CHICAGO — High school sports fans, this YouTube channel is for you.
The Illinois High School Association is in the process of putting some of its archive of more than 600 VHS tapes, 1,000 DVDs and dozens of film reels online — a collection that features state championships and other important games dating back to the 1930s.
"Those things are rotting away, and before all that stuff turned into dust, we wanted to do something with it," said IHSA assistant executive director Scott Johnson.
Justin Breen says the IHSA wants your old videos to complete the collection:
Johnson has spearheaded a campaign to digitize the recordings and post them on an IHSA YouTube channel that currently has video of 60 full state championships airing, with another 65 in the works.
Mother McAuley's 1992 girls volleyball state championship victory over Downers Grove South is the one video featuring a Chicago-based squad, but Johnson on Sunday plans to add the school's 1977 state title triumph over Queen of Peace onto the YouTube channel.
Next February and March, Johnson said championship games with Marshall's boys and girls hoops teams, and King's and Simeon's boys squad will be added to the mix.
The IHSA wants fans to suggest games to show by emailing archives@ihsa.org or mentioning @IHSAArchives on Twitter. They're also looking for actual footage — even if there's no audio — and the organization recently received video from the 1962 Carver-Decatur boys basketball final.
Johnson said he's deleted many of the broadcasts' commercials, with the exception of games from the 1960s, which show celebrities like Ed McMahon and Jerry Van Dyke in pitches.
"I've enjoyed seeing the old games, seeing some of the old announcers and seeing some of the old features they used to do, and even some of the commercials," Johnson said.
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:
