Catapult One brings pro-level stats to amateur soccer players
Catapult has announced Catapult One. A Fitbit-like device for soccer players – it brings pro-level stats to amateurs.
The company is well known for working with professional athletes and teams for some 15 years now. According to its press release, its equipment is currently utilised by over 3,200 elite teams in 137 countries. These are wearables that help to optimise performance, mitigate injury risk, and quantify return to play protocols.
Essential reading: Training sensors for soccer (aka football) players
Unlike some of its competitors, Catapult has not made its athlete monitoring devices available to amateurs. It was all reserved for professional athletes. But now we have Catapult One – a device meant for the rest of us.
Catapult One – pro-level soccer stats for amateurs
Like some of its other equipment, Catapult One is a pod-like device that slips into a vest. Inside the thing is a 10Hz GPS tracker and a few other sensors. The combination of these provides info helping players track, analyse and improve performance on the pitch.
The stats that you can expect to receive via the app and web based dashboard include sprint distance, acceleration and intensity, with 10-times the amount of data you’d get from a high-end smartwatches. All of these stats are designed to mimic info that is available to pro-level athletes.
Catapult One is designed both for individual and team use. Coaches can utilise the info to make tactical decisions and mitigate player injury risk. Or you can just strap it on and analyse the stats post practice or game in the comfort of your living room.
The novel thing about the device is that it goes beyond soccer. Players of American football, rugby, field hockey, cricket, lacrosse, tennis, and Australian rules football can also benefit from tracking their performance. Presumably, these come with their own set of metrics.
The company says after 3 months of use, players typically see a 26% increase in sprint distance, 25% increase in power output, 11.7% increase in distance covered and 3.5% increase in top speed. These are some pretty impressive stats.
The wearable can be purchased by going to one.catapultsports.com. Unfortunately, this is not a one-off cost. You will need to fork out for a subscription which starts at $15.99 per month on top of a $34.00 kit cost. The $179 annual subscription comes with a free kit so there’s some saving to be achieved by going for that option.
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