No longer exclusive to professional clubs, the PLAYR SmartCoach system, designed by market leaders Catapult Sports, has made its long-awaited arrival to the U.S.. PLAYR combines the latest GPS player tracking with personalized sports science to help improve performance for every kind of soccer player. More than 1,800 elite clubs including Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid, and LA Galaxy are using this type of technology – that is now available players like you and me.
The PLAYR wearable system is made up of three key elements: the SmartPod, SmartVest, and SmartCoach, each technologically advanced to elevate the wearer’s game. Through smart components, PLAYR expertly analyzes movement, speed, and distance while wirelessly providing detailed results to the player’s smartphone.
“We had to put the player at the very center of what that system would be,” said Benoit Simeray, CEO, Consumer Division, Catapult Sports.
The SmartPod, with an ultra-light and compact design, tracks total distance covered, top speed, total sprints, load, intensity and provides a personalized heat map after each match. Maintaining a three-match battery with 5-hours of battery life and 4GB of storage, the GPS system tracks 1,250 data points per second with a distance covered accuracy of 100cm. As a Bluetooth system, PLAYR uses self-activation recording technology to automatically begin tracking at the start of each playing period.
The weather resistant SmartVest acts as a flexible, lightweight dock for the SmartPod. The pod magnetically snaps into the SmartVest for an easy and comfortable fit. Designed by a team with years of product development experience, the PLAYR vest shape forms over the wearers shoulders and wraps around the chest for support. The durable and smooth fabric, which is resistant to chlorine and pilling, will endure even the harshest match conditions. SmartCoach App gives access to elite sports science advice, taking athletes one step closer to the pros. This feature rapidly turns raw data into actionable insights and sport science advice from nutrition to sleep, coaching the user towards game day.
Tony Strudwick, Head of Performance for Wales FA, said, “At Manchester United, we had a responsibility to apply a sports science strategy to innovate for our players. Making performance data, innovation and sports science more accessible to footballers will only improve ability and PLAYR can be considered a game changer in that respect.”
