Technology has had such a positive impact on so many parts of our lives, so why shouldn’t we make use of it to enhance our sports teaching experience?
Coaching can be a rewarding but often stressful experience, and if technology can help make your job a little easier then why not go for it?
Improve communication with your squad
One of the most positive effects of technology in all areas of life is the increased ability it gives us to communicate more effectively with multiple people across distances.
Make use of communication platforms such as Skype, Google Hangouts and Whatsapp to reach all your football players at a moment’s notice.
You can also use features such as Google Docs and Calendars to let them know about upcoming games, training sessions and practices much more easily.
Google Surveys is perhaps less well-known but is an easy way to generate surveys to get feedback on training, coaching methods, and discover what skills gaps needs addressing.
Improved communication increases engagement, and can foster a sense of community and team bonding amongst the players.
Measure performance
The wearable technology that is currently available can be hugely beneficial for athletes while training.
It allows them to track their performance and view the effectiveness of their workout routines. Measuring performance using these gadgets will allow your football team players to track where they are with regards to their physical goals. It will also give you a greater insight into their performance as a coach.
From heart rate monitors to fitness/GPS trackers, wearable technology is no longer only accessible by elite teams, and is now much more affordable.
Monitoring/assessment software is usually bundled with the hardware (or available online), giving you access to both overview and in-depth data.
Video technology
With video technology, you now have the ability to record your football team’s practice sessions, training, and games.
These recordings can be used after the games to dissect and analyse your players’ performances as well as their opponent techniques.
Having the ability to review how they play will enable better coaching as you’ll know their specific areas for improvement. It will also help you review your strategy for the next game.
Companies like Dartfish, Siliconcoach, hudl and Performa Sports all offer a range of tools that can be used to analyse performance. Kinovea is another solution which is free and open source.
Coaching apps
There is now a plethora of helpful apps on the market which can help with coaching tips and techniques. Some examples include Coaches Eye (iOS, Android), which helps you slow down your player’s techniques on video to help with analysis. You can also draw on the video to make notes.
Another useful app for football coaches is Sport Session Planner which allows you to create 3D session plans.
An app such as Group Games (iOS) is useful to help you think of activities to help with team building.
There are plenty more options available on both iTunes and Android so have a browse to see which would be most beneficial for you and your team.
Of course, you can also head over to PE Office – our online platform with thousands of lesson plans, schemes of work, video analysis, assessment framework and fixtures planner.
