With the launch our new software theClubHub its fitting to highlight how technology is becoming more important in elite sports and in recent years elite football has experienced a profound transformation by integrating cutting- edge technologies. From player tracking systems to sleep management software, players have several tools available to elevate their performance.
This article delves into the various ways technology has revolutionised the world of elite football, highlighting the use of GPS and LPS systems, physical assessment platforms, and software for sleep management. Managing load and recovery to optimize player performance and mitigating the risk of injuries remains a paramount concern for sports scientists when working with players, making this topic a very important one to dive
Technology - Evolution of GPS and LPS systems
GPS data collection has been prevalent for quite some time now. Nearly every professional club utilizes this technology, and a substantial number of semi-professional and amateur clubs also ensure the gathering of this type of information (Akenhead & Nassis, 2016).
The reasons behind its adoption are multifactorial. GPS data allows for monitoring player loads, and it’s mainly used for that purpose, ensuring that they progress at appropriate rates and achieve specific goals. These goals can be individual, position-specific, or team-related (Ravé et al., 2020). However, the data can be harnessed for various other purposes.
In recent years, the utility of GPS data has been extended beyond physical load monitoring. It has been employed for broader performance analyses, transcending physical aspects.
This expansion offers distinct perspectives on potential applications of the collected data. These applications interest not only physical coaches but also technical staff members. The link between the physical and technical-tactical dimensions of the game can be established through the data collected via GPS technology (Caldbeck & Dos’Santos, 2022).
This form of analysis is what renders this data particularly intriguing. The ability to provide comprehensive feedback to the technical teams holds significant importance and can facilitate coaches’ acceptance of different aspects. For instance, it opens the door to modifying training loads according to specific physical objectives, thereby securing their support.
The ever-increasing capabilities of GPS technology have been allowing for a bigger buy-in from different practitioners. The ability to monitor data in real-time during training sessions and subsequently adjust loads offers a significant advantage of this technology.
Technical-tactical and physical coaches receiving immediate feedback during training and having the flexibility to adapt and modify exercises to address various demands allows for a more integrated approach. This ensures that the players are doing what they planned for that specific exercise or session. Some clubs are also investing in Local Positioning System (LPS) technology.
Unlike GPS, which relies on time signals emitted by orbiting satellites, LPS operates differently, with devices transmitting time signals to locally positioned antennae. These characteristics grant LPS technology superior validity and reliability compared to GPS technology (Hoppe et al., 2018).
Initially employed predominantly in indoor sports due to the challenges these sports face in data collection within indoor facilities, this technology has made its way into clubs engaged in outdoor sports as well. The adoption of this technology by outdoor sports clubs can be attributed to various motives, which won’t be explored further in this article, as they derive from the primary focus of this piece.
Training Optimization via Physical Evaluation and Monitoring Technologies
The evolution of technology in a sports setting extends far beyond the field.
A player’s physical progression is influenced by various factors and is not limited solely to on-field loads. The ability to integrate physical training both on and off the field allows players to maximize their physical capacities. This, in turn, has a profound impact on the way they perform in the game, elevating both their individual and team performance.
Technologies such as accelerometers and linear position transducers, which facilitate velocity- centric training, along with force platforms and dynamometers, illustrate the diverse array of tools available for collecting data and leveraging it to enhance player performance.
Evaluating athletic performance daily, without the implications of formal testing settings, but through monitoring, opens a multitude of opportunities to facilitate players’ progress. This approach helps determining the optimal course of action for each day based on their state of readiness.
It involves strategising their activities throughout the microcycle and creating plans for the medium to long term. Overall, it allows for a more personalized, precise, and individualised approach, adapted to their specific needs and objectives. Regular testing also gets players actively involved in the process.
Ensuring that the information collected thought monitoring is shared with all the staff members is extremely important.
It is crucial that the testing and the subsequent data extracted from it are effectively communicated to everyone who has a direct collaboration and impact on the players’ performance guaranteeing that the best support is being provided to the players.
The presence of a multidisciplinary team that synthesizes insights from diverse domains benefits not just the players but also the coaches. This comprehensive view empowers them to understand the broader context, enabling adjustments and adaptations, If necessary, in session plans and individual training programs.
Our new system theClubHub is the perfect system to collect a multitude of data on & off the field allowing more informed decisions and saving time to concentrate on the more important aspects of the game.
Software for Sleep Management - Power of Rest
Sleep is many times forgotten as a crucial piece of the puzzle when it comes to player monitoring.
What a player does during training is only part of the equation and analysing that provides insights into just 2 to 3 hours of the player’s day, which like everyone else’s has 24 hours. This means that training analysis only accounts for a mere 10% of the player’s daily activities.
Monitoring sleep has been one of the most recent technology advancements in the last years (Altini & Kinnunen, 2021). It involves having players being monitored during “off-work” hours, which can have other significant implications. However, when done with the player’s compliance it can give the player and the coaches good feedback about the player’s recovery and present condition.
By combining these diverse metrics, players receive insights into their overall sleep quality and morning readiness. However, like any other monitoring tool, it’s crucial to critically analyse all the collected data and make decisions based on a comprehensive understanding of the entire situation, which can only be assessed after communicating with the player.
Having this type of information is powerful. It should be considered carefully but when done so, it allows for player well-being, which stands as the primary priority in ensuring that players can train and perform at their peak potential.
Linking recovery, specifically sleep data, with different performance metrics can be very valuable in understanding how the players recover from different exercises, sessions, and workloads. This type of integrated analysis could allow for a more personalized approach in both pre-training and post-training strategies. theClubHub allows integration of GPS data, allowing to help minimise the risk of injury with individualised player workload sheets.
Challenges and Ethical Considerations
Integrating technology in elite football has a lot of benefits, but it can also pose several challenges. With that said, ethical concerns should be made aware when gathering data (Harriss et al., 2019). The data collected is the property of the players, and the storage and utilisation of player’s data must occur with their informed consent.
It is important to balance the use of technology to enhance performance and, at the same time, safeguarding player’s interests, and privacy. theClubHub complies fully with GDPR measures.
Conclusion
Technology has been increasing prevalent in elite football.
Almost everything can be monitored, and this must be overseen with caution, always prioritising the players’ welfare. Technology advancements have allowed practitioners to meticulously plan and adjust trainings objectively to enhance players’ and teams’ performances.
Whether supporting a young player transitioning to the main team, helping a player recover from injury, implementing load management strategies, or enhancing recovery processes, technology, when managed properly, facilitates informed decision-making.
However, it is crucial to maintain equilibrium between employing the advantages of technology and preserving the fundamental values of the game, this makes theClubHub one of the best club software systems on the market housing all your needs in one system saving money and time.
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