Football pre-season games are winding down and the start of the 2015 NFL season is quickly approaching. This is the most crucial time for coaches and trainers to keep track of and analyze player data in order to finalize their 53-man rosters. For Eric Ciano, head strength and conditioning coach of the Buffalo Bills, staying on top of the progress of each player and creating customizable workout regimens is easy, thanks to CoachMePlus (CM+).
CM+ is a customizable data management software platform, which enables coaches and trainers to house all information collected from different monitoring devices. Teams have many choices when it comes to technology, take GPS as an example where you could use Catapult, Zephyr, or STATSports just to name a few.
The CM+ system was able to fully adapt to all technology, both hardware and software used in the Bills training facility. This allows Ciano the ability to monitor each player as soon as they begin their daily regimens. In addition, workflow management is key to a successful high-performance program, and CM+ uses “Team Access Points” and “Assessment Monitors” to accomplish this.
“When our athletes walk in the building, the first thing they do is check out the monitor above the scale. It has all of their pictures on it, and everyone starts the morning as red,” said Ciano. “For the athletes, they simply touch their face, the weight goes in, they do their questionnaire, and they move onto the next task. We have three tasks they have to complete every morning. When the athlete has completed all three of those tasks, their face initially turns green so we know everybody has completed that area of the testing.”
Data compiled from each completed task is then transmitted immediately to the computer into CM+. CM+ can then be used to generate individual or team reports and graphs. This allows the Bills to keep tabs on the performance and technique of each athlete in order to see who is progressing or if any adjustment needs to be made during a specific workout or practice. From its collected data, CM+ is also able to monitor hydration and fatigue amongst players. In turn this acts as a safety monitor to prevent players from pulling hamstrings and other soft-tissue related injuries.
“We have our data, our way and by having all this information in one uniform place it helps us make a better decision on athletes on a daily basis, and helps us relay the information to our staff as well as the coaching staff on the player’s status,” said Ciano. “From questionnaire and body weights to any GPS, HRV or sleep/fatigue data, we can look at each individual’s daily profile. By using this technology with the daily body weights questionnaire we are able to see this information in real time and we’re able to make decisions about a player or training technique on the spot.
An added benefit of the CM+ system is its constant availability. Players are able to access their personal workouts on their mobile devices through the CM+ app. “If the guys are away from here I can customize it to their individual needs. That has been a huge asset for us. Also with our injured players, we can individualize the workouts for them while they are rehabbing,” said Ciano.
Besides the Bills, four other NFL teams currently implement CM+. Kevin Dawidowicz, President of CoachMePlus, explained that its current users have an increased competitive advantage over opponents. For coaches, CM+ is a timesaver that is able to capture and provide an extensive amount of information to unlock key player performance trends.
“Once you have the data, you need to visualize it so it makes sense, and if you can do that without adding an extra step, you’re ahead of the game,” said Dawidowicz. “This creates some mastery of the data, and our teams have begun to gain a competitive advantage by being able to see analysis of all the information they’ve captured. With time, predictive models are built, and the real fun in sports science begins – applying it in a way that gets these amazing athletes available and primed to perform at top levels.”
Another added advantage is the sheer ease of effective and clear communication on the field and in the locker-room. Dawidowicz explained that for some organizations it is becoming increasingly harder to track data and share information. With CM+, an entire coaching staff can have access to its collected information, therefore, reducing silos. The system provides easily accessible data for all coaches to understand in order to create unanimous interventions where needed.
“Progressive teams are beginning to break the long-standing barriers between departments. You’ll start to see the difference between teams that communicate well and teams that don’t,” said Dawidowicz. “Athletic trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, and now high-performance directors or sports scientists have to communicate about what’s happening both on the field and off the field. Coaches need to streamline what’s happening in order to see results.”
Over 45 teams actively use the CM+ system across the NFL, NHL, MLB, NBA and NCAA, with dozens more in trial. The system is a central hub for player data, allowing coaches, players and additional staff the ability to access information, dashboards, assessments, alerts and workout routines anywhere, anytime. For the Bills, staying healthy is a key factor to a successful season. CM+ allows the Bills’ staff to actively stay involved with each player to ensure productivity come game day.
“We can bring an athlete in and sit down with him and discuss what we are seeing on his profile and questionnaire, along with any of his measurements,” said Ciano. “We can talk about the areas he may need to improve in, maybe from a recovery standpoint in terms of sleep and nutrition – factors that can help keep him on the field longer.”