CLICK HERE FOR APPLICATION FORM
‘Serious About Safety’: Kitman Labs’ Young Rugby Players Injury Prevention
Background
Arguably the monitoring of rugby injuries in school children is long overdue. Recent media debate has seen the matter dubbed ‘a scandal’ by British Medical Journal Editor, Dr Fiona Godlee. Whilst much of the discussion has been highly emotive and sometimes ill-informed, the debate has raised a very credible point and one which should be addressed.
Doubtless this matter is on the agenda for those who govern the sport but, as with all institutions, there can be a lag between an issue being highlighted and tangible action being taken. In 2015, when the Rugby World Cup will be inspiring more children than ever to try rugby, something needs to be done to educate and support schools and clubs in protecting and monitoring young players.
Kitman Labs, an Ireland-based business which creates player monitoring software, is taking a decisive step on the matter.
Who is Kitman Labs?
Kitman Labs is the company behind ‘Profiler’, the world’s most advanced athlete management system. Kitman has been working with the IRFU over the past three years to monitor their elite players at international and club level throughout Ireland. Coaches using Profiler can monitor game and training workloads, analyse turnarounds, training sessions and game data across a season, a week or any other meaningful, determined period.
Use of the Profile software, which was co-developed by Stephen Smith, the former Strength and Conditioning Coach at Leinster Rugby, has resulted in a 30% reduction in injuries and an 8% increase in overall player availability.
Philip Nathan, Kitman’s Head of Sales, explained ‘The debate around player safety in youth rugby is intense and not unreasonable; we should be looking out for young players as they are the future of the sport. No parent wants to worry about their child being injured or even stop their child playing rugby, especially if it is just an emotional reaction to perceived lack of care. What is needed – and needed quickly – is something tangible that enables us to establish and mitigate vulnerabilities in youth teams. Player care is a fundamental part of what Kitman’s Profiler does so it makes sense for us to make it more widely available if it helps do some good – which it should.’
‘Serious About Safety’: Kitman Labs’ Young Rugby Players Injury Prevention Initiative
Kitman Labs is making 10 of its Profile systems available to schools and youth teams completely free of charge. The systems can only be used on teams playing full contact and contested rugby (ie those which scrummage) so the teams monitored must be either U15 or U18, however the teams can be either boys or girls. The initiative is open to any school or youth team who has two teams to monitor in the age range. Provided this criteria is met, the applicant will go into a draw with the ten winners being chosen at random.
These lucky applicants will receive software and online support which enables them to monitor two squads. The system, which costs £6,000, will be available for the school to use until July 2016.
Using Profiler is both quick and easy so technophobe coaches or teachers shouldn’t be nervous of participating. However, as part of the prize, Kitman will be offering full online support so every possible help is available.
Philip Nathan added ‘This is a great chance for rugby to draw a line in the sand on the issue of youth player safety. Whilst I am delighted that we are getting software into the hands of schools, the success of this project will be judged in any changes we can influence as a result of our collective findings.’
Successful applicants will be announced in March 2015
CLICK HERE FOR APPLICATION FORM
