or they overstep some boundaries that they’re not aware of,” he said.
“We want to work with them, and we want them to be able to do what they’re hoping to do, but we also want to make sure that our kids’ safety is first in mind.”
The AIA’s published media guidance says school athletic directors are ultimately responsible for their programmes and that host schools can refuse access to non-credentialed media during regular-season contests. The rules also prohibit filming in team huddles, coaches’ boxes and other areas deemed to be in play.
To help clarify those expectations, the association has introduced training courses for approved high-school and college-aged creators. The sessions cover its bylaws, venue restrictions and professional conduct.
Polansky said the training was intended not only for young freelancers but also for the businesses and supervisors employing them.
High-school students hired by professional outlets must now obtain a letter of recommendation or approval from their principal or athletic director. The AIA can also withdraw credentials where conduct falls short of its standards.
Jones said he expected his staff to present themselves as professionals, including when it came to clothing.
“My kinda guideline for them is if it’s not something that you would wear to your college class, don’t wear it to a game,” he said.
He added that creators represented not only BJ Media but also their colleges and the sport itself.
“They’re representing the company; they’re representing the colleges and I hold them to a high regard,” Jones said.
For schools, the aim is to retain the benefits of fast-moving sports coverage while ensuring that access to the sidelines does not come at the expense of student welfare or the running of the contest.
