At Athletic Lab, we use GPS tracking as part of our player monitoring toolkit with multiple teams to assess player readiness, manage training load, and reduce injuries.

[Vanessa Batchelor, MS is a coach at Athletic Lab and the Director of Sports Science for NC Courage Academy]

Global Positioning System (GPS) Performance Tracking Technology

As a seemingly convenient and modern piece of technology, global positioning systems (GPS) derived from the early 1940s invention of the atomic clock. Thus, through multiple-satellite communication with the GPS device, displacement over a given time can calculate the velocity of the movement performed. The increased interest in human locomotive studies of steady-state movement over the years has led to the application of GPS to field sports, beginning as recently as 2006 (Aughey, 2011). This evolution of technology has created an objective source of readily available information to the sports team and coaching staff represented by various metrics appropriate to measuring the physical requirements of sport.

With hundreds of GPS trackers on the market today, most will be able to provide similar key metrics, such as: total distance, meters per minute, max speed, number of sprints, number of accelerations and decelerations, high speed running, and high metabolic load and distance. These metrics combined are able to tell the story of the athlete’s work patterns and intensities during training, competition, and recovery. Deciphering accumulated data can result in feeling extremely overwhelmed and confused, especially if the user is unaccustomed to such sport science technology. Understanding the numerous purposes GPS technology provides can be a time-consuming experience, but the benefits ensure worthwhile rewards for all parties involved.

Understanding GPS Data Relatively

The GPS data collected within a sports team is interpreted with relativity in mind. Relativity infers that the data is dependent on its relationship with other factors, such as individual statistics, team metrics, or skill level. Arguably, one of the most important comparisons when evaluating data is an individual player’s own GPS metrics over time. Especially in team sports, positional responsibilities may vary, creating lower or higher values when comparing players on the team as a whole. Although instilling a standard in a competitive environment is important, learning each players average can prevent unrealistic expectations. It can also help to track performance throughout the season to monitor accumulative fatigue and fitness progression or regression. Injuries have been shown to follow training load intensification and accumulation beyond an individual’s tolerance, accounting for individual characteristics such as fitness, playing level, and injury history (Jones, Griffiths, Mellalieu, 2017). Therefore, monitoring each player’s specific thresholds of intensity can better manage the balance of training load, while improving the longevity of playing time over the course of the season.

Finding a good starting point for player thresholds can require collecting adequate data with standard settings according to sport and skill level. From there, the user is able to adjust and monitor thresholds ensuring the athlete is receiving a proper training load leading up to competition (Bradley, 2019). Challenging the boundaries of an athlete’s abilities without exceeding their toleration can increase their opportunities for success and improvement, while tactically avoiding injury without compromising higher training intensities. Finding this “sweet spot” is the ideal training stimulus; maximizing performance potential and limiting negative consequences (Gabbett, 2016).

An additional useful data comparison is that of an entire team to another team of similar skill level. This tactic can be useful when learning what standards and expectations may be acceptable for specific groups of athletes. Additionally, holistically reviewing team data can identify players producing outlying numbers. With individual characteristics in mind (as mentioned previously), noticing players who are consistently underperforming can facilitate in pinpointing areas of weakness and necessary improvement.

Being a great athlete requires knowing what greatness is made of. Today, it is incredibly simple to find many well-known professional athlete’s GPS metrics online. Alternatively, some sources provide GPS metrics as averages of what professionals typically produce. Public data of professional athletes can also be extremely beneficial for amateur or collegiate athletes aspiring to play at the next level. Allowing a better understanding of fitness requirements, as well as training and match intensities will better prepare the amateur for professional success.

Player Buy-In

Athletes are expected to push physical and mental boundaries with the hope of earning success in their sport, as well as respect from coaches and peers. The efforts a player chooses to give can derive from various personal characteristics and core values unrelated to the sport itself. Regardless of coaching style, at some point, an athlete is likely to question the validity of training regimens. This is where GPS technology can create a tremendous difference in player buy-in.

Presenting an athlete with convenient, comprehensible statistics based on their performance can increase the transparency behind coaching methods. While coaches are often looking at the bigger picture along with juggling team management, it can be difficult to stay on the same page with each athlete. Similar to game stats, allowing a player access to their own GPS metrics can give clarity to the work put into each session, or answer questions about performance under fatigue.

This is also a reliable resource for tracking player or team progress over time. Rather than relying on the season’s record or minutes played, properly organizing a GPS database can accurately track the physical aspects deemed necessary to achieve optimal success; for example, distance covered per match or top speed. This process can be especially important when it comes to fitness. Collecting all physical fitness metrics with the same source makes testing a breeze, and allows for more focus on the athlete during the session.

Conclusion

GPS technology is a trending resource when it comes to simultaneously tracking multiple athletes in a competitive training environment. Learning proper application of this sports science technology can provide increased understanding and management of the work loads and intensities players endure throughout training. Applying thresholds based on consistent feedback will maximize player availability, player output, and player safety. The informative transparency GPS data provides can increase motivation for individual and team improvement.

References:

  • Aughey, R. J. (2011). Applications of GPS Technologies to Field Sports. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 6(3), 295-310.
  • Bradley, S. (2019). A Sport Scientist’s Guide to Understanding and Applying Thresholds in Sonra. STATSports. https://statsports.com/a-sport-scientists-guide-to-understanding-and-applying-thresholds-in-sonra/
  • Gabbett, T.J. (2016). The Training-Injury Prevention Paradox: Should Athletes be Training Smarter and Harder – Br J Sports Med 50, 273-80.
  • Jones, C.M., Griffiths, P.C., Mellaleiu, S.D. (2017). Training Load and Fatigue Marker Associations with Injury and Illness: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies. Sports Med 47, 943-974.