When Coach’s Eye first started in 2011, it adopted the role of somewhat of a great equalizer. They had been to the mountaintop, seen the capabilities of professional video analysis, and returned in hopes to bestow those professional-grade video analysis tools back upon the common people of amateur sports. They looked to establish a platform for youth coaches to better utilize the video and sharing capabilities of their smartphones in order to instruct, correct, and demonstrate proper form and technique to their players.
With nearly everyone on earth equipped with a smartphone, the Coach’s Eye team saw no reason that youth, high school, and collegiate coaches couldn’t provide their athletes with the same film room experience as the pros. So they developed a platform that allows coaches to record, cut, edit, and share video from their mobile devices onsite.
Coach’s Eye enables users to record with their mobile devices. However, through a partnership with GoPro, the platform allows coaches to shoot footage with GoPro cameras that are remotely controlled via their mobile device.
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After shooting, the video is immediately available for editing on the device. Coaches can edit with graphics to highlight technique issues and other points of emphasis. The ability to provide this type of instant feedback is what seems to be the most revolutionary aspect of the platform. Jeremy Fischer, Olympics Team USA Track & Field coach and Coach’s Eye stalwart, raved “The only way I could perform video analysis in the past was by filming and reviewing on a tiny camera screen. With Coach’s Eye I am able to use my iPhone or iPad Mini to instantly record and review in slow motion with lines, angles and timers right in the video.” Rather than waiting for a film session to analyze and correct technique or strategy, coaches like Fischer can instantly point to problem areas and correct them on the field instantaneously.
Expediting the video analysis process has allowed for more efficient and effective coaching, and it can be proven at every level. “The athletes I coach have achieved record setting performances, including winning multiple indoor and outdoor world championship medals, Olympic medals and national championships. I use Coach’s Eye as a valuable tool to help with my coaching, and I think the proof is in the proverbial pudding,” explained Fischer when asked about the impact Coach’s Eye has had on his athletes.
The software seemed destined to prosper among youth and high school coaches, and it did; however, the platform had an impact far greater than the team had envisioned. Before they knew it, Coach’s Eye was receiving feedback from all over sports about their platform. Youth, high school, and college coaches were utilizing the app as expected. But, the apps influence on the professional level shocked them. Fischer is just one of many coaches and athletes at the professional and even Olympic levels that have reported use of the platform and loved it. It turned out that the convenience of recording, cutting, and sharing all on the same mobile device was an innovation that appealed to all levels of competition.
Professional coaches, including US Weightlifting, Diving, and Track & Field, have raved about the technology, praising their ability to provide the same video analysis on the road as they could at their home facilities. Beyond just the practical uses of the platform, pro coaches really do seem to believe in Coach’s Eye, stating that athletes that have access to this sort of technology at a young age really will become better athletes in the long run, improving their technique, and studying their craft beyond just playing in the backyard.
Coach’s Eye takes the idea of studying the game through film much further than just recording and analyzing. Possibly the most interesting and unique feature that Coach’s Eye provides is the ability to share not only with players and coaches on your team, but also in an online community. The platform allows users to set up a team in which coaches can push videos and messages to the rest of the athletes’ personal devices. But beyond just sharing with your team, Coach’s Eye users can post videos and analysis to an online forum for other users to check out. This feature gives athletes an opportunity to improve on their own and allows coaches to build a portfolio of tips, pointers, and techniques for themselves.
Coach’s Eye has exceeded all expectations they had for themselves, impacting every level of sport and even sports they never dreamed of. One Coach’s Eye representative even mentioned getting feedback from sports like equestrian and “bicycle ballet”. The platform looks to keep pushing forward, evolving with the mobile devices that they utilize and taking advantage of every aspect of that technology. The future of Coach’s Eye is bright, and the future of sports is brighter with Coach’s Eye in it.