Declan O’ Sullivan MISCP
(Chartered Physiotherapist to the Cork Senior Hurling Team)
“In January of this year I approached Danny to see what benefits the VX Sport Global Positioning System (GPS) could offer the Cork Senior Hurling Panel. At my first interaction with the system I was immediately impressed by how quickly the system was set up and ready to go. The information gathered from the units was easily downloaded by usb cable onto well defined and colour coded tabs which presented the data in table or graph form for quicker analysis. Under these tabs the GPS data was organised precisely, systematically and chronologically to provide you with a second by second in-depth analysis of the physiological demands of the game of hurling on our players. Since utilising the VX Sport GPS units the information we have collated on player speeds, distances, heart rate zones and movement patterns has improved our knowledge of the game of hurling immensely. Real time data relayed to the laptop or logged information provided us with objective values that we could use to determine match and fitness training loads in order to reduce our injury rates and facilitate improved rehabilitation protocols. I would recommend the inclusion of the VX Sport GPS in all intercounty hurling teams’ physical preparations”.
Martin Kennedy
CEO and Athlete/Player Development Coach, NADA
Athlete/Player Development Dublin Senior Footballers and Hurlers
….of working with the Dublin Hurling during their 2011 campaign using the VX Sport GPS system, both the players and management found the system very useful for defining workloads and fitness training. Players are always really interested because unlike athletes running around a track they dont know how far or fast they have been running. This sport technology allowed them to finally make sense of what they were doing on the pitch. Of course there was the usual banter about who did what and importantly, who didn’t. All the information about their training is classified but here is what their Fitness testing Manager, Martin Kennedy had to say:”We have used the VX Sport system 6-7 times over the last 6 months and believe that the product is and will continue to be very beneficial. The system itself is very user friendly and the software is intuitive with an insightful reporting structure. It undoubtedly improves the quality and accuracy of feedback you can give to your athletes and players from a physiological point of view. The technical support from the team at Redback Biotek was excellent, personal and always professional.”
Tom Mclaughlin
Head of Fitness
Connacht Rugby
Since starting work at Connacht in June 2011, I have strived to develop the application of sport science in aiding the player’s physical development. As part of this process I sought the best Global Positioning Devices (GPS) that I could get with my budget and were easy to use. I was instantly recommended the VX units, and after several meetings I purchased a number of units. Firstly they are excellent pieces of technology and enable me to measure training loads, and then make the necessary adjustments to player’s programmes. Crucially, they are also vital in the process of prevention and rehabilitation of injury. The level of support Redback Biotek has given me is excellent, and we got the service off one of their technical personnel in the early stages to aid with downloading/interpretation of data. I would strongly recommend the VX units for any sport to increase their chances of success.
Barry Horgan (Athlete/Player Development Coach, NADA)
I have recently been using VX Sport GPS technology with Cavan GAA Senior and U21s footballers. This cutting edge technology was supplied by Redback Biotek. I found the support staff Redback Biotek to be very professional and helpful by sharing their expertise in order to up-skill and advise me regarding the practical application of GPS technology within a high performance amateur team-sport environment. Specifically with Cavan GAA, we found the GPS technology very insightful when monitoring performance (competition/training), providing feedback to players and coaches as well as measuring return to performance following injury. In addition to that outlined above, I feel there is unlimited potential in the use of GPS in GAA team sports, such as:
•the tracking of players away from organized squad training sessions,
•the comparison of player performance across similar/different positions,
•the objective measurement of the annual periodized plan,
•tactical analysis,
•the real-time or post-session measurement of the physiological demand of
training activities/competition (See below for a comparison of Small-sided Game’s VS Conditioning Drills) in order to inform coach decision making.
