Kramer honored by Iowa Footballl Coaches Association

(Above) Clear Lake Football Coach Jared DeVries congratulates Kel Kramer after receiving the Distinguished Service Award by the Iowa Football Coaches Association.  -Submitted photo

by Marianne Gasaway

Clear Lake’s biggest cheerleader isn’t in front of the stands, shouting encouragement.  He’s actually on top of the stands, quietly stationed behind a camera, capturing every moment of the game.

Kel Kramer was recently honored by the Iowa Football Coaches Association with the Ken Winkler Distinguished Service Award in recognition of the 48-years he has dedicated to filming Clear Lake High School athletic events.

In his early days, Kramer filmed games with a Super 8 camera.  The film would be dropped off at Corner Drug Saturday morning and sent to Hytone in Des Moines for processing.  If all went as planned, it was back in Clear Lake Sunday night and ready for coaches to view.

That’s a far cry from the technology employed today.

Kramer, who taught at CLHS from 1973 to 2007, actually began filming football games for the school before working there.

“After high school I was working in a body shop and a kid came in who was filming for Coach Norm Theiss and asked if I could help,” recalled Kramer.  “When I went to the game, he tossed his bag of equipment up onto the roof, grabbed a railing and crawled up.  I did some roofing in college, so I could do it back in 1971.”

A few years later, the local Booster Club purchased a 16mm Bell & Howell camera which had been used to film Iowa State University basketball games.  While the camera provided improved picture quality over its 8mm predecessor, it was a technical challenge because it operated with two reels.  Kramer teamed with Fred Cook to film games; while one would film, the other would wind.  A perfectly choreographed effort between quarters kept any plays from being missed.

VHS became the standard about 1980 and although the picture quality was not as good as 16mm film, it offered a cost savings.

“The Boosters were spending about $1,000 a year for film and we would try to conserve, but (16mm) would use about 1,000-feet of film a quarter.  VHS tapes were cheap—  $3 to $5,” said Kramer, adding that the savings made it possible to film not only the high school, but junior high games, as well.  By that time he was a one-man filming operation since Cook had opted not learn the VHS filming process.

  Since 2003, Kramer has been recording games using digital technology.  Not only is it affordable, it is immediate.  And that’s something coaches especially appreciate.

“Jared (DeVries) can review the play five seconds after it happens,” he said, explaining that the images he films are transmitted from his camera at the press box and another in the end zone, to the sideline.  By simultaneously uploading the images to “the cloud,” they can be seen on seven iPads held by coaches on the Lions sideline within four to five seconds after a play is completed.  CLHS graduate Lewis Callaway and Billy Krefft, a volunteer assistant for the football team, are on the sideline making sure the system connects with the Hudl operating system. Kramer credits the two men with keeping Clear Lake at the forefront of technology.

“When we first started doing this I checked to make sure it was legal,” Kramer admitted.  “It’s amazing to think we can do it.”

The technology is allowed by the high school athletic associations and most schools today are utilizing the same system as Clear Lake.

Head Coach Jared DeVries and the Lion football program nominated Kramer for the Coaches Association Service award, saying his dedication to students and the program are unmatched and very much appreciated.

“Kel is an instrumental part of our program,” said DeVries. “He is a vital component to give our kids a chance to be successful on Friday nights.”

Kramer said seeing how the game films have been used to prepare athletes and their teams for success is one of the reasons he has continued to volunteer his time for almost a half century.

He pointed to former assistant football coach Curt Charlson, who he said would religiously study game tapes and take notes.  Charlson compiled years worth of data on teams, which ultimately provided him with their tendencies in game situations.

“It’s hard to get beat if they can’t score on you,” said Kramer.  “And he was literally in some coaches’ heads.  That’s one of the things that spurred me on to try to do a good job.”

Coaches aren’t the only ones who have discovered the impact film study can have on a game.  In the 1970s, Coach Theiss would review a game film each Wednesday at Halford’s Cafe with members of the Clear Lake Athletic Club.   Kramer also recalls football standouts in the 1980s looking at the tapes even before Coach Dennis Pelisek had seen them.

Today, the public continues to enjoy Kramer’s work.  The games he films are shown on CL Vision after completion.  Customers can watch free of charge on demand.

After retirement in 2007, Kramer added filming home basketball games and soccer to his schedule and he is excited to be planning a way to set up a camera at the Lion baseball field.

Clear Lake basketball coaches Bart Smith and Jeremey Ainley consider Kramer an irreplaceable part of their teams.

“He does an unbelievable job -- takes unreal pride in his work,” said Ainley.  “He spends a lot of time on his craft and is a huge asset behind the scenes that makes our jobs as coaches a lot easier.  I can’t tell you in enough words how appreciative I am for all he has done for our basketball program.  We, as coaches, get credit for wins but he is a major reason why!”

Like the athletes he films, Kramer said he is always striving for perfection.

“I have never had a perfect game, but that’s part of the challenge of doing it.  Eventually, technology will replace me, but I enjoying doing it,” said Kramer with a chuckle.