Technology is playing a bigger part than ever before in court sports, including netball. Netball players can benefit from technology in terms of improving skills, performance, efficiency and movement, while technology can also help players recover more quickly from injury and provide fitness tracking. Wearable tech is particularly useful in training drills to help players and their coaches monitor and improve training techniques and drills to target different areas.
In netball, good movement and direction are essential. Movement off the ball is one of the most important elements of the game, and strong positioning can make all the difference. The opposition can be pulled out of position by clever movement, leading to gaps being created that can be exploited by the attacking team.
Wearable Tech for Easy Monitoring
Netball drills offer the perfect time to focus on movement. Technology can be used to improve performance in training, which means improved performance in competition. RF tracking is a type of wearable tech that works in this way to track and monitor a player’s performance. It can be worn attached to clothing and does not interfere with play. The device monitors positioning for analysis after the training drills or after a competitive game.
RF tracking technology was co-developed by AIS and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research, originating from CISCO’s system that helped to track firefighters at work.
Potential Concerns
Some people are concerned that wearable tech in sport could be used to track more personal data, such as sleep choices, food intake and other elements of the sportsperson’s lifestyle. However, many sportspeople think the inconveniences of the technology are outweighed by the huge potential benefits.
Benefits of Technology
Of course, technology is also used in other areas to improve sports performance, comfort and safety. For example, it can be used in clothing, shoes, accessories and even the sports fields and courts themselves. Netball shoes have used technology to improve ankle support and cushioning, helping players to change direction more quickly and jump higher. Dresses are now made from lightweight breathable fabric, while ankle guards have been developed to protect the ankle area from sudden movements.