The 2022 FIFA World Cup is just one sleep away. Ireland won't be an involved but an Irish company will have a major impact on the tournament. Newry based STATSports are working with 10 countries at the tournament - including England and Brazil.
We spoke with Head of Product, Sports Science and Reseach, Barry Watters, to discuss the role sports science will play in this year's tournament.
The power of live data
STATSports, as many will know, is an Irish-based company that is leading the world in sports science, they have developed technology that monitors players' performance levels during training in order for teams to get the best out of their athletes. They were very involved in the 2018 World Cup as well. Speaking about the essence of STATSports, Barry Watters described the technology used, and their relationship with professional athletes and teams,
'We provide physical performance data for all players within a team or within a squad. All the technology is in the device, which is placed between the shoulder blades and that includes GPS and then an inertial measurement unit. You can set training outcomes that you want to try achieve, so it's like a traffic light system.
'The biggest shift in industry has been the live data, something that we pride ourselves on having a unique selling point on, providing accurate live data so they can make decisions in real time in terms of training. We work directly and offer consultancy to the sports scientists within the clubs.
In Qatar, ten countries - Qatar, England, USA, Australia, Belgium, Croatia, Brazil, Switzerland, Portugal and Ghana - will be benefitting from STATSports technology
The challenges of Qatar
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar is a unique challenge for football teams, players and staff due to its timing, location and the effect it has on domestic leagues. With heavily condensed fixture lists either side of the World Cup, and indeed throughout the tournament, the primary focus for teams is recovery.
Watters highlighted the importance of sports science as a means to further recovery, and highlighted its increased usage this year, saying
It's really about making sure they're optimally rested and ready to go. A lot of the sports science throughout this World Cup now, due to the weather and the climate and everything for different nations, it's all going to be recovery. Most of it will be around recovery protocol, and that's a big part that our equipment will be used for.'
With such a heavy fixture list heading into the World Cup, and with a short build up to the tournament, we asked Watters about how these factors will affect the teams' preparation for the tournament,
'I think like if any squad has been able to get together a bit earlier, that would make a difference in terms of cohesiveness, as it always does us the national level and for the international level.
'I think what's going to be challenging, especially for Premier League players, is acclimatising. You've got the heat, which is going to be an issue, regardless of how well prepared these players are. If you were going to that tournament, you'd like to be there a bit earlier, you'd like to be there maybe two weeks to give yourself the first week to acclimatise. By the second week, you would be acclimatised a little bit more, whereas now they're all arriving yesterday or today and getting ready to play at the weekend.'
A video of the England team cooling down during training on Thursday captured the challenges all teams will face with adjusting to desert heat.
A seleção inglesa sofre com o calor que se faz sentir no Qatar 🥵 pic.twitter.com/5Z8n6ct6iR
— B24 (@B24PT) November 18, 2022
The importance of data transfer
It will be crucial for teams to know the buildup of their squad in advance of the World Cup, and with data transfer, countries will be able to share training data with team coaches who will be keen to see how their players are progressing. Watters highlights the importance of data sharing and communication between squads for player welfare,
We have a feature called the Stats Sports Exchange, which essentially allows, with the click of a button, you can transfer that data for one player, or, if you have multiple players at that club, straight back to their staff and they get it in their software and they can look at it their way.
'If we're looking at the player welfare, it definitely paints a better picture and allows the medical and performance staff to make better decisions around the training to do when they come into camp.'
'Kyle Walker for example has been out injured for a little while in the lead up, you know, so they'll have to manage him differently than all the other players that came straight in off the back of games who maybe just need rest.'
Post the tournament, the clubs receive that data straight back, so they know what to do and with a few days that they have before the next game in the in the Premier League.
What role will sports science have in the aftermath of the World Cup
In order to fit the World Cup into the four week time period, fixtures either side of the tournament are more condensed. Factoring in European football and domestic cups, the top teams will be playing two games per week, commencing just days after the end of the World Cup. Watters highlighted the effect the tournament could have on teams throughout the remainder of the season as fatigue grows.
I think it could even be towards the latter end of the Premier League that we we might start to see some effects. If the clubs don't have squads big enough to rotate players, after that, fatigue can start to kick in because it is a long season.
The 2022 World Cup is a unique competition due to its setting and timing. It is fascinating to learn about how developments in sports science are benefitting teams prepare for an intense World Cup period. Similarly, it was interesting to hear about the challenges teams will face in the aftermath of the tournament.
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