In the midst of the madness that was the Homecoming Game on Sept. 8, Tom DeSando ran up and down the sideline, snapping shots of each and every play. After every catch, throw, and run, the players ran to check in with DeSando.
“Did you get that?” they asked.
DeSando smiled back.
“Yes. Got it.”
DeSando, a freelance videographer who works with Monarch sports programs, found his passion for videography in ninth grade. “I got interested in this class called ‘Visual Effects’ in high school during my freshman football banquet,” DeSando said. “Some of the senior players would take this class as a way to make a season highlight video that would be shown at the banquet.”
After his high school graduation, he continued his passion through classes at the University of Colorado. This expanded his skills in video editing and filming, launching his passion for videography into action.
“I try to utilize my time on sets wisely by seeing what I like from other people,’’ DeSando said. “Some have much more experience, and in those scenarios I try to get in close with those individuals, so I can gain knowledge rapidly.”
Head football coach Aaron Paddock brought DeSando on board to film football games back in 2021.
“I think he originally did some stuff for Centaurus and then somehow got connected with our lacrosse program,” Paddock said. “And so we kind of just got to know each other, being on the sidelines for different games during that spring.”
DeSando’s trademark “Road to” concept was born during the pandemic. After getting burnt out on repetitive game films, he wanted to try a different perspective, one that focused on the process and the players instead of just the score.
The “Road to” videos follow Monarch players on their journey leading up to each football game. They share interviews with the team and the coaches, clips of practices, and culminate with highlights from the final game.
“I wasn’t getting where I wanted to go and so the ‘Road to’ kind of spawned out of trying to give people a memory of sporting events that I don’t have,” DeSando said. “I can’t go back to my playing days and remember those moments. They’re only in memory.”
Monarch defensive end and offensive tackle Riley Hall ‘24 echoes the importance of the memories that DeSando’s videos preserve. He and the rest of the team enjoy being able to look back on their games.
“I always look forward to the end even if we lose, even if we win,” Hall said. “I always look forward to watching the videos. It gives you that kind of feeling, win or loss, it gives you that kind of memory of it.”
DeSando recalls his own football-playing days as a way to relate to and connect with the Monarch team. “I’ve been there as a player,” he said. “So some of what the ‘Road to’ comes out with is how I envision myself back then, going through what they’re going through.”
His ability to empathize with the players makes his films even more powerful and emotional. Asher Ewing ‘24, a quarterback for Monarch, has been featured in several of DeSando’s videos. In the first game of his senior year against Boulder High, Ewing tore his ACL, bringing a swift and disappointing end to his football career.
“With football you never know when the end date is going to come,” DeSando said. “I just feel so bad that it came for him in the first game.”
DeSando has seen these players at their best and their worst. So, seeing Ewing suffer such a tremendous loss felt personal.
“I just wish that never happened for him,” DeSando said.
The videos that DeSando makes are more than just highlight reels. They have a real meaning and an impact on the players.
“They’re so well put together,” Ewing said. “They capture the game and everything leading up to it.”
DeSando takes pride in creating these videos for the team, and he prioritizes giving each player the chance to feel seen.
“I try to make it where everybody gets the limelight where they have something important to say,” DeSando said. “I want everybody to have their moment.”
