Ensights Magazine

Evaluate: PlaySight Technology

Tiffany Townsend, Director of Marketing & Communications
The application of Core Skills isn’t limited to the classroom; it also expands to the fields, courts, and studios on campus. A new technology is helping students and coaches evaluate athletic performance and apply this knowledge to address mistakes and enhance skills.
Ensworth recently installed PlaySight SmartCourt technology throughout the athletic facilities and in the dance studio, providing access to cutting-edge analysis technology in tennis, basketball, volleyball, soccer, dance, and aquatics. PlaySight leverages both multi-angle video and proprietary analytics to help athletes examine and assess details of their performance in real-time.

The system includes multiple fully-automated high-definition cameras and touchscreen kiosk s that use image processing and analytical algorithms to track elements of play, such as ball trajectory, player movement, and shot speed. The cloud-based platform also allows teams to live stream matches or games and stores video for coaches and players to review from any web-enabled device.

“PlaySight is helping the next generation of athletes improve more quickly and connect with a global community of other athletes and coaches, and we couldn’t be more excited to bring the technology to top schools like Ensworth,” says Play-Sight’s Josh Graves. “As a former collegiate and junior tennis player, I know the importance of getting the most out of limited practice and training hours, as well as the impact that learning through sports, has on development both on and off of the court. SmartCourt technology facilitates such learning and development.”

Varsity Girls Basketball Coach Mary Taylor Cowles notes the benefits that the technology offers her team: “PlaySight is truly a critical piece in helping our students learn and improve their game. Film is very important because it provides real, actual information and feedback from practices and games that our players can watch, and they see on their own where things worked well or where things possibly broke down. PlaySight is easy to manage and has been beneficial for our players and our staff.”
 
Tennis Director Greg Chambers adds, “When using PlaySight with tennis, players receive the stats of sets and matches and then collaborate with the coaches to evaluate areas of strength and improvement. In tennis language, the percentage of points won/lost, first serve percentage, the ratio of winners to unforced errors, the percentage of receiving points won, average net clearance, and amount of spin produced on each shot are critical areas that can be improved if properly acknowledged and addressed. PlaySight’s video component also allows a player’s body language, composure, and footwork to be quickly and easily evaluated, so the player actually sees what they might not believe when being coached. It is very gratifying when the core skill of collaboration between the player and coach is combined with the evaluation process to create a positive and constructive relationship between athletes and coaches.”

This access to technology that offers immediate, in-depth analysis of performance provides students and coaches with a tool that significantly enhances the evaluation process. The system allows students to step outside of themselves to evaluate important details of their performance, identify errors, and understand changes they should make to improve. The process also helps them learn to accept critique and respond constructively to it. As students apply this knowledge, they become better athletes who are more self-aware, confident, and prepared for success.

 
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