The NEW GENERATION Coach in Rugby

Careers using IT Technology in Sport Performance

The video-based performance analysis process is well defined in accredited and non-accredited academic Sport Science literature. In the sports industry the process follows a continuous loop which starts with the player or team performing during training or match-play, then an analysis (live or post-match) of their performance, followed by feedback and training interventions, then the player or team performs again – this then restarts the process loop.

Typically in South African rugby systems, the feedback process is one which involves only video and stats review within a team environment, and in a boardroom style setting. In these match/training review sessions there is a varying style, dependent on the coaching staff. In general, there is about 20 to 30 minutes (sometimes more) of face to face video discussion and presentations around the performance or specific areas of the performance. In some situations, the players interact a lot, but in other situations they simply do not get a chance to voice their opinion. These sessions become one where players sit and listen to what was done wrong and what was done right, and then get told how the team will correct these things moving forward. However, this form of feedback is not conducive to an effective learning environment for our players and generally does not create a positive learning environment.

For an effective learning experience and environment players need to be given the concern areas and find solutions on their own. From here, these solutions can be discussed and investigated. From there, the team and coaches decide on the process and interventions that will be put in place going forward. Realistically speaking, this interactive and hands-on process cannot happen in a “boardroom” styled session, as this would result in losing even more training and on-field time.

So how do we create a conducive online learning environment but still maximize our training time on the pitch? In addition to this, how do we engage with our Generation Z players to maximize their personal learning (Gen Z is the newest generation, born between 1997 and 2012. They are currently between 9 and 24 years old)? The simple answer: online analysis and sharing platforms. At the UXI Sport Rugby Institutes we use Coach Logic in our high performance program. Coach Logic allows coaches, specialist coaches and performance analysts to interact with the players online, from any place, at any given time, similar to that of online education. Coaches create playlists from training sessions and rugby matches, and then share these playlists with all the players or individual players. From here, the players can go and independently highlight their concern areas. Players and coaches can now actively engage via Coach Logic and discuss the clips at hand in real time, from their mobile device. This allows everyone to be included in their own feedback systems, give their opinion and gives the players time to think about solutions and then bring those to the table. This means that when coaches and players sit in the “boardroom” sessions, everyone has already seen the clips and has already been part of discussions surrounding the clips. These sessions now become a ‘clarity session’, where the game-play solutions are meticulously explained and broken down, so that all parties have a clear and precise understanding.

At our Rugby Institutes, we make use of a performance analysis coding software, called Nacsport; this is used to tag all our team and player events. Coach Logic has its own tagging function on their online platform; however, Coach Logic also allows you to easily import these timelines onto their platform and sync it with the video footage. Having access to these timelines allows our players and coaches to easily navigate to areas of a practice or match that they wish to review; this also allows the players to easily navigate to their involvements in the footage. This easy-to-use and time-saving app has resulted in an increase in post-match reviews by players. Not only is it quick and easy, but it is enjoyable for the players as well. Now, for the first time, they can be in control of the analysis of their own performance; and they can assess the video and see first-hand where their strengths and weaknesses lie in their game. A great feature by Coach Logic is the ability to review the video history. This shows exactly how much time was spent reviewing a video by the coaches and players.

 The Generation-Z player needs quick access to video footage and data – so this speaks right into their way of taking in information: fast, simple and efficient. Your players now also have an easy way of generating all their clips into one video, which starts to populate their very own “video rugby CV”.

In our ever changing and fast paced high performance sporting environment, it is vital that teams have a proper and efficient performance analysis system in place. This performance analysis system must have an online platform as part of its components, and Coach Logic is the perfect tool for that! In South Africa we usually find that only our national team, franchise teams and top schools have access to high performance tools to measure performance, such as online analysis systems and wearable technology, however with Coach Logics amazing pricing system, it’s now possible for everyone to have access to this vital equipment to measure our athletes performance. Furthermore, in SA rugby and international rugby there is an ever growing demand for careers using IT technology in sport performance, therefore if this is something that interests you as a reader, then one should investigate higher education options that would cover this aspect of High Performance; who knows, maybe one day you find yourself in the Rugby Championship or Rugby World Cup as an analyst in test match rugby.

If you would like to know more on how to get your hands on a Coach Logic license, or want to know more about how it works, then we invite you to contact our National Manager of Video and Game Analysis, Heinrich Painczyk ([email protected]). Our recent partnership with Coach Logic also means we can arrange discounted prices depending on your needs!

Here is what our Head Coach at our WP Rugby Academy has to say:

“Given in our environment of working with 90 odd players in an ever-rotating system, the coach logic platform has been a lifesaver. Our coaches can now analyze player footage and communicate with players on the go, wherever they are in the world, whether it be on holiday, walking to class or training. We can educate and review training sessions, matches, scheduling at any time and at any place whether on an individual level or a whole group. The flexibility of coach logic also allows for player self-development through reviewing footage, questioning coaches and communicating with each other. With the ability to import codes from various systems, our analysis platform has made things simple, easy and convenient. I would recommend Coach Logic to every player, coach, analyst, manager or even businesses as a central platform on which to grow.”