How Athlete Monitoring Tech is improving the California Golden Bears Women’s Basketball Program’s Performance
In today’s competitive landscape of NCAA Division 1 basketball, staying ahead of the competition requires more than just hard work and talent. The use of athlete monitoring technology has become a vital tool for teams to take their performance to the next level.
The Division 1 University of California women’s basketball program has been utilizing Catapult, a leading athlete monitoring technology, to be more competitive and improve performance.
Known for its competitive spirit, the basketball program’s success includes 14 trips to the NCAA tournament, a WNIT championship in 2010, and a magical run to the NCAA Final Four in 2013.
To continue their on-court success, in 2019, the Bears added the use of Catapult into the basketball program to objectify their performance approach. Today, we discover why the team implemented athlete monitoring technology.
–> Speak to the team about the tech used by this program.
Collecting Athlete-Specific Data
Catapult’s athlete monitoring solutions for basketball provide coaches with the ability to track their players with athlete-specific data. According to the program’s Assistant Athletic Performance Coach, Hank Behrens:
“We use the data collected from Catapult to see exactly how hard players are working and to make informed suggestions to Coach Charmin Smith about how to optimize their training sessions for victory,” said Behrens.
“Catapult also helps us track individual player progress and compare performances between different players, which is key for planning game tactics.”
Soon after implementing the technology in 2019, Catapult Vector became a vital tool in the program’s development and training program.
–> Learn more about Catapult’s athlete monitoring solutions for basketball.
Seeking Game-Changing Improvements
Behrens describes using Catapult as a game-changer, citing that the Vector devices “allow us to identify areas of improvement, develop an understanding of how to mitigate the risk of injury, and, if a player does get injured, track the rehabilitation progress.”
Couple this with data that indicates play and practice intensity, “the data provides valuable insight into how hard players are working,” enabling Behrens to make informed suggestions to coaches for optimized practice sessions – peaking at the right times of the season.
“Perhaps the most significant benefit of Catapult is injury prevention. We use the data collected to identify movements and actions that are putting players at risk of injury, such as overloading the knees or hips when jumping,” said Behrens.
This information enables Behrens to maintain the optimal condition of his athletes for game time, reducing the risk of injuries that could sideline them for an extended period.
–> Try the tech worn by the team.
Tool for the Recruitment Process
Lastly, using Catapult Vector positions the NCAA Division 1 basketball program well in attracting the best high school talent.
“Catapult is also a valuable tool for the recruiting process. When strong high school basketball players visit during practice, Catapult is seen, and coaches showcase the data collected. This demonstration proves the commitment we have towards our student-athletes,” said Behrens.
“We recruit players who want to improve their game and having Catapult as a tool at our disposal permits us to lead with an individualized training regimen, and identify where they need to improve.”
Vector Evolved: New T7 Device with Basketball Movement Profile
Catapult recently announced the latest development in the Vector device series – Vector T7. The basketball-specific solution is designed to help coaches, teams, and analysts improve player performance through accurate and detailed data.
The T7 is 73% smaller than previous wearable devices, providing greater flexibility and improved athlete compliance. It offers coaches a more detailed picture of the demands being placed on their players and optimized tracking that provides best-in-class athlete monitoring accuracy.
Both tried and tested, the T7 was developed alongside teams like Duke University Men’s Basketball. Nick Potter, the Director of High Performance and Sports Science at Duke praised the device’s size and efficiency, in our recent webinar on the recently announced T7 device.
→ Sign up and watch our upcoming T7 x Duke Basketball webinar.
The Vector T7 also features new basketball-specific analytics, including the Basketball Movement Profile, which quantifies and categorizes every type of basketball movement on the court. This is helping coaches make better decisions for their athletes and identify the causes of performance strain with more accuracy. Learn more about Vector T7 here.