Past, Present, and Future Visions of Coaching Technology

21^st-century technology is so powerful that in the sports world it’s changing the way we’re capturing, organizing, distributing, and interpreting game or practice video.  AI technology sounds complicated. Even the idea of Artificial Intelligence was science fiction until recently.  Pixellot combines AI with the real, human intelligence of the coaches who created the product. The result is that Pixellot actually simplifies the coach’s job. Things that used to be done manually can now be automated and much more fun and impactful for players and coaches alike.

For example, Pixellot offers an end-to-end solution that includes: 

• Installed cameras driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI) to capture the entire playing surface
   
• AI-driven coaching software that stores and interprets game or practice action as data cross-referenced by players’ jersey numbers 
   
• A surprisingly simple user interface that lets coaches search for the most relevant examples of what they want players to see 
   
• An internal team communications platform to let coaches share highlight clips with players for educational purposes and personal highlight reel creation for distribution to media outlets, college coaches, and other audiences. 

Inside the Pixellot Platform 

All coaches have to do in order to curate game and practice video is type in the kind of action they are seeking. For example, a basketball coach can search for three-point shots attempted, hit enter, and have all relevant clips appear on-screen along with notes naming the player who took the shot and other attributes of that three-point attempt. 

Coaches can also enter their own notes and “telestrate” clips to show the player(s) the coaches want to instruct. Then coaches can contact the players, individually or in groups, to let them know the clips are ready for review and either lead a real-time lesson via built-in chat or let players watch on their own time. 

Learning from the Past 

Compared to old-school film study, Pixellot’s approach is flat-out fun. Back in the day, players and coaches would gather in the dark and muddle through many minutes of irrelevant footage to finally find a teachable moment. Then the players would endure their coaches’ painful public criticism in front of their peers. Those days are gone. 

Coaches now can efficiently produce and share only the most important information to only the targeted recipient. That saves time for both coaches and players and helps players focus on exactly the lessons their coaches need them to learn. 

The time savings alone frees up players to quickly put into practice their coaches’ advice, or maybe even study something other than game film, such as academic subjects! Likewise, coaches find extra time to think about their program’s bigger picture, scout upcoming opponents, or even visit their families! 

Impact on Student-Athletes 

Using Pixellot is fun for student-athletes. Let’s face it, the only thing most of them like more than playing their sport is looking at a screen. The popularity of TikTok proves that most teens enjoy nothing more than looking at themselves on-screen.  

Pixellot’s analytics platform, VidSwap, can keep student-athletes entertained and educated at the same time and for a long time. Packaged properly, the video clips can encourage athletes. For example, a basketball coach can send a slumping shooter a montage of all missed shots that were taken with perfect form, praising the player for improvement even when the shots are not falling. 

Your Coaching Future 

So, now it’s on you, Coach. Let your imagination run wild with how you could use these tools and what these tools could do for you and your team. 

As the meaning of “coach” continues to evolve, look to your future with Pixellot’s analytics. Remember, these advances are just a matter of coaching technology, and that it’s still your passion and unique form of genius that will win the day. 

Also, remember that new technologies have always brought naysayers. And there have always been future-minded folks like you who knew the nay-sayers’ backward views were just “horse-and-buggy thinking.”