New York City FC (NYCFC) today announced a new partnership with PLAYR, the world’s first soccer SmartCoach system designed by leading elite sports tech brand, Catapult Sports. The agreement will see PLAYR become an Official Partner of NYCFC, enabling two NYCFC Academy teams to use the latest GPS technology, combined with personalized sports science advice, to improve on-pitch performance.
The PLAYR SmartPod records up to 1,250 movements per second, combining distance, power and speed data with GPS heat maps so players can compare their performance to their peers in the PLAYR community – as well as top professional players from all around the world. It also helps analyze overall schedules including effort levels and recovery, providing advice from experienced coaches, who have worked across the globe, to optimize rest, recovery and nutrition.
This holistic approach aligns with the objectives of the NYCFC Academy – to constantly monitor the welfare and wellbeing both on and off the field of players in the NYCFC Academy system.
In addition to providing the wearable tracking system to NYCFC’s U14 Boys’ and U16 Girls’ Academy teams starting in 2019, through the partnership, PLAYR will expand its market-leading technology to NYCFC City Development League events, NYCFC-led youth tournaments, the NYCFC summer camp series and NYCFC youth talent centers. Together, NYCFC and PLAYR will reach tens of thousands of aspiring soccer players and young NYCFC fans throughout the New York Metropolitan area and empower them to use technology and the PLAYR products to improve their game.
Claudio Reyna, NYCFC Sporting Director, said:
“Our Academy is at the heart of our Club. We are continually dedicated to developing local youth talent and using innovation to do so. Our new partnership with PLAYR allows us to further utilize market-leading technology and sports science educational tools to inspire players and to maximize potential on and off the pitch. This is the same philosophy we use with our first team.”
The partnership will also see PLAYR expand its footprint to enable even more youth soccer players throughout the country to use technology to track performance and improvements. PLAYR will become the official GPS player tracking technology partner of the annual Nexen Manchester City Cup – the elite youth tournament operated by Surf Cup Sports and NYCFC’s sister club and 2018 Premier League Champions, Manchester City FC – as well as GOALS soccer centers in the United States.
Benoit Simeray, CEO of PLAYR, continued:
“Our mission at PLAYR is to revolutionize match day preparation for every soccer player around the world. Based on over 10 years of experience in the elite market with Catapult Sports, PLAYR now gives aspiring players exclusive stats, insights and advice that have previously only been available to professional coaches in order to improve their performances on and off the pitch. By partnering with NYCFC, GOALS and the Nexen Manchester City Cup, we’re excited by the opportunity to put PLAYR at the heart of the next generation of US soccer stars and give them the tools to empower their journey to the next level.”
Catapult’s technology, previously only available to professionals at elite teams, is now available to soccer players at every level.
Players looking to improve their performance can purchase their own PLAYR device at www.playrsmartcoach.com.
