Technology Has Growing Applications On The Sports Field

By Cheryl Knight, contributing writer

IT has found its way onto the field with college and professional teams this season.

According to a Rant Sports article, 15 college football programs are using GPS technology during practices and work outs in advanced training programs. Data collected reveals the prime workout time for each player, as well as when players need to recuperate from work outs.

“It helps us get a feel for peak speed,” Jim Mora, coach of the UCLA Bruins, told Rant Sports. “We can tell if a guy’s speed is dropping during practice.”

Future applications include not only tracking specific players — but eventually whole teams — to determine their strengths and weaknesses. The GPS technology can also help medical staff determine injuries, like possible concussions, and then keep further injury from happening. The article points out GPS technology can be applied to training programs for all sports, not just football.

In addition, RFID technology is on NFL fields this year— inside players shoulder pads. The National Football League installed Zebra Technologies’ real-time location system (RTLS) for sports in 17 stadiums during the 2014 NFL season. Receivers communicate with RFID transmitters in players’ shoulder pads to collect data such as position, speed, and distance. These “Next Gen Stats” can provide real-time insights into performance during the game. 

Vishal Shah, NFL VP of media strategy, says, “Zebra’s tracking technology will help teams to evolve training, scouting and evaluation through increased knowledge of player performance, as well as provide ways for our teams and partners to enhance the fan experience.”

Advancements in these types of technology, according to this Electric Compass guest column for Business Solutions, give VARs and managed services providers (MSPs) an opportunity to expand their current offerings, providing monthly Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) revenue streams.