Sports Science Newsletter: October 2024

How Sports Science Has Helped Build One of Football’s Strongest Academy to First-Team Pipelines at Arsenal

Ethan Nwaneri & Myles Lewis Skelly are recent examples of Arsenal successfully transitioning two academy prospects to the first team successfully. Our Sonra Cloud technology has been instrumental in their development and in ensuring talents are nurtured.

Watch here how First Team Sports Scientist Ben Talbot uses the system to report on sessions and communicate with u21 Academy Sports Scientist Lee Stafford to ensure nobody is mis-managed.

Inside Ireland Women's Historic Win: Ed Slattery on Building a Partnership Between National Team & Clubs

Ireland Women’s historic victory over world champions New Zealand marked a significant milestone for the women’s game in Ireland. The win acted a testament to the power of collaboration across all levels of Irish rugby.

Watch this exclusive insight from Ed Slattery, Head of Athletic Performance for the Women's Pathway and National Team at Irish Rugby, shared at our recent Summit.

In this clip, Ed dives into the importance of data sharing between the national team and the players’ clubs and highlights how creating a mutually beneficial relationship between club and international teams drives success for everyone involved. The clip is an insight into what is happening behind the scenes as Ireland prepare for their World Cup campaign next year.

Case Study: Is it Possible to Boost a Player's Max Speed in Just 30 Days?

A fascinating case study carried out by King Performance Ideology showed how they increased one of their athlete’s max speeds from 9.4 m/s to 9.7 m/s in just one month.

Using our Sonra Watch to monitor the player, Tom King at KPI implemented a program that included consistent gym and pitch-based training. The case study highlights the importance of biomechanical analysis, targeted exercises, and regular speed exposure in getting long term results.

Click here to have an in depth look at the study.

Tom King, King Performance Ideology, 'Improving a professional footballer’s max speed capabilities – a 1 month case study', October 2024

Turning Injuries into Growth: How Setbacks Can Fuel Development for Academy Prospects

In this brilliant article by Jason O'Keefe, he explores the idea that with the correct calculated approach, a period on the sidelines can act as an opportunity for young academy prospects in their physical development.

O'Keefe takes us through the RTT process of a young midfielder coming back from hamstring surgery, covering:

1. The planning process for pitch-based rehab running loads;
2. Session design for pitch-based rehab, within the constraints of the planned running loads;
3. Contextual factors to consider during rehab.

Click here to read all about it.