STATSports talks GPS Performance Technology with Germany Hockey

STATSports has helped us optimize our load management in training, preparing the players optimally for the games and competitions.

While there are a number of advantages, the biggest thing for us is real-time data on player performance, allowing practitioners to identify strengths and weaknesses and adjust their training accordingly.

The ability to add thresholds on both Sonra live and Sonra Watch for individuals allows us to monitor players’ performance and tailor training programmes to their specific needs without losing time downloading data post-training session.

For example, if a player has more high-speed metres to cover in a session to make sure they are ready for matchday, coaches can adjust their training there and then to focus on eliciting the required amount of HSR metres.

Likewise, if a player has reached a certain threshold, the staff will receive a haptic notification and can make decisions accordingly, managing player welfare. It has massively helped us build trust between both coach and players.

Why use STATSports?

In terms of data quality, the decision to go with STATSports was an easy one. They are leading the way in terms of quality, accuracy and reliability with the desire to keep improving.

Even since joining STATSports, we have seen new metrics being added, new features in the software and more recently the new hardware announcement.

From a support perspective, we have two dedicated account managers, as a result, if something does not go as planned, getting it sorted is simple and fast with an account manager always being available. 

As a federation with limited staff, and majority of the year spent doing remote training it was important for us that we could get a system with the ability to view remote training, and have a system that makes life easier, not harder, and that’s exactly what we get from STATSports.

Are there particular metrics the manager/coaching staff are interested in?  

There are a lot of generally used parameters our staff are interested in across 4 main categories.

1. Speed
2. Distance
3. Heart rate
4. Accelerometer

STATSports give us the ability to report across each of these categories on live and post-download.

The Sonra software also gives us the ability to simultaneously run absolute and relative speed zones.

This allows us to keep track of time since speed exposures for individuals, but also have an overall report on where the squad training is at. 

Furthermore, conductive vests with Heart Rate Monitors integrated also provides valuable insights to player recovery during match rotations and after drills in preparation for the next task either in game or in training. 

Equally, for anything that we want to investigate that is not a ‘standard’ metric, we have the option of the custom metric calculator to add that into our reporting.

Do you use Sonra Watch? 

As mentioned, for the majority of the season the athletes are training remotely or with their club, while they can send the data for us as a staff to view, the use of Sonra watch is excellent in terms of training feedback to athletes immediately post session.

Depending on the phase of the season we are in, the athletes will use a number of different features including steady state running and intervals.

Equally, the ability to view session content as it is happening, means athletes can complete top-ups as and when needed if the session was not to the volume or intensity we would expect.