Are those players wearing sports bras?
What are the vests/bras that soccer players wear? We'll explain it all.
Have you ever seen a professional soccer player take his shirt off at the end of a game and wondered why it looks like they have a bra on? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked if it is actually a bra that the player is wearing. People snicker, laugh, and say funny things until they find out what the “bra” actually is. Seriously, without fail, whether it’s a game on tv, in person, or a picture of players after a game, someone inevitably will ask why all the players are wearing sports bras. Come on people do you really think male soccer players, usually in their 20s, are wearing sports bras?
These players are highly tuned athletes that need to perform at a certain level. The club has either groomed them from a young age to be the player they are today, or they purchased them from another club for millions of dollars. The club feeds them the best food daily, trains them, and tracks them to perform up to the best of their ability. Tracking. It’s all about tracking. The amount of data that comes from tracking players can lead to Injury prevention, player performance enhancement, which both lead to wins on the field.
These sports bras contain a tracking device that measures a variety of things that the player does. The simple one is how far they ran, but ultimately this little tracker, or pod, that sits in the vest they wear, does so much more.
The big clubs, in the major leagues, have not only doctors on staff, but also data and analytics analysts that work with the doctors and track the players on a daily basis. The vests are worn in games, but also in training sessions, and during physical rehabilitation. Players who are returning from injuries are asked to work at a certain level on their way back to full fitness. If a player is only supposed to run at 75%, the data team can let the doctors know when the player is at that level or if they have passed it. The doctors and trainers can also tell if the player is potentially putting too much strain on certain body parts during rehab, which could cause more damage. The data is way more valuable than you’d think.
So what does the tracker/pod track, besides the distance the player ran? These powerful little devices can track heart rate, body temperature, energy exertion, speed, distance, and show exactly where on the field the player spent most of their time (heat mapping). All these measurable pieces equal more data to help the club achieve more wins, which is the name of the game.
Again, when you think about the amount of money that is put into preparing these players to play, it’s vitally important to capture as many data points, at every moment, as possible.
The tracking pods are 10x more powerful than the normal wearable wrist bands a lot of us wear on a daily basis. They can track much more, every step, every explosive moment, and movement.
Injury prevention, player performance enhancement are key. Keeping players healthy, performing at their best, equals more wins, which means more money for the club. Remember, this is a business when you get to the big leagues, not a sport.
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