Just like all other industries and sports, soccer has seen tremendous growth in the technology that has been made available to it. Technological advancements in several areas of the game have benefited players, coaches, and spectators. One area that I think of immediately is videography and coach education. 15 years ago coaching curriculums would be distributed on paper or by PDF. They would include pictures or diagrams, an overview of the sessions and also the key coaching points that the coaches should emphasize during the sessions. These curriculums are now shared through the use of video. The majority of coaching directors are recording sessions and uploading them to Youtube or other such platforms for their coaches to observe, as it's perceived to be far easier to replicate a session seen in a video rather than one written on paper with X's, O's and arrows. The ease at which coaches can record and edit their practice sessions has lead to a huge amount of content being available online for junior coaches to learn from. Youtube and Instagram is loaded with content for any coach whether volunteer or of the highest level to watch and get ideas from.
The use of technology and videography has also impacted soccer games and how games are watched and analyzed at all levels. Almost every high-level team, from youth to collegiate and professional level have their games recorded and analyzed. Coaches can watch games back and develop practice plans based on the challenges they faced in the game. Coaches can share the videos with their players and give real examples of errors they are making or successes they should look to replicate. Recording games is becoming more affordable and easier than ever before. Telescopic cameras are now being used that record games from elevation and can be controlled by a tablet for convenience. Video content is uploaded directly to a website cloud and doesn't need a memory card to be transferred to a desktop anymore. Players can use this video content to share with family members who may not be able to watch them play, or even college coaches as they search for a collegiate program to become part of.
The latest technology in videography and game analysis uses artificial intelligence to have the cameras track the ball without the use of human interaction. Such a thing has been available in the professional game for a number of years but is now being used at college, high school, and youth level. Trace is an organization that does this, and they offer a package where three cameras are set up at different parts of the field and track the ball and players as they move around the field during their game. Through Trace technology, almost immediately after the game ends players are able to log into a website and see all their individual involvements with the ball, without a coach or team analyst having to download and clip the game footage. Players have access to all of their own footage minutes after the game ends, to watch or share with grandparents, or post to Instagram.
Not only is technology advancing at the top end of the sport, but it is also becoming more affordable and accessible to scholastic and youth organizations underneath. Technology will continue to create opportunities for player and team development, it is the coaches responsibility to maximise these opportunities effectively.
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