Nike rolls out youth basketball camps with tech to cut coaches’ busywork

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Nike is rolling out a new series of youth basketball camps this fall that combine traditional drills with high tech analytics that supposedly cut down on the busywork and paperwork that supposedly lighten coaches’ workloads overall. The company is partnering with a training technology firm called Shoot 360 to run the programs in seven states.

The camps use cameras and motion sensors to record every little move the young players make - whether it’s their shooting form, footwork, or shot accuracy. The coaches get digital dashboards that let them receive immediate feedback. The idea is that will help them adjust drills without having to wait until the end of practice to review what occurred. This way, you cut down on administrative tasks and pay more attention to player development.

Amy Hirschi via Unsplash

This type of approach is occurring more often with coaching in many sports. It’s called ‘data-backed’ coaching and as an example you see high school football programs now tracking player workload with GPS systems. College teams have been using analytics to manage the recovery and performance of their athletes too. Basketball is following that same path, with technology offering ways to make training more efficient.

This blending of physical and digital elements in athletic training gives coaches access to detailed player reports as well as video playback in the moment. All that data reveals how consistent the mechanics of a player are and where they need to make adjustments. It also helps coaches manage large groups more effectively by highlighting who needs the most most focus.

Another platform that offers a similar approach is Striveon, which joins together many features including scheduling, performance tracking, and communication all into a single system. This cuts down on the time coaches need to spend on logistics and paperwork. The result is more energy spent on actual teaching.

The latest Nike project is a definite indication that youth sports are now changing as technology because a bigger and bigger part of coaching. It’ll end up meaning more tailored instruction for kids. But for the coaches it means they can spend more time doing what brought them to the gym in the first place.instruction for kids. But for the coaches it means they can spend more time doing what brought them to the gym in the first place.

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