Direct to video: a competition pool uses a video projection system to create even more exciting aquatic competitions and new funding opportunities.(BOTTOM LINE)

The atmosphere at a high school state swim meet is intense. In Iowa, spectators brave the February cold and line up hours before the doors open to ensure they will have the best possible vantage point for the meet.

At the Marshalltown, Iowa, Community Y, we're using the latest in technology to take that excitement level up a notch--and make every seat in the house the equivalent of a poolside view.

A new video projection system incorporating a 22-foot screen was installed in the 1,700-seat natatorium in February. The multimedia system allows for live video, recorded video and computer-generated graphics to be displayed on the large screen during the meet. This means the Community Y can tailor a multimedia presentation to specific events hosted in the natatorium.

The Y staff and volunteers were able to draw on the expertise of Fake Space, a company with a wealth of experience in consultation, design, installation and servicing of hundreds of large-scale visualization solutions for clients such as Ford Motor Co., NASA, Boeing, Conoco Phillips, John Deere, and the U.S. Army and Navy.

Fake Space provided components for the project at cost and helped the volunteers with installation. The project price was less than $23,000 and was paid for by donations from local companies and the community, along with fund-raising from the Y's Swim Team Parents group.

By incorporating ...