Technology
Hawkin Dynamic Force Plates – Prior to lifting sessions, and practices if requested by a head coach, student athletes will go to the force plates to complete two countermovement jumps. These jumps are in reaction to a white light on the tablet. To complete, student-athletes keep hands on their hips, squat down, and jump up as high as possible. From this test, we can track student-athlete fatigue, power, force, reactivity, and bilateral differences from two force plates. This information is used over time to help inform training programs, preparation for competitions, and even return from injury.
Tendo Units – Housed in the weight room, these units are attached to the weight bar, measuring speed through the course of a movement. Most commonly used during squats, bench press, and landmine press, these units can be manually recorded to track power development or be used as a tool to train a controlled speed of movement.
LedsReact Pro – This device detects movement in a multi-directional plane without use of a wearable. Within a 50m range, we are able to set up different drills and tasks, initiated upon a student-athlete movement or a cue set by the device. Through Ledsreact, we are able to conduct rehabilitation exercises, such as a four-corner drill, in which student-athletes must react to colored cones based upon the presence of colored lights. We are also able to set up sport-specific performance tests such as the 5-10-5, T-test, or 20-yard sprint. This technology is also able to track curved sprints, necessary for sports such as baseball and softball. From these tests, we can evaluate reaction times, acceleration, and deceleration variables.
Lactate Threshold Testing – Conducted by Dr. Beethe, teams set protocols specific to their sport (i.e. crew is on the Erg, Swimming in the water, and running sports on land running distances specific to sport requirements). In a staged progression, testers pull droplets of blood to test lactate levels. In all tests, we aim to achieve 5 staged progressions to best understand where that lactate threshold is met in relationship to heart rate and difficulty of task. By identifying this threshold, coaches and student athletes are able to understand where the student-athletes physiological system switches from oxygen rich (aerobic) to oxygen deprived (anaerobic). In the aerobic state, student-athletes can continue to easily produce energy for sport, whereas energy is limited at the anaerobic state. Through this knowledge, they are able to train at the lactate threshold so to push it back further, and therefore maintain optimal performance for longer periods of time.
FocusCalm – This is a system which houses a basic Electroencephalography (EEG) unit with a monitoring device, programmed with games and activities which are aim to increase focus and/or relaxation. Through this device, our Mental Performance Coach can read sensitive levels of arousal and help our student athletes gain coping mechanisms which are directly applicable in their practice and competition settings.
Virtual Reality – Another tool used by the Mental Performance Coach, we have downloaded apps which require use of quick reactions and other performance metrics, so to mimic key performance metrics used in competition. Through creation of this environment, the Mental Performance Coach can help talk the student-athletes through key mental mechanisms which improve overall performance.
