Over the past ten years, Catapult Sports has established itself as one of the most innovative pioneers in sports technology. This should be no surprise to anyone, considering their involvement with several major advancements in the field of sports analytics. Developing a wearable sensor capable of gathering valuable data from athletes’ in-game performances, Catapult has revolutionized the way coaches and players across all sports look at their respective games.
The device has a plethora of different applications. Used to assess the physical condition of athletes— measuring fatigue, recovery time, and more—these sensors are helpful in preventing injury and monitoring physical progress throughout training. Coaches no longer have to intuit whether or not a recovering player is ready to get back on the field. With the help of Catapult technology, they’ll be able to assess a player’s readiness through tangible statistics. The technology is fraught with advantages such as this, and teams in several different major sports across the globe have taken notice.
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Based out of Melbourne, Australia, the company has established their presence mostly through international sports such as soccer and rugby; however, the company’s popularity has managed to spread to some of the United States’ favorite sports, including football and basketball. Catapult has partnered with 17 NFL teams, 13 NBA teams, and over 30 NCAA programs. Some of the biggest names in the sports world are included amongst their clientele such as AC Milan, the Dallas Cowboys, and several major college programs (i.e. Notre Dame, Florida State, Clemson, etc.). Perhaps the most notable edition to the Catapult family is the most recent NBA champion, the Golden State Warriors, a team renowned for their uncanny ability to stay healthy and consistently put their best team on the floor in big game situations.
As for the most recent progress of Catapult, the company has just announced its partnership with the Australian Rugby Union (ARU), winning a contract that licenses them to supply many of the country’s most followed rugby programs with their unique technologies. This deal quite literally catapults (couldn’t resist) the ARU onto the cutting edge of sports technology and should do wonders for protecting players in a sport famous for its aggressive nature.
This technology has a bright future, especially considering the current landscape of the sports world. In the NBA, the Golden State Warriors managed to stay healthy and win a championship by referring to their Catapult statistics and benching four all-stars in the middle of the season for rest. Not to mention the fact that they triumphed over the Cavaliers, a team riddled with injuries and forced to face the Finals with two of the leagues best players on their bench.
The NFL is headed into week 9 and has already experienced what appears to be a milestone year in terms of injured star players. Jamaal Charles and Le’Veon Bell are out for the season with torn ACLs. Ben Roethlisberger has missed nearly the entire season with knee and foot injuries. Tony Romo and Dez Bryant are just now returning from early season ailments. Dozens of marquee receivers, including Victor Cruz, Keenan Allen, and many more have been sidelined with severe injuries. And this is only scratching the surface.
Point being, with injuries becoming more and more of in issue as of late and— what seems to be— a winning formula for injury prevention at our fingertips, Catapult Sports just might be the next big thing in sports technology, and it’s no secret as to why.