Bridging Technology & Performance: Episode #10 Breakdown

In our latest episode of Powering Performance, we had the pleasure of connecting with EXOS’ Director of Continuous Improvement, Stefan Underwood and BridgeAthletic CTO Dr. Fadi Zoghzoghy. This episode is jam-packed with great insights on the value of technology. Follow the link to listen in...

Understanding the Consumer Mindset

It is vital to understand what an athlete wants and expects when walking into the weight room. And technology is at the forefront of those expectations. Younger generations have immense comfort with technology and whether they need a ride or need a training plan, they'll turn to tech first. This shift may have been a fear for many coaches at the beginning, worrying that technology would soon replace them. Fadi and Stefan don’t believe this to be true. Instead, their mantra remains, “We never want to replace the coach, but instead scale for the coach.” 

Keeping Your Athletes Engaged

Technology is a tool coaches are using to keep their athletes engaged. Technology is what new generations feel most comfortable with, and coaches are recognizing this. Athletes are staying more engaged across training plans, allowing coaches to gather better data to best monitor performance.

Taking the Next Step

Adding a new tool into your workflow takes both time and energy. Stefan’s advice is to stay patient. You need to learn and explore what is now your new workflow. What did Stefan do to familiarize himself with new tech? He made himself the guinea pig. He didn’t  get his athletes involved until he knew what he was doing and how the software could help them. He claims, “I didn’t want my athletes to ask me a question and have to say I didn’t know.” So, take a few deep breaths, block out an hour or two and dive into the athlete mindset. 

Before beginning to integrate a tool, always take the time to evaluate your options. Ask yourself what will work best for your unique environment.

Here's what Fadi considers when he evaluates new tools: 

1. Scalability of the solution
2. Speed and performance
3. Data privacy and data security (Key in human performance)
4. The value this software provides

Lastly, before adding any new tool you need to ask yourself, “how will this ultimately help optimize the performance for my team.” We often get caught up with the bells and whistles associated with technology and can overlook the most important factor - is this truly the right fit. 

If you're interested in evaluating new tools, join the conversation with Stefan and Fadi in our 10th episode of Powering Performance.