The rapid evolution of sports technology has revolutionised how we support our athletes. In collaboration with Output Sports, this article delves into how sports technology can enhance team training.
Technology has transformed sports at every level – from fan experiences to officiating, media analysis to of course, sports science. For those of us working directly with athletes, selecting and implementing the most impactful solutions is crucial. Here, I discuss five key ways sports technology enhances team training, as well as the potential pitfalls we must navigate to ensure these benefits are realised.
1) Collecting Objective Information to Drive Data-Informed Programmes
Sports technology should add value by fostering a data-informed approach to athlete support. The distinction between data-informed and data-driven is critical. As Paul Gamble and his colleagues emphasise, combining the subjective coach’s eye with objective data allows us to harness the strengths of both, while buffering their weaknesses. A data-informed approach uses technology and data as tools to supplement subjective assessments, providing a deeper understanding of complex human behaviours and enabling better decision-making.
“The role of technology and data in general is to inform, facilitate and elevate our decision-making capabilities. If we begin with this proposition of being data-informed rather than data-driven we can finally move past the tension between objective versus subjective and turn our attention to blending these approaches in a way that is mutually complementary.” – Gamble et al., (2020)
Whether it relates to on-pitch warm-ups, injury prevention routines, strength and conditioning programming, or nutritional support, the objective data collected supports data-informed decision making for effective individualised programmes.
Take velocity based training (VBT) as an example. Instead of relying on static one-repetition maximums, VBT adjusts the training load based on each individual’s capacity on that specific day. While the athlete and coach may sense that the individual’s capacity is reduced, technology – like Output Sports’ inertial measurement units (IMU) devices – helps by quantifying this effect. Armed with this information, the coach can then adjust the programme accordingly. This autoregulation ensures more effective training.
For more on VBT, watch our video below taken from our ‘Measures that Matter’ YouTube series (specifically at 3:15 onwards for VBT).
2) Overcoming Performance Management Challenges
Supporting performance in team sports – whether it’s a 15-athlete basketball roster or a 120-strong college American football roster – is a challenging juggling act. We aim to individualise training loads for each athlete, both on and off the field of play, but must also consider the diverse needs and responses across the entire squad. Technology aids in quantifying and tailoring training programmes to meet these varied needs.
As outlined earlier, individualisation is not just about the specific athlete’s demands, but also about adjusting based on where the athlete is on that particular day. Sports technology can streamline this processes by collecting and storing information efficiently across a whole squad of athletes. It also aids in communicating each individual’s training programme – such as Output’s customisable workout builder – and provides real-time feedback on their performance.
Of course, no single sports technology offering solves everything. Combining data-streams from different technologies is essential to overcoming performance management challenges, as we’ll discuss later in streamlining workflows.
3) Enhancing Athlete Autonomy and Engagement
Research suggests that autonomy-based, athlete-centred relationships underpinned by democratic leadership yield positive coach-athlete relationships and performance (Carson et al., 2022). Furthermore, a recent meta-analysis demonstrated coach autonomy support is an important predictor of favourable athlete outcomes (Mossman et al., 2022).
Given the benefits of autonomy, how can technology support this? Developing an autonomy-supportive environment involves individualised training plans, attention, and feedback (Foulds et al., 2019). Empowering athletes to take part in their data capture fosters a sense of autonomy and responsibility. This is particularly crucial with today’s technology-savvy athletes, who expect, if not demand, access to their data.
When athletes are involved in measuring and tracking their performance, they become more invested in their training. Greater transparency of their data can increase engagement, leading to more meaningful training outcomes as athletes take interest and ownership of their progress.
4) Driving Intent and Competition
Technology can also drive athlete intent, which has a significant influence on training outcomes. Research shows that strength gains can be maximised when repetitions are performed at maximal intended velocity (Gonzalez-Badillo et al., 2014). This does not necessarily mean at maximum, but at maximally intended velocity as determined by VBT. This underscores the benefits of real-time feedback in driving intent.
Sports technology offers interactive and gamified elements that can boost motivation and commitment. Output Sports’ leaderboard function, for example, fosters healthy competition among athletes, pushing them to push their limits.
A recent study in NCAA Division 1 basketball players (both male and female) compared physical outcomes in an individual feedback setting (on a tablet shown only to them) versus a social comparison feedback (on a tablet and a leaderboard on a large, prominent television screen) (Philipp et al., 2024). This study found enhanced vertical jump performance and more stable measures in the social comparison condition, highlighting the impact of a leaderboard and competition on athlete intent.
Such competition, powered by an Output Sports leaderboard, is demonstrated with England Men’s football team in the video below on measures that matter in football (at around 5:37).
5) Streamlining Workflow
Workflows should save staff and athletes significant time. A well-designed workflow minimises the burden of data collection on athlete – a key aspect of building and maintaining buy-in, as I have previously discussed in relation to the Value Burden Matrix. Crucially, it should accelerate the time it takes to generate insights.
While we’ve focussed on the benefits of technology, it’s important to note that it doesn’t automatically integrate smoothly into applied settings, nor does it innately improve workflows. Technology and data collection processes can add burdens on athletes and staff alike. However, with well-planned and executed integration, these burdens can be minimised, making the process valuable.
We’ve already discussed how real-time data can enhance team training through driving competition and athlete intent. Beyond live workflows, technology should also streamline data analysis post-event, such as reducing the time to merge and examine fatigue testing data, for example.
The growing volume of data from sports technology has created an even greater need for efficient data architecture. A well-designed data infrastructure should streamline data collection and analysis, reducing the administrative burden on coaches and allowing more time to focus on training athletes rather than managing data. The Output Capture app and Hub platform, for instance, enable seamless integration of performance metrics, ensuring that coaches and athletes can access real-time data effortlessly.
Integrating new technology into training can disrupt the natural flow if not done well. It is crucial to adopt systems that enhance rather than hinder training sessions. While streamlining workflow is a potential benefit of sports technology, its success depends heavily on careful planning and execution.
Final Thoughts
The role of technology in team sports training is ultimately to support data-informed decision making. It has the potential to collect objective information, overcome performance management challenges, enhance athlete autonomy and training intent, and streamline workflows. However, these benefits aren’t guaranteed. To harness the full potential of sports technology, it should be integrated with a well-thought-out plan, continuously reviewed, used to support individualised programming, and efficiently incorporated into the team’s data architecture.
This article is supported by Output Sports. For more information about their technology, visit their website.
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