Recent technological advancements allow teams to use wearable devices to track, recognize and analyze athletes’ performances. While these innovations have generated controversy, they ultimately illustrate the future of athletic data collection.
Before the modern-day era of sports analytics, coaches, fans and reporters needed to keep a keen eye out for athletes’ statistics; however, modern society has completely shifted away from taking pen-and-paper notes at sporting events. Now, information is more accessible and scientific than ever.
Illinois football wields these new technological opportunities to study its athletes and their metrics. Assistant Director of Athletics Brett Moore shared information about two types of wearable technology utilized in the sport to depict how and why the team follows its players digitally.
Helmet communication
Earlier this year, the NCAA approved helmet communication in football. The Illini elected to employ this technology to minimize miscommunications on the field and promote smooth play preparation.
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Moore said the team uses one offensive player and one defensive player to take charge of helmet communication during games. He described how green dots are placed on the back of an athlete’s helmet to identify which player has the technology. On offense, communication falls upon junior quarterback Luke Altmyer. On the defensive side, junior defensive back Miles Scott takes this role.
Moore discussed that since Scott is a free safety and is furthest in the back, he gets helmet communication because he can see more of what’s in front of him than his teammates. His captain status and intelligence affirm him as a strong candidate to direct his squad on defense.
Helmet communication is utilized for various reasons. Moore said the team and coaching staff have enjoyed this new addition to the sport. Rather than relying on sign language or complex symbols, there’s relief that athletes can get verbal confirmation of what needs to be done for the upcoming drive.
The Illini on the field cannot verbally respond to the helmet communication. However, having guidance from the on-field coordinators helps reduce confusion before the plays and aids the leaders in directing their teammates’ movements.
GPS
Another more common element of wearable technology in athletics is GPS tracking. A GPS gets tucked into the football players’ pads and tracks how much they move, how fast they run and the overall load executed by the athletes.
Player load refers to the effort and output exerted by an athlete. If a player is injured, it is ideal that their load is low, meaning they should move less and recover faster.
Moore discussed that strength trainers frequently analyze information provided by the GPS systems regarding speed and movement to render it into a good game day performance. GPS makes data collection much simpler, allowing users to share this information with those seeking it.
He noted that many NFL scouts look at GPS metrics to see how quickly players run in intense situations. It helps out not only the coaching staff but the players themselves. With this technology, players can evaluate their performances and recognize areas that need improvement.
These wearable technologies are only the beginning of technological developments in sports. Moore anticipates that similar devices will be utilized to obtain even more information than what appears at the surface level. But either way, wearable technology is the future of athletics.
