From Invention to Innovation: Columbia High School Elevates Ultimate Frisbee with Veo

On the town fields of South Orange, New Jersey, the legacy of Ultimate Frisbee lives on at Columbia High School. As the birthplace of the sport, Columbia’s Ultimate program has remained a powerhouse for over 40 years. With multiple state championships and national appearances under its belt, the program is now turning to technology to stay ahead of the competition.

“We’re not a school-sponsored sport, so we get town fields as we can,” says Sean Lorre, the varsity head coach. “We’ve actually practiced at the same location for over 40 years. I started playing here when I was in high school, and this is where we practiced.”

Lorre, a former player and now the head coach, oversees one of the largest and most competitive Ultimate programs in the state, drawing more than 90 players to tryouts each year. Despite this success, the team isn’t officially affiliated with Columbia High School. “We’re made up of about 98% Columbia High School students, but we have no official relationship with the school,” Lorre explains.

New Opportunities for Video Analysis

For years, the team’s video setup was simple—just a phone placed at one end of the field. “We would occasionally set up a little camera or a phone in one end zone. It’s not the best,” Lorre admits. But when the team traveled to nationals two years ago, they saw how other programs were using more advanced systems, and the need for an upgrade became clear.

“One of our board members did a lot of research and found Veo,” says Lorre. “He worked with your engineers to figure out if it could follow the disc since it’s designed for soccer. It turns out Veo does a really great job. I’ve seen similar products, but they either lose the disc or have blind spots on the field. Veo has been a great resource for us.”

Now, the team uses Veo to film both practices and competitions. “It’s great to not need someone manning the camera,” Lorre says. “We can tag players, and it allows us to provide feedback on things like defensive positioning or decision-making.”

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Individualized Coaching Through Video

Veo’s technology has given the coaching staff a new level of flexibility in how they break down the game. “We can do a virtual film session or an asynchronous session, where we show a player, ‘This was a great play,’ or, ‘Here’s where you could adjust your defensive positioning,’” says Lorre. “It’s really useful for helping players understand what’s happening on the field.”

Columbia’s program prides itself not only on its competitiveness but also on its commitment to sportsmanship. “Ultimate Frisbee is a self-refereed sport,” Lorre explains. “It’s important to instill the best spirit and sportsmanship into our players while also playing at the highest level.”

As Columbia gears up for the new season, Lorre and his coaching staff are aiming to make more strategic use of the footage they collect. “We filmed a lot last season, but this year we’re dedicating some of our support staff to reviewing and tagging the film,” Lorre explains. “We’re also working on setting up spaces where we can hold live film sessions with the team.”

With their focus on refining both individual and team performance, Columbia High School’s Ultimate team is leveraging Veo’s technology to enhance their preparation and continue building on their strong foundation.