Just like many other markets, youth sports has seen a clear injection of technological innovation in the last decade. It’s allowed us to not only benefit from the latest sports technology, but also opened our eyes to another world of data that was previously unseen.
It’s never easy to stay up to date with the latest hardware or software, given the speed of the tech industry as a whole; but it is worthwhile to be open minded and aware of the resources available to you, your team, or your organization.
“The global sports technology market was valued at $17.9 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach $40.2 billion by 2026”
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Given the projections above, this market is preparing to boom for the next decade at the least. Whether you invest to save time, save money, or gain insight, there are many systems and devices you might be missing out on. There’s truly never a bad time to look into the latest technology.
Some technologies that have transformed the world of sports:
Finding the right solution
If you’re a decision maker of a club or organization, you’re likely wearing different hats and have a key role in the future of the club. When adding a piece of technology into your club, you must first find a problem worth solving, then select the most beneficial solution. It’s also important to identify which teams or groups will benefit from your decision. Taking care of your families and coaches is key to making the right decision, rather than putting square pegs into round holes and sinking fees into a solution that doesn’t work alongside your mission.
Most clubs and organizations are focusing on improving player performance, recruitment tools, and player retention. With many leagues deciding to mandate video, the club may be in need of an automated video solution. Maybe you’re looking to maximize performance through the use of performance metrics, or possibly in need of a recruiting service to get your players’ seen for the next level.
You might even get lucky, finding a solution like Trace, which provides a true all-in-one solution, encapsulating an automated video and editing solution, including personalized performance metrics, and a recruiting platform (Trace iD) to cover individual recognition.
How You Can Benefit from Technology You All Year Round
When you have a solution that’s available all year round, seasonality is much less of an issue. While you may not be playing games the entire year round, users will have access to data, video content, and other resources during the offseason (how most yearly subscription, cloud-based services work). Having access to these resources all year round helps with development, recruiting, and future decision making.
With more time spent on the field, there’s more flexibility for the addition of products and services that could be implemented at any time. You won’t need to purchase a service to start the day of your season start, as you’re likely able to use it nearly all year round anyways. With the supply chain delays worldwide, it’s also highly recommended that you look into solutions with plenty of time before it’s needed, that way you aren’t sitting around waiting for your new favorite purchase.
How to Implement at Your Club
If you’ve invested into another solution previously, or have yet to make the jump, one recommendation is to pilot test a system. There are common difficulties when it comes to implementing technology in youth sports, but no need to worry.
As a director, you might feel that all teams at the organization need the same technology, but it doesn’t always happen that way. A club-wide implementation is always available, but it’s typically more valuable to test out certain products or services with one team, then moving to a full scale implementation once the right fit is found.
