Today technological expenses in athletics are no longer just being spent on athletic equipment such as pads, sneakers, clothing, etc… Behind the scenes big data and analytics are being used to protect high valued assets otherwise known as athletes. Organizations in today’s environment must and do think of their athletes as an investment.
Imagine the Miami Heat losing LeBron James for the season due to a torn Anterior Crucial Ligament (ACL) and how much of a financial impact that has on an organization. Though an ACL is no longer a “career ending” injury it is certainly a season ending and potentially career altering one. Not only must you consider the potential loss of stadium attendance, but also the probability that the Miami Heat winning the NBA Championship drops drastically. Not making the Finals would cost the organization a minimum of revenues from four games and if they were to miss the playoffs altogether it could be up to 28 games. LeBron’s other sponsors such as Gatorade, Sprite, Samsung, and Nike will also be negatively impacted as the will be collectively paying millions of dollars to an individual who is sitting on the bench.
This pain point is one that companies such as Catapult Sports attempt to alleviate. They are tracking data produced by athletes through wearable devices that is uploaded into their analytics software. Metrics such as force, speed, power, acceleration, etc.. are tracked in attempts to better manage the careers of these expensive investments. Teams such as the Dallas Mavericks, Philadelphia Eagles, AC Milan, University of Oregon, and many other organizations have enlisted the services of Catapult Sports, taking the extra step to gain a competitive advantage.
At the end of the day whether you are a sports fanatic or not it is clear that these leagues are huge moneymakers and the most important pieces are the players. With top notch players being injured financial opportunities are being missed. Why would you risk the potential of giving away free money?
Have a great week & make sure to catch my #10 ranked Miami Hurricanes vs. unc Thursday night!!!
Behind the Facemask 