Major League Soccer’s reigning champion, Atlanta United FC, is arming youth academy players with wearable technology to aid in their technical development. The soccer club, which defeated the Portland Timbers in the 2018 MLS Cup and is currently ranked third in the Eastern Conference, has partnered with Tel Aviv-based PlayerMaker to put tracking chips on the cleats of 13- and 14-year-old Atlanta United Academy players.
This investment in PlayerMaker is specific to the Atlanta United FC’s academy—it won’t be used by the first team—and is viewed as a development tool that can help coaches assess adolescents in different stages of puberty. Rather than chest-worn GPS trackers (such as Catapult) that are used by several teams in MLS to measure distance, speed and load, PlayerMaker analyzes technical skills, which Annan says offers more insights into a player’s potential than a physical test before they’ve reached maturation. A prime example of such a player would be Argentine superstar Lionel Messi, who was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) and had to inject growth hormones into his legs through his early teenage years. Despite this physical setback, his technical skills attracted the attention of FC Barcelona at the age of 13.
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PlayerMaker’s technical performance metrics include pace, pass completion, ball touches, left/right foot dominance, and even passing networks across individual positions, and they will be used by Atlanta United to assess capabilities and development over time. “We’re hoping to improve our edge by boosting our academy,” says Tony Annan, academy director at Atlanta United. “It’s an investment from the club to try to accelerate the level of our players.”
“Technical mastery for a young player is everything. The No. 6 [center midfielder] is the most intellectual player with the ball. Our game models rely heavily on No. 6 getting to the ball often. His completions, his touches, are important. Being able to track that and give instant feedback as soon as they come off the pitch is very important. Showing the players what they should’ve done, could’ve done, and what they actually did while they’re still thinking about the session, is huge for us to push them forward.”
Atlanta’s academy coaches often present PlayerMaker insights with accompanying video for visual feedback. “So when we do something right, we can go back and repeat it and do it again,” says Annan.
The wearable, which clips to the outside of a player’s shoe, is being used in all games and training sessions by 22 of the 145 kids in the academy, though Annan says game data isn’t as complete because other academies aren’t yet using the technology—meaning there are even more missing data points when the ball touches an opponent’s foot. He is hopeful that performance data around high-pressure game situations will become more insightful as other youth programs arm emerging talent with PlayMaker devices.
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PlayerMaker has been expanding its presence in the U.S. since opening offices in Miami at the end of last year. The company counts major clubs in Europe among their clients, including English teams Millwall FC, AFC Wimbledon and the EPL club Fulham, but is only starting to gain traction here. It secured its first U.S. client in March, the University of Pittsburgh’s women’s soccer program, and is now in discussions with several other American universities, as well as MLS teams and their academies, including DC United and the San Jose Earthquakes.
“We feel like we are part of a revolution to help U.S. players get better not just on a physical level but by being more technical and more competitive,” says Gal Barak, PlayerMaker’s general manager for the Americas. “Our proven algorithm provides actual data that can be translated into actionable insights for improvement and progress.”
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As PlayerMaker continues to grow its user base across the country, players could start using the platform to tout their skills. The company’s system facilitates partially automatic highlights by clipping seconds of video before or after specific player interactions with the ball. With player data and highlights populating an athlete profile, youth players might eventually be able to share their progress on social media, or with future coaches and scouts at the collegiate and pro levels.
“Scouting is part of our roadmap, and part of product development,” says Barak. “Down the road, we want to allow every player, obviously with the academy’s blessing, to own his data. That way, a kid in Colombia, Utah or Oregon, can have slightly a better chance.”
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