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AFM Magazine

AFM Magazine


Coaching Technology – Today and Tomorrow

by: AFM Editorial Staff
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Technology is a critical part of coaching success and will be even more important in the future.

From the first time a football game was ever filmed, in 1903, to the invention of the first videotape recorder, in 1951, to the first-ever editing system in 1987 to the introduction of digital editing in 1994, technology has been influential in shaping how coaches prepare for opponents and communicate during games.

Today, coaches have a wider variety of technology tools available to them than in any time in history. The advances in the last decade alone have been astounding and today’s younger tech-savvy coaches are poised to use technology to their advantage as they advance in the coaching ranks.

But how will tomorrow’s technology be of even greater benefit to coaches? One thing is certain – the technological devices that we use today will someday become obsolete as faster, more powerful, more compact and less expensive products replace them.

To give you an idea of the cutting-edge technology products available today and also provide a peek into the future, AFM asked industry experts about today’s technology and what we might expect to see in the near future.
Coaching Software

Bruce Williams  •  BW Software

TODAY “The biggest technology news today is Hudl. “Dominate” is their slogan and they are doing that well. Our latest changes to PlayMaker Pro and TD Video include Hudl-friendly features like exporting drawings as jpeg and png files that can be imported into Hudl. We’re also modernizing our products to keep up with new versions of Mac OS X and Windows. Our new Macintosh version of PlayMaker Pro looks marvelous.”

TOMORROW   “The future of sports technology is exciting. New display technology will continue to obsolete the printed page. Apple and Microsoft are still competing. Apple is stronger than ever with its iPods, iPhones and iPads. Microsoft still has Office. Microsoft’s new tablet arrived years after the initial iPads. Customer demand for iPad software is high and we’re looking into it.”
 
Joel Thompson • Interactiv Sports Technologies

TODAY “Coaches today use a variety of software (and dry-erase whiteboards)for producing playbooks, scouting reports, presentations, recruiting charts, etc. Most are using some form of video editing and film sharing technology whereby video clips are tagged and assigned to a database. At Interactiv Sports Technologies, we’ve introduced interactive technology using touch monitors, LCDs, and CoachBoard interactive whiteboards as a method to combine all of these elements together.”

TOMORROW “We believe future technology will begin to shift more to providing tools for teaching, strategy, and instruction as well as more efficient communication links between coaches, players and staff. Using interactive technology, in conjunction with existing video editing and other software, CoachBoard will allow the coach (and/or player) to have a single dashboard solution to prepare, present, formulate, and share diagrams, illustrations, video clips, playbooks, scouting reports, recruiting charts and other key information.”

David Leon  •  Power 5.1

Today “One of the largest challenges coaches face today is time management which makes fully utilizing available technology so important. Software that assists with everything from reviewing games to designing plays, from scheduling practices to designing workouts are a must for any coach who wants to spend more time on the practice field and less time in the office.”

Tomorrow  “Software in the future will continue to help coaches be successful. From smart systems that automatically recognize “tendencies” of other teams and designs plays based on same, even during a game, to cloud based systems which allow coaches and athletes alike to share information in real time, the future role of technology in coaching will only continue to expand.”
 
Sideline Communication Systems

Adam Frank  •  CoachComm

TODAY “CoachComm’s Tempest Wireless is the most advanced, cutting-edge wireless technology available to football coaches today. Our Tempest product is used by all of the top FBS programs including the last seven BCS champions. Whether it is on the sidelines, the red carpet, Broadway or your favorite Las Vegas show - Tempest is succeeding in the most challenging venues in the world.”
TOMORROW “Here at CoachComm, we’re constantly looking to the future and striving to stay ahead of the curve. The world of wireless communications is evolving every day and our job is to ensure we continue to develop new technology so that all of our customers have the most sophisticated wireless technology on the market.”

John Hooper Jr.  •  Porta Phone

TODAY  “In 1961, Porta Phone Co. created the first portable wired coaches communication system. Now, 50 years later, we are continually striving to develop new and superior wireless technology for today’s demanding coaching environments.  We are very proud of our revolutionary COMSTAR “All-In-One” duplex headsets that eliminates the need for costly cables and beltpacks. They allow up to 23 coaches and more talking patterns than ever before.”

TOMORROW “Porta Phone Co. has our finger on the wireless pulse. Our engineers are among the best in the world and are able to collaborate to incorporate all of the latest advances in wireless signal transmission techniques into our products. This allows Porta Phone Co. to stay on the top of the technology wave to create the next generation of wireless which will take Porta Phone Co. through the 21st century and beyond.”

End Zone Video Systems

Mike Bockulich  •  U.S. Sports Video

TODAY “U.S. Sports Video has recently introduced the new “Hawkeye” end zone camera system, which provides great value for the limited-budget program. The Hawkeye is built on the same platform as the popular Raven manually-controlled system, but with a “Motor Driven” camera unit at the top. The Hawkeye “Control Panel-Operating Center” includes the Action Monitor, Pan/Tilt Controller, Camera Controller and Monitor Glare Shield incorporated in one small hand-held unit.”

TOMORROW “The end zone camera future has arrived early. U.S. Sports Video is proud to introduce the new “Air-Comm” Communication System. The communication system includes a transmitter interface that communicates from the press box sideline camera, or the TwinCam Cameras, to the Raven, Hawkeye or SideWinder end zone cameras to sync-up all two or three cameras – “Auto-Sync” during the game. The sideline camera operator controls the record function for all cameras from the press box to the end zone. The record signal is transmitted from the press box to a receiver located on the end zone camera system.”    


BW Software  
888-752-9625  
www.bwsoftware.com

BW Software has helped coaches be more productive for two decades. We provide PlayMaker Pro playbook software and TD Video – video scouting software. Football coaches everywhere use PlayMaker Pro to create playbooks, handouts, flash cards, presentations and animations. They draw plays precisely on a scale size field with hash marks and yard line numbers. They save time by reusing their work. They exchange documents with thousands of coaches who use PlayMaker Pro. Available for Windows or Macintosh, now with PNG and JPEG exports for your website and video scouting software.


Coach’s Office 
877-323-9669
 www.coachsoffice.com

Coach’s Office Software is the leader in providing the best software tool for football coaches. With our advanced system, you can print your play/scout cards from a practice script. Draw your play diagrams, using dozens of pre-defined routes. Produce a playbook like the pros, using an unlimited number of page templates, along with a word processor. Print wristbands. Upload pages from your Playbook to Hudl and play cards to your iPad. Our goal is to help you prepare, train, and organize more effectively. Translation: Win more games!


CoachComm 
800-749-2761
www.coachcomm.com

CoachComm’s Tempest FX system brings the same high quality D1A technology to the sidelines of high schools and small college programs. The Tempest FX system offers proven, high performance wireless communication and superior audio to those schools that desire a competitive edge. The system offers the same trusted wireless technology used by the country’s top FBS programs including the last seven BCS champions. The Tempest FX system is the most powerful, expandable, and flexible system on the market. See the power of FX at www.coachcomm.com.


Porta Phone 
800-233-1113
www.portaphone.com

COMSTAR “All-In-One” full duplex headsets have revolutionized the wireless communication industry. These totally self-contained headset/radios feature a compact transceiver installed inside the earcup that eliminates the need for bothersome cables, beltpacks and external antennas. COMSTAR headsets operate in full duplex, which means that coaches communicate simultaneously without pushing buttons. Setup is a snap. To operate, simply turn the headsets and Com-Center “ON” and the system is ready, no tuning required. Operating in the 1900 MHz band set aside by the FCC for voice communication only, COMSTAR is interference free and can accommodate the needs of high school and college football staffs with up to 23 coaches.


U.S. Sports Video
800-556-8778
www.ussportsvideo.com

U.S. Sports Video has been nationally honored as having invented one of ten most important technological innovations in football history, the End Zone Camera System. It has also started and defined an industry. USSV systems are professionally designed and engineered by Dr. John C. Fakan, former NASA Scientist. Designed for safety, stability, and operating convenience and for the very best long-term investment with a lifetime warranty. Some have tried to copy our systems but none can match our structure integrity or our many exclusive features.


Power 5.1       
800-226-9708        
www.power51.com

Power 5.1, the best selling strength training software on the market, is getting even better.  Completely redesigned from the ground up, the latest Power 5.1 will be released this fall.  While maintaining the same look and feel of the original Power 5.1 for easy transition, the latest version allows for more exercises, schedules and flexibility than ever. Completely new features include creating and e-mailing pdf workouts, more efficient workout design engine and enhanced file management capabilities. In short, Power 5.1 continues to be the most powerful, efficient, easiest to use strength training software on the market... Guaranteed!







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