Beyond the Trophy Case: Why Touchscreens are the Future of High School Recognition

At Green Level High School in North Carolina, athletics are more than just games. They’re stories, traditions, and memories that define the school community. For Athletic Director Colin Fegeley, the challenge has always been how to showcase those stories in a way that strengthens school pride within students, parents, and alumni — both today and for years to come.

That’s where Gipper Touch comes in.

Evolving from trophy cases to touchscreens

Like many schools, Green Level has its share of trophies, plaques, and awards proudly on display in its hallways and facilities. But Colin quickly realized that traditional recognition has limits.

“Trophy cases are obviously super cool… but they don’t really tell stories. You can see the year and the sport, but you don’t know who was on the team, what their journey was, or what made that season special.”

With Gipper Touch, Green Level can bring those trophies — and the people behind them — to life. A student, alum, or parent can walk up to the display, tap on a championship, and instantly explore team photos, player highlights, season stats, and more.

It’s not just recognition — it’s storytelling.

Solving the "running out of space" problem

Even though Green Level is a relatively new school, Colin is already experiencing the real-estate problem: wall space runs out, trophy cases overflow, and hard-earned awards end up in storage (or worse — thrown out). 

“Even as a young school, I’ve noticed we’re going to have to start making decisions soon about what stays and what goes. Any type of digital recognition will be really important as we move forward.”

With a touchscreen experience, schools never have to choose which memories to preserve. Every athlete, every season, every championship has a permanent, accessible home.

Preserving history for generations beyond athletics

What started as an athletics initiative is already inspiring Green Level’s fine arts and academic programs to think about their own digital recognition displays.

“My principal talks about the three A’s: academics, athletics, and arts. I can see a future where we have a Touch experience for each pillar, all across campus, working together to build a digital experience for our community.”

These digital experiences also work to preserve school history across all departments. The special memories and events that are unique to a school can all live within a digital experience so they're never forgotten.

“High school is such a short window of life, but people look back on it fondly. Without a system like Gipper Touch, those stories get lost. This is how we can record our school’s history moving forward.”

Why Gipper Touch is the choice for Green Level

For Colin, the decision to go with Gipper Touch came down to three main things: 

1. Software familiarity & ease of use. As a Gipper user of six years, Colin is super familiar with the platform — he doesn't have to learn a new software or add a new tool to his tech stack. Combined with Gipper's user-friendly experience, Colin can make updates in just minutes. 
2. Hardware flexibility. Gipper Touch works with multiple different hardware providers. Colin was able to select the touchscreen that worked best for his space and his budget.
3. Design control. Gipper Touch is fully integrated with Gipper Engage, Gipper's content creation suite, so Colin has the professional graphic templates and customization tools he needs to keep his touchscreen experience looking fresh and unique to his school. 

"The flexibility, the affordability, and the ability to keep it really fresh and constantly updated is a game-changer." 

For Colin and Green Level, Gipper Touch isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s a new way to connect past, present, and future generations of students — all from one fast & easy platform.

“This isn’t just a digital trophy case. It’s a way to tell stories, preserve memories, and create a digital campus experience that will last for years to come.”

Touchscreen recognition frequently asked questions

What is a touchscreen recognition display for a high school?

A touchscreen recognition display is an interactive, digital system (often a kiosk or wall-mounted screen) that allows a school to showcase student-athletes, alumni, awards, teams, and history in a dynamic format—going beyond traditional trophies, plaques and walls of recognition

Why should a school move beyond a traditional trophy case?

Traditional trophy cases or halls of fame have limited physical space, can’t easily be updated, and often only serve those present on-campus. A touchscreen display lets you preserve expansive history, update content quickly, and reach a broader audience (including alumni and community) via web or campus kiosk.

What benefits do touchscreen recognition displays bring to athletic departments and schools?

Touchscreen recognition displays provide a range of benefits to schools, including: enhanced visibility of achievements across all programs (athletics, academics, fine arts), stronger school pride and engagement from current students, alumni and families, preservation of the school’s legacy and stories for future generations, interactive, modern experience reflecting a school’s brand and values, and more.

How quickly can a school implement a touchscreen recognition display?

With the right tools and touchscreen recognition vendor, schools can go from planning to live in a matter of weeks. Content uploads, branding, hardware selection and launch workflows are streamlined to avoid the long lead times tied to traditional plaques and displays. Look for touchscreen recognition providers, like Gipper Touch, who offer white-glove onboarding to make launching as low-lift as possible.

What touchscreen hardware should I use?

The touchscreen hardware you use for display is an important decision. Key factors to consider include: commercial-grade display durability (for continuous use in school hallways), good touch responsiveness, appropriate brightness and viewing angle, kiosk or wall-mounted design, and compatibility with your touchscreen recognition software. Ideally, look for providers who offer all-in-one touchscreen hardware bundles.

Is a touchscreen recognition display the same as a digital hall of fame?

Not exactly — but they’re closely related. A digital hall of fame is one type of touchscreen recognition display, typically focused on honoring athletic or alumni achievements. A touchscreen recognition display goes further, allowing schools to celebrate all forms of recognition—athletic, academic, artistic, and community-based. However, the best digital hall of fame software gives you the customization needed for broad touchscreen recognition use-cases.