To recap the USPA Drug Tested Winter Classic is huge for me because it’s not only the first livestream for us this year, but also it represents a milestone in that we’re almost a year into the process of livestreaming strength sports on our YouTube channel. YouTube is such a crowded platform now, that it’s tough to figure out what’s going to gain traction and set you apart from everyone else.
The USPA Drug Tested Winter Classic was a blast!
The crowd was into it, supporting the thirty-two lifters as they toppled State and National records on their way to earning qualifying totals for Drug Tested Nationals later this year. The team of announcers, spotters/loaders, expeditors and scorers kept things flowing smoothly with minimal delays so we had to really work to fit in the interviews we planned and the shoutouts to our sponsors.
Once again, our team received compliments on our broadcast, (even though I see areas where we’re going to improve our product) but it was the message from one livestream viewer to a competitor letting her know that her little girls were watching her compete that got us in the feels. That’s the sort of thing that makes the long hours worthwhile and we hear it at every meet.
Meet results can be found at uspa.net as soon as they’re available.
I knew this meet would be an important one because of the possibility of cash prizes for lifters plus the chance to qualify for USPA Drug Tested Nationals but for me it meant a lot to not only give home gym owners something to watch to inspire them, but also offered the chance to spotlight any home gym owners competing that day.
So it was AWESOME to be able to spend a few minutes talking to Coach Lis Saunders, head of Team LisSmash, a garage gym facility here in the Atlanta area.
We were also honored to interview Coach Mel Avan, a home gym owner from the Ft. Benning, GA area who is heading up the first female led powerlifting research study as part of her Masters Thesis. Any lifters interested in being a part of history (and getting free coaching) can shoot her an email at Melsmoves@gmail.com.
What’s Next?
As I told you guys earlier, 2020 is going to be a busy year for our livestream crew. On January 25, we’ll be heading to Bowling Green, Kentucky to livestream the Mammoth Strength Challenge IV. The 2020 Mammoth Strength Challenge hosted by Iron Warrior SoKy Strongest Man, will be a 2 level contest. All competitors will fall into one of 16 Divivions and will compete in 5 events. The top three competitors in each division/class will receive awards. You can watch that live on our YouTube channel starting at 09:45 am on Saturday.