As we head toward Rio, brands are continuing to roll the dice on who the emerging stars of The Games will be, and more importantly, who will be the marketing stars that will bridge the gap and be able to engage beyond this summer and towards Tokyo in 2020. In Beach Volleyball, the shorter term marketers have gone all in as Keri Walsh Jennings and April Ross look to win gold on the women’s side, while veterans Phil Dauhausser and Nick Lucena as well as Casey Patterson and Jake Gibb will contend for the men once again. The veteran stars seem to be front and center this time around for one of the must watch events every four years.
However, beneath that layer is a new generation of rising stars for beach volleyball, for the AVP in particular. Leading those new faces in the U.S. are the Crabb Brothers, Trevor and Taylor. Now teaming up together, the Crabbs are building a solid and steady resume which has already seen them named Newcomer of the Year for the AVP individually in different years, while now playing together full time as they rise up the rankings. The Hawaiian natives and Long Beach State stars brought home top finishes in all of their AVP efforts in 2016, New Orleans (3), Huntington Beach (2), Seattle (2), New York (3).
In addition to their success on the sand, the pair have also started using technology to increase performance in a sport that has rarely broken with tradition. They set out to use analytics to improve their workouts, and joined a growing number of elite athletes (including several members of the Cleveland Cavaliers) by using WHOOP, the new platform developed to not just track in-match performance, but to create an overall fitness regimen tied to both active and inactive hours and give athletes better detail into elements like rest and recovery.
WHOOP includes a sleek wrist-worn strap that measures strain and recovery variables more than 100 times per second, 24 hours a day. Its proprietary algorithms then process this data to provide athletes an Intensity score, which informs them about the level of strain on their body and what it means; a Recovery score, which measures the body’s preparedness for strain or exertion; and a Sleep Performance score, which evaluates the hours of quality sleep an athlete got in relationship to the sleep he or she needed.
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The use of WHOOP has coincided with the rise of the Crabbs in the AVP, and provides an interesting look into how a sport with minimal equipment can use wearables for maximum gain 24/7.
@kingcrabb808 & @tcrabbs13 battle champs @billyketchallen & @LordBrunner @avpbeach Seattle open.
Anthony Moore pic.twitter.com/DU2yZhlORL
— Anthony Moore (@amoorephoto_) June 10, 2016
We caught up with Taylor and Trevor to find out a bit more about how and why technology is improving their game, and its potential to be a measuring rod for success on the sand as it is on other playing surfaces going forward.
What has been the biggest difference you have seen in your match prep since using WHOOP?
Trevor Crabb: The biggest difference I have seen in match prep is getting the right amount of sleep the night before. Especially if we have an early match we need to get the right amount of sleep for it. The app has a sleep coach, depending on if we want to “peak” it will give us suggestions on when to go to bed. We have talked a little bit about it with each other. Mainly on how we really both like how it tracks our sleep patterns and cycles.
Unlike other sports, the AVP allows you to wear WHOOP when you are playing. Does having the ability to access in-match data give you an advantage others may not have?
Trevor Crabb: We haven’t worn the device during an AVP match yet, however we have worn it during practice more and more and that definitely has benefits to us (as well as whenever we are not playing). It’s good to know how much calories we are expending to give us an idea of how to replenish our bodies. In addition, based off our strain, we receive a push notification from the WHOOP app to tell us how much time we need to sleep in order to recover properly for the next day.
What’s the most important piece of data WHOOP has helped your game with?
Taylor Crabb: I am most fascinated with the sleep aspect of the device. I have always thought sleep was the most important part of health and being an athlete. Being well rested is crucial for performance. The recovery analysis also gives me insight into how well I’m responding to game stress, workout stress and the incredible amount of travel I do.
Do you use the device for different needs or do you both have the same strategy?
Taylor Crabb: We both use it and love it for the sleep results. We feel this is the most important part of people an athlete (besides our diet). Sleeping and recovering is something we focus on a lot.
Have you looked or used other wearables before? How does this product differ from others?
Taylor Crabb: We have heard a little bit about Fitbit but have never used it or any other devices like Whoop. But I do know that the Fitbit doesn’t have a portable charger like the whoop. Plus, athletes don’t care about “steps.” We need more in depth analysis to stay engaged with a platform.
Beach volleyball is not an analytic-heavy sport, does the use of analytics play a big factor in your training?
Taylor Crabb: The analytics are very important. During training or events we are always out in the sun, sweating and burning calories. So the data is important to follow and track, therefor we can recover the correct ways.
Since beach volleyball is a team sport, is it essential both partners use the same data, or can you train differently?
Taylor Crabb: It’s awesome that there is a team user face so we can track each other and plan around what the other person needs.
Many feel like you guys will be the new rising faces of beach volleyball as we go from Rio to Tokyo. How important do you think data and analytics will be even more into the future?
Trevor Crabb: We feel that this type of technology is only going to get better and more popular. It’s going to help the elite athletes track everything their bodies do and be able to be in pristine condition to perform the way they want. And at the highest level that is very important.