In the hyper-competitive world of scouting and development, players and coaches are always looking for some kind of edge on their competition. Digital innovations have allowed coaches to find ways for easier, more customizable methods for their players to work on specific areas of their development in a sport. Game film, a study tool that was once a dreaded full day of gathering your team around and starting and stopping a full game, is now a mobile, versatile and easier sports tool for player and coach development thanks to New York startup Krossover.
Started in 2009 by basketball junkie and entrepreneur Vasu Kulkarni, Krossover is a digital video service that currently specializes in football, basketball, lacrosse and volleyball. The software also allows for potential recruiters to compile game footage in a highlight reel to send to college recruiters. Some of its notable clients include the Cleveland Cavaliers and the University of Kentucky in addition to over 2,000 other high school, college, and professional programs.
Coaches who are clients send their game video into Krossover, whose game analysts break the game down play-by-play, offering everything from box scores, possession time, player efficiency ratings and game pace. It is a crowd-based application, allowing teams to access game video and data from anywhere and allowing coaches to share the film with players.
In addition, game film can be separated into specific plays, like dunks, and made free throws, but also goes further into the game, with categories like “Sideline Out of Bounds Plays” and “Deflections That Led to Out of Bounds,” providing coaches and players with a more all-around view of the game than what the average viewer sees on Sportscenter. Krossover is also entirely interactive; users can go as far as going to the shot chart of each team to pull up a video of each individual shot.
I was able to test out the platform this weekend, and found it remarkably easy to use. Having the games (I was given a sample account) already broken up made it easier to go through, play-by-play, and analyze each one in their entirety. What was interesting is there was an option where I was able to click on a particular player during a play and actually see his field of vision (below). This tool is particularly helpful for coaches who are able to teach their players proper positioning.
In addition to game film, Krossover has also developed an app called sIQ, available on the Apple Store. sIQ is a perceptual skill application designed for athletes, who can watch a play on screen and guess what happens next. It is also used for coaches to test an athlete’s sports intelligence. It’s highly addictive, as both my friend and I ended up challenging each other for a few hours.
Krossover is growing at a rapid rate. The company has raised $14.9 million since 2010, and has expanded their client base and revenue ever since. They hire game analysts from all across the country and have over 50 people in their New York City office, which recently welcomed an ESPN desk that used to be on Sportscenter that Kulkarni won in an auction benefitting the V Foundation.
With analytics and video editing growing in importance to both coaching staffs and athletes alike, Krossover is poised to continue to be a force in the world of analytics and intelligence sports software.