Modern technology is changing the way coaches and their staff interact with each other and their players. Gone are the days of lugging around heavy phonebook-size playbooks, stacks of DVDs, and lack of accessibility. The modern coach now has the ability to easily organize his team to learn and study the game at any time, anywhere. Whether a team is on the field or on the road, technology brings it all together and enables 24/7 access to critical information at the push of a button.
Mobile apps in particular, that are used on devices such as the Microsoft Surface and the Ipad, have completely transformed life on the field, adding new dimensions to training and coaching.
One of the more popular apps, called Hudl, is an example of this technology. Hudl is a sports video software and mobile app designed for coaches, athletes and recruiters. It can be used for a variety of sports, but it really shines in football because it allows the user to watch game film on any digital device.
This completely eliminates the traditional “playbook classroom” as it allows players and coaches digital access anywhere, which streamlines efficiency and usability. This app also has additional benefits such as editing the film as needed, adding notes to game clips to share key information, creating custom reports on opponents, and offers a guide to a player’s strengths and weaknesses.
This software also allows for teams to show off clips and highlights of great plays to anyone, which promotes team building and appreciation of players, and can also be a smart marketing tool as well. Hudl is growing fast, they recently raised $72.5 million in funding, as coaches in all sports leagues are catching on to the benefit of this technology.
Another mobile app, Coachnote, is actually an interactive whiteboard that allows users to create their own plays, strategies and tactics and then share them with players and staff. This app allows for even more creativity and organization as it can trace ball movement and players on the field through the use of numbers and colors that the user assigns.
And finally, Ubersense, a mobile app actually developed by the same makers of Hudl, allows the user to record players movements for coaching feedback. The user can record player moves either in the game or on the practice field in HD and then review their movements in slow motion using drawings, comparisons and voice overs.The app also allows the user to manage their team members’ videos by name and technique. And players can use this app as part of their marketing strategy by sharing their videos with coaches and recruiters as well as other athletes to grow their fan base.
There are numerous other mobile apps that can do everything from monitoring game stats to using analytics to checking the health of players and due to the incredible utility of these mobile apps, sports leagues, from the professional level on down, have begun to embrace apps as an important tool.