TRACKING ELITE ATHLETES ACROSS MULTIPLE SPORTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE

04 Oct TRACKING ELITE ATHLETES ACROSS MULTIPLE SPORTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE

The University of Delaware pride themselves on a long history of sporting excellence that spans over 130 years. With over 20 different sports teams for both male and female athletes, the Blue Hens are no strangers to national glory.

Under the guidance of Director of Sport Science and Analytics, Christina Rasnake, UD are on a journey of progressive athletic development, with a desire to create a world-class experience across their range of programs, cementing themselves as one of America’s finest collegiate sporting institutions.

Tracking Performance Across Campus 

Universities are faced with the challenge of spreading their resources across many different teams and sports, including football, baseball, hockey, and lacrosse. Rasnake has approximately 20 sports science staff looking after several teams across campus.  

STATSports aid this process by providing coaches with access to multiple athlete monitoring devices across a range of teams. The instant data feedback pitch side from these devices – including an iPad and Smart Watch – allows coaches ultra-accessibility and flexibility.  

One coach can be using the iPad to monitor a group of athletes live, while another coach can be rehabbing an individual athlete away from the main group using the Sonra Watch.  

Less time is wasted behind closed doors, spending hours downloading data and analysing hours of raw data. Now, coaches can have real-time data at their fingertips while working alongside the players, improving the communications element of coach and player. 

How Have The Blue Hens Transformed Their Athletic Department?

Improving Athlete Competitiveness with Real-Time Data 

Rasnake understands the value of using data to drive competition levels among her student athletes and sees a partnership with STATSports as the ideal opportunity to increase player performance and amplify the importance of sustainable preparation.

“The Sonra Live iPad and the easy access to the data has elevated buy-in and competition in our Blue Hen student athletes”. 

Having access to accurate, real-time data allows coaches to communicate with their student athletes in a progressive and contextual manner. They can drive intent with actionable and accessible data in real time.  

With the best interest of young, upcoming talent in their hands, this is an innovative partnership that will lend a helping hand to those who utilise it. 

Importance of Accurate Live Data 

STATSports are providing users with never-before-seen levels of flexibility and accuracy when carrying out training sessions, allowing for immediate changes at a moment’s notice.

“The speed of access to the data allows me to provide comprehensive and detailed information to the sports coaches”.  

Users with access to STATSports’ Sonra Live iPad can be working with a group of players on one pitch while seeing real-time data from a select group of players on another. 

Accurate live data is also so important to practitioners. Performance staff need to be able to trust the data they see in real-time. If a GPS system is showing incorrect data for an athlete on the training field, which means they could have been overloaded or underloaded with volume or intensity, they are at a higher risk of injury.  

STATSports are the only independently peer-reviewed live data in the world, with 100% correlation between live and post-session downloaded data. 

Communicating Data to Coaching Staff 

Being the Head of a Sport Science and Analytics department means Rasnake and her staff are in constant communication with the coaches of each team. Speed and efficiency are of the utmost importance because the window to make an impact is small – coaches are already onto devising the next session.  

When training is finished, Rasnake’s staff can collect all tracking devices and download the data in minutes. From a centralised platform, Rasnake can then create PDF reports and email them to each coaching staff in a customised format of her choosing.  

The ability to share data seamlessly with both staff and players in a way that speaks their language is important for buy-in.

“The ability to provide customised and comprehensible reports immediately after every session for our coaches and our sports performance team is crucial during coach and team meetings. STATSports allow me to do that in a user-friendly and easy way”.  

STATSports technology forms a new link of communication between key decision makers that is invaluable for the betterment of chemistry between players and staff. 

Breaking Performance Barriers 

A new era is on the horizon that will redefine how professionals view the world of sports science and strength and conditioning.

Tools that were previously thought to be obtainable to only a select few are now in the hands of trainers worldwide. This will bring player development to a whole new level, at every level of sport, from colleges to high schools. 

With the increasing physical demands in collegiate sport, load management and adequate training is more important than ever before.  

Player availability is key at any sporting program. The ability to keep the talent on the pitch and playing at optimal levels is vital for success. STATSports continues leading the line in the revolution of athlete development.  

STATSports and UD share a common goal that will look to shape a brand-new landscape in not just the world of college sports, but in US sports.