Whitehall District Schools, CatchMark SportsNet partner for 2023-24 athletics, activities coverage

WHITEHALL — The 2023-24 school year is underway at Whitehall District Schools and so is a partnership with CatchMark Technologies and CatchMark SportsNet to provide coverage and promotion for Vikings athletics and activities.

Whitehall has signed with CatchMark for the 2023-24 academic year to produce media-day experiences, video/written profiles, and other content to highlight athletics, extracurricular activities, and more in the district.

Since CatchMark SportsNet launched in the fall of 2021, the company has covered the West Michigan Conference and beyond with various forms of digital content that “makes the kids feel like rock stars,” in the words of several coaches and parents in the area. That includes the aforementioned media days, highlight and reaction videos, shows, podcasts, and much more in the video, graphic, and written areas of the digital space.

“Finding ways to celebrate them more across all sports (and activities) and getting their names out there and kind of reward them for the work they’re putting in,” said CJ Van Wieren, assistant superintendent and leader of athletics for WDS. “I think as a school district we can find ways to better celebrate our kids. We have to explore those opportunities.

“Credit to you guys at CatchMark with the things that you’ve done over the last few years and starting CatchMark Sports and really focusing on this area and these kids. We hear it all the time — we hear the kids talking about it.”

CatchMark SportsNet content can be found in a variety of places, including our social-media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, as well as the CatchMarkSports.com website and CatchMark Sports YouTube channel.

In the 2022-23 school year, CatchMark SportsNet generated more than 4.7 million combined content views across all platforms. In the 2021-22 school year, combined content views exceeded 1.1 million.

Whitehall District Schools sponsors that have contributed to the partnership with CatchMark include Bone Ends, Complete Restoration & Cleaning Services, Matt DeRose Builders, Shepherd & Shepherd, State Farm Colten Jamieson Agency, and Subaru of Muskegon.

CatchMark is seeking Whitehall students who would like to help provide coverage and promotion of their school. Contact us at sports@catchmarkit.com if interested in more information.

“I think it’s a cool thing for the kids, but I think it’s great for us as a district, too,” Van Wieren added about the partnership with WDS and CatchMark.