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SPORTS PERFORMANCE & TECH D E C
technology is impacting basketball Euan Hunter takes us through how basketball is currently adopting new technologies to improve performance | 16
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Tech Helped The NBA’s Golden State Warriors Win The Championship | 11 We investigate how the Golden State Warriors utilized new technology to win their first championship in 40 years
Why The Detroit Tigers Are Using Analytics | 9 The Tigers are looking to challenge the biggest teams through approaching analytics in a totally new way ou mine for data if you can’t see it? | 12
Sports Analytics Innovation Summit
MELBOURNE
FEBRUARY 23 & 24
Speakers Include +61 2 8011 3007 dwatts@theiegroup.com www.theinnovationenterprise.com sports performance & tech
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ISSUE 18
EDITOR’S LETTER Welcome to the 18th Edition of the Sports Performance & Tech Magazine The foundation of this magazine was based on a passion not only for sports, but also for the nerdier, less discussed side of sports. The way that new technologies are being used in competitive environments is always interesting. However, what we are also finding is that the same drive to improve performance through new training techniques is also being used in the more nefarious aspects of sport. We have recently seen this through the use of performance enhancing drugs in athletics, a revelation that has shocked the press, even if it was a widely known secret, but little discussed beforehand. With the Russian Athletics Association currently banned from competing, and requiring a complete overhaul to become eligible to compete at the 2016 Olympic games, the problem is clear. It has even been claimed that there was either support, or active ignorance of the athletes’ actions from the Russian state.
It begs the question of why, when other sports have managed to clean themselves up, that athletics has not. I believe the answer is simple, athletics is only semiprofessionalized. This is not me saying that athletes are not professional, but that when they compete, it is generally for their country, not a commercial team. This, combined with testing being conducted by national bodies, means that there is a conflict of interest. When you look at sports like cycling, where performance enhancing drugs were once endemic, a unified system has meant that every single professional rider is tested to the same standards regardless of the country they come from. You can’t imagine that the doping controls in Kenya could be at the same level as the US, simply because Kenya is a much poorer country. Their GDP is $55 billion compared to $16 Trillion in the US, so their programme is never going to be as thorough.
There is also the element of governmental pressure, which doesn’t exist in unified systems. It is very simple to see that it is in the government’s interest to have their athletes win because it makes their citizens happy. This therefore gives them a theoretical reason to actually support their athletes using performance enhancing substances, yet they have ultimate control over the organizations tasked with stopping them doing it. Is this something that could be solved though? It is difficult as there is no single organization which have the influence and money to monitor the entire world and there is no framework in which professional, multi-national athletics teams can be created. Unless this is solved or the entire system is revamped globally, this may be something we continue to see.
George Hill Managing Editor
sports performance & tech
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Sports
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Sports Analytics
Innovation Summit
LONDON APRIL 13 & 14
Speakers Include +44 (207) 193 1655 sforeman@theiegroup.com www.theinnovationenterprise.com sports performance & tech
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contents 6 | TECH UPDATE
14 | THE NEXT MOVE IN WEARABLES: INGESTIBLES?
Every issue we bring you five of the most exciting new technologies on the market.
Putting technology on your body may be a thing of the past, ingesting tech may be the future.
7 | HOW ANALYTICS CAN PREVENT SPORTS INJURIES
William Tubbs discusses how the use of data analytics can have a dramatic affect on the injury rates of athletes. 9 | TECHNOLOGY IS IMPACTING BASKETBALL
Euan Hunter takes us through how basketball is currently adopting new technologies to improve performance. 11 | HOW TECH HELPED THE NBA’S GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP
We investigate how the Golden State Warriors utilized new technology to win their first championship in 40 years.
17 | HOW THE DETROIT TIGERS ARE USING ANALYTICS
The Tigers are looking to challenge the biggest teams through approaching analytics in a totally new way. 20 | IS WEARABLE TECH CREATING A DATA TIME BOMB?
Following the recent major data hacks, Martin Doyle is worried about the impact of wearables and the data collected. 24 | SPORTS ANALYTICS ARE BECOMING THE ULTIMATE GAME CHANGER
Sean Foreman gives us his opinion on why sports analytics are changing the way sports are being played.
WRITE FOR US
26 | REVIEW
Do you want to contribute to our next issue? Contact: ghill@theiegroup.com for details
Oakley Jawbreaker | 26 Jawbone UP 2 | 28
managing editor george hill
Garmin Vector Power Meter | 30
| assistant editor simon barton | creative director charlotte weyer
contributors william tubbs, sean foreman, euan hunter, martin doyle sports performance & tech
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TECH UPDATE
SRAM RED ETAP Cycling component maker SRAM have created what is arguably the most high tech and game changing electronic gear shifter for bikes. It is out in January, but already looking like a game changer.
SALTO VR SUIT VR suits used to be the preserve of computer game designers and Holywood. The Salto, however, is an affordable alternative, allowing movements to be accurately assessed in sports. sports performance & tech
Each issue we show you five new exciting technologies that we think will be big.
GRASP LOCK Grasp is a lock currently trying to get funding through kickstarter. It uses fingerprint scanners to lock and unlock, removing the need for keys.
LUCIDCAM We are moving towards more and more use of VR and the Lucidcam might be the first camera genuinely wearable by everyday sportspeople.
TAG HEUER CONNECTED TAG have joined the smartwatch market with the Connected, complete with an activity tracker, weather monitoring and custom themes.
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How Analytics Can Prevent Sports Injuries William Tubbs Head of Sports, Innovation Enterprise
Injuries are the scourge of modern sport. They cost teams millions of dollars, and can have devastating consequences for players. During 2015, the estimated average cost of player injuries in the top four professional soccer leagues - the EPL, Bundesliga, La Liga and Serie A - was ÂŁ62.4 million. In the NBA, knee injuries alone cost $358 million last year, and the cost of injuries in Major League Baseball in 2014 totaled $1.4 billion.
The issue of injuries in sport shows no signs of abating either, despite advances in physiotherapy. In the NFL, Football Outsiders found that injury totals have increased leaguewide four years in a row, and the trend is the same across most sports. In a bid to put an end to this, many teams are teaming up with the influx of new firms offering data analytics services to help prevent sports injuries and speed up recovery times. The use of data analytics has been widespread in sports for a number of years, as an aid to both
player and team performance. There is subsequently a wealth of data available to teams, and many already have sophisticated systems in place to gather information about their players. The MLB, for example, is in the process of installing cameras and other sensors in big league ballparks to monitor player movement during a game, while players in Rugby Union and the NFL have worn RFID sensors to measure performance data for a number of years.
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$1.4BN spent on knee injuries alone throughout the NBA last year.
$358M spent on Major League Baseball injuries.
sports performance & tech
Kitman Labs is one company making great strides in the field. Founded by former sports rehab coach Stephen Smith, Kitman’s philosophy is different to others who try to implement a one-size-fits-all model. They believe that humans are too unique for this and require a tailored approach. They strive not to diagnose the problem, but to direct physios to where one may arise in the future. Their system requires players to check in at a Microsoft Kinect station each morning before training, where players rotate their pelvises and stretch their hamstrings. The camera installed in the station logs imperceptible changes in their motion and flexibility. They then fill out a short survey about their sleep, diet, soreness, and overall well-being. This information is then available to their trainers almost immediately on an online dashboard, which pinpoints any potential problem areas. Technology companies, such as Intel, are also getting involved. Intel is attempting to solve the problem of concussions in professional football, an issue that many thought could see the end of the NFL altogether. They are developing sensor technology embedded in football helmets that can gather data on the impact and severity of head
injuries through professional football. According to Intel engineer Bill Hannon, ‘Understanding the transfer of energy through a helmet and into the head in order to prevent brain damage is the goal.’ These systems are already seeing results. Kitman Labs and their competitor Catapult, report that their customers see a 20-33% reduction in injury rates, while player availability can go up by as much as 10%. Florida State football team Head Coach, Jimbo Fisher, credits Catapult for the team’s 88% fall in soft tissue injuries. It is true that technology can’t prevent all injuries in high impact sports like rugby and football. It can, however, mitigate against them, and enable changes to technique, recovery, fitness and agility that coaches, medical teams, and players can adopt them to help prevention and recovery.
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Euan Hunter Industry Expert
Through gamification, analytics is helping amateur coaches and players develop their training regimes
Technology Is Impacting Basketball The 1992 Barcelona Olympics came after a period of political upheaval. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, coupled with the collapse of the Soviet Union shortly after, meant that for the first time in three decades no country boycotted the event. It was also an important event for Basketball. In the 1988 Olympics, Team USA were forced to field college athletes, and only managed to take home the bronze medal. While not a crushing defeat, the American public felt it unjust considering the wealth of talent it had in the NBA. The disappointment surrounding the 1988 games put pressure on the NBA to allow its players to take part in the next Olympics. After initially being unenthusiastic, it agreed to let them go upon discovering that several major companies were interested in sponsoring the ‘Dream Team’. With the US team including Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippin and Magic Johnson - it defeated every team en route to the final by over 40 points, and beat Croatia convincingly in the Gold medal game.
Team USA’s grip on the Olympic Gold medal, however, is not as firm as it once was. And although the team has only failed to bring the topprize home once, competition in the form of Spain, Argentina, Lithuania and Russia has made the event anything but a formality. While the NBA remains the holy grail, a number of leagues in Europe have grown in prestige recently and as the sport’s worldwide appeal grows, so too has the demand for technological advances. According to ‘The Atlantic’, the NBA has undergone a ‘major transformation in the past few years’ and that it’s
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The increased use of the three-pointer is an excellent example of data’s impact
something ‘indisputably linked to the NBA’s growing, but controversial, reliance on data to measure a team’s likelihood of winning—a phenomenon vaguely defined as analytics.’
defensive side of the sport. Though people have always understood defense as important, it’s typically existed in the shadows of offense, which is easier to market and more exciting for the average viewer.’
An organic approach to team performance, or an ‘eye test’, used to be the norm. This approach would see coaches formulate tactics based on gut instinct. The emergence of analytics, however, has changed this. Now, coaches pore over data points, using them to create game plans, and to map the most effective route to victory.
It’s not just the professional game that’s been changed by technology. Through gamification, analytics is helping amateur coaches and players develop their training regimes. We interviewed Daveyon Ross - Founder of wearable tech provider - ShotTracker - who says: ‘When you can play against your friends it’s a game changer, really’ and that ‘the process is very addictive and it drives usage - it’s like Xbox Live.’ Other devices - including SOLIDshot - have been equally influential. By analyzing each shot a player takes the moment it leaves their fingertips, it provides advice on how it can be improved next time.
The increased use of the threepointer is an excellent example of data’s impact. In the 60s and 70s, the shot was considered ineffective, and seen as purely a way for players to show off. The shot now brings in as many points as free-throws, with coaches determining that the threepoint threat creates new channels for attack, and forces defenders to make a decision about whether to stay with their man or help off the ball. If the tactic is deployed irregularly, it keeps the opponent guessing. Without analytics, it would be more difficult for coaches to implement this in their plays. Research conducted by two Harvard Ph.D students also found that the defensive side of the game had been largely ignored up until recently. But with new tools now available to coaches, it’s seen as an opportunity for improvement. Due to analytics, unsung heroes, like Channing Frye, are getting their deserved plaudits for their defensive prowess, and are now some of the most sought after players in the NBA. According to the Atlantic: ‘Beyond giving rise to the three-pointer, analytics has also caused the casual fan to rethink and give long-overdue attention to the
sports performance & tech
The same murmurs of distrust common in all data-heavy sports - continue to be heard. Many claim that over-analysis erodes the power of initiative, and that individual brilliance can only be adversely affected. The unpredictability of the NBA has also been crucial to its success. If data makes the sport predictable, some fear that it will lose much of its charm. Nonetheless, technology is going to play an important part in basketball’s future. It will be a case of do or die for many of the NBA’s top sides, and that will change the face of the game even further.
analytics innovation
How Tech Helped The NBA’s Golden State Warriors Win A Championship William Tubbs Head of Sports, Innovation Enterprise
Winning a major championship is a massive commercial opportunity for teams in any sport. One of the reasons Manchester United has had such enduring commercial success is that their early league victories under Alex Ferguson came just as money began flowing into the game in earnest, as a result of television deals. Exploiting this using shrewd commercial acumen, coupled with excellence on the soccer field, has seen them become one of the world’s richest sporting teams. In 2015, the NBA’s Golden State Warriors won its first NBA state championship for 40 years with one of the best teams in the league’s history - the best team that didn’t have Michael Jordan in according to FiveThirtyEight’s Elo ratings. In order to ride the crest of this wave, the Warriors have to look to technology. Handily, their close proximity to
Silicon Valley means that they are in the perfect position to do this. The Warriors’ owners include a number of Silicon Valley heavyweights, including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers partner Joe Lacob and Mandalay Entertainment chairman Peter Guber. They can also count a number of tech’s big hitters among their fans, including Adam Bain, Twitter’s president and a courtside fixture as a guest of Guber, as well as Square CEO Jack Dorsey. Bain himself noted his enthusiasm for the team, and tried to explain why the team and the tech industry were linked, saying: ‘As a fan, I love this team. The message is one we deeply believe in the tech community: you are successful in life if you pass the ball—you win by amplifying others.’
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In 2015, the NBA’s Golden State Warriors won its first NBA state championship for 40 years
Indeed, one of the major reasons that the Warriors has been so successful with fans is their success on social media. The team now has 1.12 million followers on Twitter and over 4.5 million likes on Facebook. Players’ Twitter handles appear on warm-up shirts and on the jumbotron when starting lineups are announced. They also use Vine and a Twitter Mirror, and have been known to exchange messages with Twitter execs after games. All of this makes fans feel like they can access the players and know them personally, or at least the familyfriendly image they try to portray on social media. The Warriors have led the way in innovations that help engage with fans. They were one of the first teams to experiment with Google Glass, introducing an app for the wearable device in 2014 that lets users watch the game through the device. Fans can also use it to quickly bring up player statistics and more from their seats. The team has even filled its stadium, the Oracle Arena, with sensors to help the team connect with fans. These send messages to your app whenever you’re in range. For example, when you walk in you receive a video greeting from one of the players welcoming you to the arena. These sensors serve a dual purpose in that they also help the club gain data about their fans, which the Warriors plan to leverage to improve
sports performance & tech
the fan experience. With some of the tech industry’s biggest players in their corner, the Warriors are perfectly positioned for innovation, which could see them go from the underdog they were a few years ago, to the world’s biggest sports franchise.
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Wearable Tech in Sport Summit
MELBOURNE
FEBRUARY 23 & 24
Speakers Include +61 2 8011 3007 dwatts@theiegroup.com www.theinnovationenterprise.com
chief strategy officer
sports performance & tech
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the next
move in
wearable
ingestible
s:
s?
wearables are now not a new technology... ...as I type this I can see a fitness tracker on my wrist and a smart watch on the wrist of the person sat opposite me. They are not as ingrained as they may well be in the future, but they are certainly becoming more popular. George Hill Managing Editor
sports performance & tech
One of the biggest gripes that people tend to have with them is that they can get in the way, and the fact that you are constantly aware of them means that they are not as effective as you may adapt your actions to suit them. Most also fail what Sonny Vu, CEO of wearable tech maker Misfit, calls the Turnaround Test. This is that if you were at the end of your block and realized that you had forgotten to put it on, would you go back and get it?
In the future this kind of test could be nullified though, as we may see this kind of technology being actively ingested, so it exists within us, rather than on or around us. Traditionally seen as a medical innovation, it may be equally useful in a technological sense and has already seen some interesting uses such as capsule Endoscopy procedures. Here a pill containing lights and a camera is swallowed and a doctor can then investigate a patient’s internal tracts. Although not widespread yet, given its noninvasiveness compared to more traditional methods it is likely to become more popular in the future.
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We may see this kind of technology being actively ingested, so it exists within us, rather than on or around us
However, this kind of ingestible device may become more popular, with the CEO of Jawbone recently saying that they were hoping to bring out an ingestible device to track health metrics like the number of steps taken, heart rate and glucose levels without needing to remember to attach a device to yourself. This is a very different proposition to the medical use though. Whereas the capsule Endoscopy reduces invasiveness, ingestible technology for daily use significantly increases it. Being able to track our personal metrics to a higher degree of accuracy whilst not needing to wear anything certainly sounds good in theory, but in practice it may create significant issues.
are the prime example, and if this kind of breach were to happen to something that was inside you, you couldn’t just take it off and stop communicating the information. The information from these kinds of devices is also going to be considerably more important than calls or texts, so privacy is incredibly important and being able to update the security settings on devices that sit inside your body is not going to be easy. So will ingestibles become the next big thing? Maybe, but the companies leading the way will certainly need to work out these issues and make sure they are totally transparent with the public before they become popular.
For instance, when my current wearable wristband is out-of-date I can either update the firmware or buy a new one and throw the old one away. How could you do this with something that is inside your body? Also we have seen through hindsight that several forms of communication that we previously held to be secure are actually far from it. Cell phones
sports performance & tech
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how The Detroit Tigers Are Using Analytics Euan Hunter Industry Expert
Avila points to its use in the offseason, the pursuit of free agents, possible trades, and in the draft
While the use of data analytics is now widespread in sports, Baseball was really the one that kickstarted it all. The nature of the game and the sheer volume of statistics it produces makes it comfortably the best suited, and the success of its acolytes - most famously Billy Beane at Oakland Athletics - means that its adoption by MLB teams has been rapid. There are, however, still many detractors of data-driven decision making in sport, who prefer to rely on more traditional scouting methods. One team attempting to strike a balance is the Detroit Tigers, where general manager Al Avila and its director of baseball operations Sam Menzin are looking to expand their data analytics program as a means of reinforcing their decision making processes. As part of this drive, they have also now hired as senior director of baseball operations and analytics, Jay Sartori, who most recently managed the sports and entertainment categories of Apple’s App Store. He previously served as an assistant general manager for the Toronto Blue Jays from 2010-13, and as the director of baseball operations for the Washington Nationals for one season. The appointment follows the hiring of two full-time employees
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and two part-time consultants, including Christopher D. Long - a former senior quantitative analyst for the San Diego Padres. The Tigers are applying analytics to a number of areas that they feel they’ve, as Avila says, ’been missing out on.’ Avila points to its use in the offseason, the pursuit of free agents, possible trades, and in the draft, analyzing and projecting the impact of players in the minors, and finding six-year minor league free agents. Defensive coordinator, Matt Martin, has embraced the use of data when determining which shifts to employ. Menzin, however, notes that the real point ’is combining data from your scouts, medical staff and player development staff, as well as the performance and melding that together.’ Both Avila and Menzin are toeing a fine line, being careful not to rely exclusively on the data and let it rule their decision making, but also acknowledging that failing to use it as a part of the overhaul approach would be foolish and will likely see them lose a competitive
sports performance & tech
advantage. The reality is that the amount of information at hand increases exponentially, and while a single coach may have been able to deal with what was coming in before, they no longer can. ‘There’s a plethora of information,’ Avila said. ‘You talk to some of the older guys that played years ago, and they’ll tell you it’s too much information. To a certain degree, that could be true. It’s information overload. But it’s up to the individual players and coaches to determine when enough is enough. The information is there to be used and consumed. Everybody uses whatever they feel that they need’. Avila’s reasoning is sound, embracing the data but leaving the final decision in human hands. Whether his approach yields success remains to be seen.
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At the time, quantitative financial analysis was available only to high frequency traders, but a substantial drop in the cost of the technology in recent years has made it available to investors too
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00.0
is wearable tech creating a data time bomb? Martin Doyle CEO & Founder of GQ Gobal
The company that made your smartphone is no longer a hardware manufacturer. It has become adept at harvesting and managing data from it users, too. Every device has a series of sensors, as well as a user login and an account where data is stored. For manufacturers of wearable technology, there’s value in knowing how we spend our time: where we go, what we do, and how we like to exercise. Companies like Nike prove this works.
sports performance & tech
The First Nike Device Nike first attempted to harvest data from its customers in the late 1980s. It launched the Nike Monitor, a wearable device that cost $225 and used ‘ultrasound burglar alarm technology’ to record data on the runner’s pace and distance. The sonar pedometer was a flop, but it paved the way for Nike+, a service that would follow 20 years later. Today, Nike+ collects data from a range of devices, and has more than 28 million users worldwide. It is a software platform, accessed via a series of apps. Users voluntarily connect and upload their statistics to the cloud.
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x
28m
Nike+ collects data from 28 million users worldwide
74% 74% of us are happy to wear data collecting devices
41% ...but 41% of us would be unhappy about sharing health data with their boss
Now, consider the fact that the Nike FuelBand, a wearable tracker, is widely considered to be a flop. In fact, Nike has shelved its hardware to focus on data. To understand why Nike is more interested in Nike+ than the FuelBand (or the Monitor), we need to look closely at the relationship between data and consumer behaviour. Integrating Data In the mid-2000s, Apple was selling a sport kit to integrate Nike+ into its iPods, and launched a branded version of the iPod in 2006. Thanks to the integration of music data and pedometer readings, Nike was able to determine users’ favourite running songs from its app. Six years ago, Nike had data on running trends across entire continents, and it understood the way seasonal weather affects users’ habits. Fitbit, Jawbone and other companies would later develop their own version of the fitness tracker, a market which is growing in value every month. Fitness data is a goldmine for all kinds of industries, from diabetes research to health insurance and the provision of essential services. For companies like Nike, data from a fitness device helps them to develop new shoes for particular activities, market those shoes in the right continents, and focus marketing efforts in the right places at the right time. Apple wants to know which songs runners like to listen to, as they have an interest in selling songs. Let’s not forget that Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, is a Nike board member, and has been for almost a decade. As you upload your latest run data to Nike+, you upload all kinds of metadata about your location and habits that will shape the products and services of tomorrow. How many companies have access to that data, and can you be sure that it’s accurate?
Trust and Data While all of the data generated by wearables can drive positive innovation, the recent TalkTalk hack is a timely reminder of how easily things can go wrong. TalkTalk’s customer database was hacked by a teenager; the data was allegedly incomplete, but unencrypted. By wearing a fitness tracker, or a smartwatch, we are contributing to a huge data silo in the cloud, and that silo could be shared between different companies with\ without our consent. Companies like Nike are starting to step back from hardware development and focus on harvesting and organizing data, using services like Nike+ as a platform that other providers can tap into. When you buy a scale from Fitbit, or a smartwatch from LG, your statistics and usage patterns are shared with third parties that integrate with the service. If we are to continue offering up our data using wearables and cloud technology, we need to trust the gatekeepers that access it, and there needs to be standards in place to remove risk to businesses and consumers. In TalkTalk’s case, stolen addresses and phone numbers have lead to identity theft and a public enquiry. Even if there is no hack, inaccurate data and duplicated accounts can cause poor reporting, and if the data was ever used for a life or death assessment of health, we need to know that it is accurate and up to date. Your Responsibility For Data The smartwatch has taken the baton from fitness wearables, from the Pebble in 2012 through to the Apple Watch in 2015, as well as devices made by Samsung, Motorola, Sony and others. According to KPMG, 74 of us are happy to wear these devices. They can exchange data with sensors around us using Bluetooth and WiFi, and offer a convenient way sports performance & tech
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Nike first attempted to harvest data from its customers in the late 1980s
to interact with our environment through Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Already, health insurers are offering discounts to wearers of smartwatches, in return for access to their activity statistics. In the US, 68% of consumers say they’d exchange their data for lower health insurance premiums. In Canada, the data from a woman’s Fitbit wearable tracker was used in court in place of a doctor’s examination. But 41% say they would be uneasy about sharing health data with their boss. Our data is already being collected through our use of the web and our smartphones. It’s not a question of whether our personal data will be used, but when, and whether the companies involved are taking the right steps to ensure data quality and effective management. As data quality experts, it’s our responsibility to ensure that data is cleansed, de-duplicated and held according to the law. Personal data is no longer anonymous, and the Internet of Things will only muddy the waters as our data silos get bigger and bigger. We all have a responsibility to take data seriously now, and put measures in place to ensure that data is used ethically. Companies like Nike have proven the value of data, and the need for trust from the users who opt in to its collection.
sports performance & tech
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Sports
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Business in Sport Summit
AUSTIN MAY 18 & 19
Speakers Include +1 (415) 692 5514 sforeman@theiegroup.com www.theinnovationenterprise.com sports performance & tech
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sports analytics are becoming
the ultimate game changer
Sean Foreman Industry Expert
Sport is big business. In 2010 alone, the industry generated £20.3 billion for the UK’s economy, and also accounted for 2.3% of the country’s overall employment. It’s a similar story in North America. PwC estimate that sport revenue will reach $67.7 billion by 2017 in the region, spurred on by the opportunities created by smartphone applications and streaming services. The world’s biggest sports teams are run like businesses. Manchester United’s failure to qualify for the UEFA Champions League was an on-the-pitch disaster, but the off-the-
sports performance & tech
pitch implications threatened to have a much bigger impact. If the club was no longer considered part of the elite, could its overseas support be relied on? Could they attract the players necessary to bring them back? That season could have been the catalyst for years of financial hardship. As this proves, there’s simply more on the line now than there used to be. And for that reason, coaches are trying to make sport more of an exact science. Data-driven coaching setups, therefore, are commonplace in professional sports clubs, and in
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Women’s tennis is set to become the next sport to be ‘revolutionized’ by data
£20.3BN In 2010, the Sports industry generated £20.3 billion for the UK’s economy.
2.3% ...and accounted for 2.3% of the country’s overall employment.
$67.7BN It’s estimated that in North America, sports revenue will reach $67.7 billion by 2017.
individual sports, like tennis. Forbes contributor, Ryan Sommers, for example, recently discussed how women’s tennis is set to become the next sport to be ‘revolutionized’ by data. Michael Lewis’s 2003 book Moneyball - is often cited as the starting point. The story chronicled former Oakland Athletics’ GM and baseball player, Billy Beane, and his use of sabermetrics. The theory he came up with was a simple one; the team with a higher on-base average would be more likely to score runs, and therefore the match. He drafted players who fit this mould, ignoring any preconceived ideas about what made a championship winning side. His ideas were revolutionary not only in baseball, but throughout the entire sports industry. Things have moved on considerably since Moneyball. The FIFA World Cup - arguably the world’s most prestigious sporting tournament - was affected by analytics, with certain media organizations calling it Germany’s ‘12th man’ enroute to winning the competition. The German’s teamed up with SAP AG to create a custom match engine that collected and analyzed player and team performance. The team cut its average possession time down from 3.3 seconds to 1.1 seconds, a tactic which was put to good use against Brazil. After Germany’s victory, Wall Street Journal’s Jonathan Clegg said: ‘Despite possessing the ball for 52% of Tuesday’s game, Brazil created barely a handful of chances’ and that ‘Germany passed the ball at full speed to create holes in the defence and clinically took advantage.’
depending on Twitter sentiment. Analytics has also given rise to ‘professional’ sports gamblers, like Bob Voulgaris, who won millions betting on the NBA. Despite having its detractors, the industry still has a scope to improve, and has enough financial backing to do just that. According to Forbes, the next step could be: ‘predicting how a player’s mental make-up will adjust to the rigors of professional sports and how the emotional aspect of the responsibility correlates to on-thefield performance.’ A player’s mental strength when close to victory, or when in need of a fightback, is crucial. In individual sports it’s often the difference between the top ranked players and those just around them. If sports analytics could tap into that, it would make coaching even more of an exact science.
Sites such as FiveThirtyEight.com have grown considerably since their inception and are indicative of data’s ability to capture fan’s imagination. In tennis, IBM’s SlamTracker is also popular, and ranks players
sports performance & tech
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review
Oakley’s new Jawbreaker glasses are probably the most technologically advanced cycling glasses ever produced. They have been created with the help of Mark Cavendish, impact tested like a car, the needs of the cyclist have been tracked with sensors, and even the aerodynamics around ventilation has been a key aspect. So how do they fare?
Fit & Look Despite being a whole new design from Oakley, there is little argument that the basic shape and design of them has certain nods towards the Oakley Factory Pilot worn by Greg LeMond in 1986. It certainly has a modern look, but the similarity in shape alone is clear. They also look good, with a large fully enclosed lens, which is available in several different colors of both frame and lenses. However, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and perhaps these may look a bit odd in a casual setting, but on the bike they look great.
sports performance & tech
Quality The fit is fantastic too, with the nosepiece using Unobtanium (Oakley’s patented material to increase the grip when wet) it almost sticks to your nose, meaning there is no slip at all. Adding to this great fit is the adjustable arms, which can be changed to three different lengths. This means that those with larger or smaller heads do not need to sacrifice the fit for other aspects of the glasses.
The quality of construction on these glasses is superb, not least the mechanism in which the lens is replaced. Here the whole frame opens up (hence the Jawbreaker name) and the lens is then added or removed. It means that everything is secured in well and feels solid. A big part of cycling glasses is the protection they afford. This comes from the lens in the Jawbreaker, which has been extensively tested. It has some of the best impact and scratch protection that I have used, and despite considerable wear in challenging conditions they are still in an as-new condition.
Performance One of the key points in Oakley’s description of how these glasses were developed is their analysis of where cyclists look when they are riding. They subsequently created a pair of glasses that could give them the field of vision to allow for this. They have certainly achieved it with these glasses beating almost any that I have tried before. Given that they are full frame, they do not need to sit further off the brow, which can restrict views when looking forward in a sprinting position. Also, due to the full wrap, there is no frame visible in your peripheral vision. Helping this is the use of the Prizm lens with
HDO, which despite sounding like marketing blurb, does genuinely improve the clarity in your vision. Another major aspect of cycling glasses that distinguishes the weak from the strong is the extent to which they fog up when you are getting hot. Like every single pair of glasses I have ever worn, these fog when you are sat still, but they clear at even the slowest speeds. I tested this by letting the glasses fog up completely and they still managed to clear themselves within 5/6 seconds of starting up again.
Price There are several different models available, with different colors and lenses ranging from £170£210($200-$280). The model we tested is £180 ($220), with Prizm lenses. In terms of competition at this price, there are POC Do Blades, Adidas Evil Eye and other Oakley models too. They are top of the range, with very few available for more money, but they perform well amongst this esteemed company. I would therefore say that despite being expensive, they are not unrealistically priced and are a fair outlay.
Overall These glasses offer everything that I would want when on the bike and the best thing I can say about them is that you can fully forget that you are even wearing them. They stay in place regardless of conditions, offer fantastic protection and great field of vision. This combined with the definition enhancing Prizm lens means that they are one of the best glasses I have tried.
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review
After reviewing the two previous models of the Jawbone UP, we were excited to try out the UP 2. As the other two were so successful, we wonder if they can be beaten.
Battery Life
Appearance The UP2 from the top looks broadly similar to the UP24 that we have previously reviewed, but it is at the bottom where the changes have happened. It comes in two difference styles, one with a solid band around the wrist, the other (the model we reviewed) has two thin straps. It makes it look much smaller and less obtrusive on the wrist whilst also making more like a bracelet than a fitness tracker.
sports performance & tech
The color we tested was turquoise, which is pleasant and a much more interesting color than the blacks and greys that most other fitness trackers tend to use. It also has an interesting clasp system with just two metal clips containing subtle Jawbone branding. I prefer this look to the previous Jawbone models as it looks far less clinical and much more subtle when on the wrist. It also has no buttons on it whatsoever, and only three lights that very rarely appear unless you tap the top in a certain way.
The battery life on the UP2 is around 5/6 days which isn’t too bad, although compared to something like the Misfit shine (6 month battery life) it is some way off. However, 5 days is enough to not feel that you constantly need to charge it. In fact the only time it has run out of juice was when I went away for the weekend with only 5% battery remaining and didn’t take my charger. The charger itself is improved from the last version, which was
29 a headphone like socket that you needed to plug the band into. This is much simpler, where you just place the band onto a platform and line up the pins on the charger and charge. It is much more solid than the last charger, which makes it easier to use. Performance The band seems accurate, especially as I find it much more difficult to reach my steps target, which I thought were perhaps a bit too easy to reach with previous models. It does not pick up cycling activity automatically, which is either a good or bad thing depending on what you are using the band for. If you are using it as a pedometer then this is great as it stops inaccuracy, but if you just want to measure wider activity, then this could be a let down. That being said, it is simple to add the activity afterwards and although this does not add this to the number of steps taken, it adds it to calories burnt. As well as tracking activity, the band tracks your inactivity both in terms of sleeping patterns and also idle alerts. With the older bands, the sleep recording needed to be be turned on through holding the only button on the device, with this model this is not necessary and instead is done automatically as it recognizes when you are asleep. The accuracy of this is particularly good and I even tested this through not looking at this data until later in the day and when it quantified my sleep at 60% I had spent the morning feeling slightly tired and when it was close to 100% I felt energized.
Functionality
Overall
The thing that really sets this band apart from others on the market is the excellent app.
I was very impressed with the UP2. It brings together genuine wearability and intuitive uses of technology to make it probably the easiest to use activity monitor on the market at the moment. It does not have the complexities of use that many others have, but this is perhaps what makes it so good, it has stripped out the stuff that people don’t use.
Uploading to it is a breeze through bluetooth, then once the data is on the screen it is simple to view and analyze your activity throughout the day and sleep during the night. It has a minimalistic look, and much like all well thought out designs, takes away the unnecessary and makes the necessary simple to follow. Additional information can also be viewed through simply looking at specific data when you want to. From the app you can also set different aspects of the band, such as the time of the silent alarm, setting reminders, idle alerts etc. These are incredibly simple to do, making it useable for almost anybody.
The app is also a particular highlight, making the data from the band easy to see and analyze, even giving helpful tips based on your results. The UP2 has a bigger brother (UP3) which includes more complex technology such as a HR monitor, but in reality I think that it would take away from the benefits of this model. It is easy to use, easy to view data from and useful, what else would you want from an activity monitor?
Away from the technological functionality, the band itself is much improved in terms of practical functionality too. Where the older bands, due to their rigid structure, would slightly hinder your movement, especially when writing or typing, the UP2 does not have this issue due to its flexible rubberized bands, which means that it just like wearing a regular bracelet rather than a fitness tracker. The problem with the old version was not something only found with the UP though, and I believe that this makes the UP2 one of the most wearable fitness trackers I have used.
It also has a countdown function (through a series of vibrations), a silent alarm and inactivity monitor all using the same vibration settings.
sports performance & tech
30
review
Here at Sports Performance & Tech we are always interested in how sports data is being collected. Professional cyclists today work predominantly on their power and use power meters to do this. With this in mind, we tested out the Garmin Vector System, commonly used by elite cyclists.
Appearance
Installation
The Garmin Vector pedals looks just like any other Keo based pedal system, but with an extra plate hanging from the base of the spindle. These are not overly obvious though and I don’t think they are bad looking pedals on the bike at all.
Given the actual power calculation element of the Vectors, they are installed through a pedal spanner, ideally one that can measure torque to not have too much or too little tension within the spindle. They are very easy to fit, with the only addition to a regular pedal being the pods that hang from them. They also fit into most cranksets, with only oversized, long or carbon versions being incompatible with this model. Once installed on the bike, connecting to a bike computer is simple and is done in exactly the same way as you would connect any other ANT+ sensor. Once paired the pedals need to be calibrated, which is again simply a case of
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turning them at particular cadences. This calibration is meant to only be needed once, although I would recommend recalibration once per month just to make sure. Performance It is always difficult to assess the performance of a power meter without the use of a lab and unfortunately we do not have access to one. However, I compared this to a SRM system and found that generally speaking the numbers matched up, which shows that there is at least consistency across the two companies.
31 It also displays the power readings on the computer quickly, within less than 2 seconds of stomping on the pedals, which is really useful, especially when you are trying to assess your optimum power when climbing or time trialling. The pedals come in at 428g, which is especially good for a power monitoring system and only between 23-50g more per pedal compared to other high end pedals. It means that you are unlikely to feel too much added weight when climbing up even the longest, steepest hills. The batteries on the pedals are meant to last for 175 hours and if you are using an Garmin Edge computer this shows you the battery levels, giving a warning if they have dropped below 20%. I would say that 175 hours is broadly accurate for these pedals, although I didn’t have a stopwatch running for every ride I did with them, so it is hard to tell if this is completely accurate.
The actual viewability of the power output is easy to see and has many different variations to see. For instance, with the two pedal system you can see the balance between your left and right power, your maximum power on a ride, your average power and many more variations. Price The pedal system comes in at £1,199.00 ($1,800) which is expensive, but is a pedal based, accurate system compared to others you can get. Therefore I would say that this isn’t too much of a bad price, although if you are starting off with power meters, there may be other more affordable options available if you do not need this level of accuracy.
Overall Overall I really liked these pedals and the information they provided. Both in real-time and after a ride the data was clean, easy to use and simple to understand. Installation is simple and pairing to the cycle computer is equally easy, so you can quickly get up and going. Perhaps the price will be prohibitive, but for those looking for top of the range power meters, these are a great option.
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