By Matt de Simone
Contributing Writer
The Botetourt County Recreation and Facilities Department has decided to offer a potential cure to monotonous Netflix binging and endless Zoom meetings by holding a video contest.
Over the years, YouTube has provided a platform for skilled individuals to post clips of trick shots. What is a trick shot? It is essentially any shot where a person throws an object into an open container of some sort.
Botetourt County Recreation Coordinator Josh Willett has helped design a competition that incorporates the popular trick shot idea. Citizens are invited to enter the “BOCO Trick Shot Contest.” The lucky winners will receive discounts on enrollments in upcoming department programs.
“We’re just trying to keep things light and fun,” Willett said about the contest. “We just want to give people something to focus on that’s recreation-oriented during this crisis.”
Two weeks ago, the rules for the trick shot contest were posted on the Botetourt County Recreation and Facilities Facebook page. The main guidelines require the participants to submit a YouTube link of the trick shot to the department’s email address (recreation@botetourtva.gov) by May 1. The department has limited the number of submissions to one per family. Although the department is encouraging families to film their shots now as a form of entertainment, previously filmed trick shots will also be accepted.
On May 2, those who follow the department’s Facebook page will be able to vote on videos that will be posted on its feed. The video clip with the most “likes” will be the trick shot winner. Note: these are “likes” on the Facebook page, not the YouTube channel. The first place winner will receive $15 off their next enrollment in a program. Second and third place winners will receive $10 and $5 off, respectively.
All rules and regulations are made with social distancing guidelines in mind. A parent or guardian above the age of 18 is required to submit the video.
For those who are interested in going beyond a simple video, the department will accept edited videos that show slow motion and different angles as long as an unedited version is also provided. Additionally, production elements like text and music will also be accepted.
For more information about the trick shot contest, visit the Botetourt County Recreation and Facilities Facebook page.
