High School Video Boards Help Create Real Pathways into College and Pro Sports

A Student Story That Starts with Opportunity, Not a Title

Some students wait to be invited.

Others raise their hand.

For Lucas Dahlberg, opportunity began during his freshman year at Elk River High School in Minnesota, right after the school installed new Daktronics video boards. Instead of waiting to be assigned a role, Lucas walked up to staff and asked if he could help run them.

Learning by Doing 

Once Lucas had access, he treated the opportunity like a craft.

He searched for tutorials.

He studied professional game presentation.

He experimented with graphics and workflows.

Rather than observing from the sidelines, he learned by doing – building skills the same way live event professionals do.

Each year of high school brought more responsibility. With upgraded systems came bigger expectations, and Lucas kept stepping forward.

Real Event Production Roles, Real Responsibility

This wasn’t “helping out.” Lucas was doing the work.

During high school events, he took on production roles that mirror college and professional environments, including:

• Camera operator, capturing live action and crowd moments
• Content creator, designing graphics and visual elements
• Video board operator, managing live playback
• Live director, coordinating timing and transitions
• Show producer, scripting and executing the overall experience

Eventually, one person couldn’t do it all. That became the next lesson.

Building a Student Production Team that Lasted

Instead of trying to manage everything himself, Lucas built a team.

By the time he graduated, more than 25 students were involved in running events at Elk River. Several of those students are now pursuing sports‑ and media‑related careers because of the opportunities that program created.

That’s the real impact of student‑run production: the opportunity doesn’t end when one student moves on.

Arriving at College Ready to Contribute

When Lucas arrived at the University of St. Thomas, he wasn’t starting from scratch.

He quickly became involved with Tommy Athletic Productions, working across football, volleyball, hockey and other events that rely on video displays and live production.

Then the stakes rose even higher.

St. Thomas opened a new Division I facility with center‑hung video displays, ribbon boards, and a fully integrated show environment. Lucas played a major role in building the first‑ever show for that venue.

During opening week, he logged 45 hours alongside his full class load – preparing content, building the event through Show Control, testing elements and making sure everything came together.

When fans arrived on opening night, the line outside was long. Inside, the show delivered.

Understanding Fan Experience from Every Angle

In addition to his college work, Lucas is now part of the Minnesota Wild promotions crew.

Being on the ice and in the crowd gives him a different perspective: how fans react, what builds energy, and what makes people feel part of the event.

That perspective shapes the way he approaches production, because great game presentation isn’t just technical – it’s a human experience.

Student Opportunity Can Build Futures

Lucas doesn’t wait for opportunities. He creates them. He asks questions, studies the industry, adapts what works, and improves based on his own experience.

His story shows what’s possible when students are:

• given access to real technology
• trusted with real responsibility
• encouraged to explore and lead

That combination doesn’t just create better events.

It creates futures.

Listen to Lucas’s Story and Explore More Student Pathways

Lucas Dahlberg’s journey is a clear example of what Stories Beyond the Display is all about.

Listen to the full episode of The Daktronics Experience Podcast to hear Lucas tell his story in his own words. 

And explore more examples of how student opportunity comes to life in Stories Beyond the Display.