The Sports Office Partner with Irish Rugby Football Union IRFU

IRFU take on The Rugby Squad:

The Sports Office is delighted to have reached an agreement with the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) to supply a Performance Management system for use by all of Irish rugby’s high-performance representative teams.

All four Provinces and National teams will benefit from ‘The Rugby Squad’, The Sports Office’s bespoke system for elite rugby organisations. Both men’s and women’s senior teams, plus all age group squads will be managed together in one centralised hub.

The full ‘Rugby Squad’ system includes modules to support coaching, sports science, medicine, finance, admin and scouting. IRFU video and performance analysis staff will also be able to combine their work with other departments to maximise the potential of all players within Irish rugby’s elite player pathway.

The Rugby Squad allows effective monitoring and management of every player’s training load plus their coaching minutes and wellbeing. It also enables the creation of Individual Development plans for each player and the ongoing monitoring of these. This will enhance player tracking and development of all IRFU teams.

The newly released Sports Office App will assist all users, including staff and players in managing their own schedules, development and wellbeing. Communication between provincial and national staff and athletes are enhanced with instant messaging functionality and documents.

The IRFU will also use ‘The Rugby Squad’ to support talent identification and to also plan for the future with the system’s detailed view of available playing resources.

The Sports Office Senior Client Support Manager Stuart Jones commented: “The IRFU recognise that player development throughout the academy to on the pitch performance is the most important thing. They have chosen our system to provide the framework to support every department in reaching their full potential.

“We are delighted to be working with them and we look forward to supporting the implementation of Rugby Squad within their teams and playing structures.”

Jones added: “Irish teams are recognised as being among the best in world rugby and we believe our system can enhance their efforts to continuously improve and optimise all aspects of performance and preparation.”

IRFU 2019 Guiness Six Nationd championship

2019 Guinness Six Nations Championship Round 3, Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy 24/2/2019
Italy vs Ireland
The Ireland team stand for the National Anthem
Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

David Nucifora, IRFU Performance Director, commented, “Irish rugby have for years now placed their player management program at the forefront of their strategy for both developing and supporting our professional players. In continually looking at ways to improve our player management and player development strategies we have made a decision to align ourselves in a partnership with ‘The Sports Office’. As we strive to be world-leading in the area of Athlete Management and development we believe that our partnership with The Sports Office will enable us to achieve this ambition.”

Many elite rugby organisations throughout the world are among The Sports Office’s varied client base. These include governing bodies such as Argentina Rugby Union, teams in the SANZAR Super Rugby competition and the Australian NRL.

The Rugby Squad users also include clubs in the UK’s Rugby League Super League and teams in Major League Rugby.

The full system implementation of ‘The Rugby Squad’ will begin in March 2019.

11th March 2019 /

The Sports Office to supply Kazakhstan’s Kairat F.C.

Kairat F.C.:

The Sports Office is to supply ‘The Football Squad’, its performance management system for elite football, to leading
Kazakh Premier League team, Kairat F.C.

Client Managers Stephen Young and Dan Jackson have already worked closely with the Almaty-based club to deliver a full system implementation. This took place during a pre-season training camp in Turkey. Kairat F.C. will now continue their preparations for the Kazakh Premier League which begins on March 8th.

Stephen Young commented: “We are delighted to be working with Kairat F.C. and we look forward to seeing them progress as the Kazakh Premier League gets underway.

“Kairat join a growing number of leading clubs, competing in the world’s best Leagues, which have opted to use The Football Squad. We believe the system’s powerful functionality offers unrivalled support to optimise all aspects of preparation and performance.”

System Implementation:

The Sports Office team spent a week meeting with Kairat F.C staff from all departm Kairat FC The Football Squad implementation ents including the Sporting Director and Head of IT. They ensured all personnel gained maximum benefit from the system. Meetings with Coaches, Medical, Sports Science and Scouting staff shortly followed.

All medical personnel including club doctors, physios, and masseurs were introduced to the system. They were guided through aspects of medical data logging, including injury monitoring processes and the full use of SOAP Notes.

Time was also spent configuring Maintenance Treatments. Kairat staff plan to make extensive use of this element of the system. Each Medical User is now able to add their individual interventions. This allows them to cohesively report on active treatments, by department and staff member.

The Kairat coaching staff received a full overview of the system’s capabilities. Including demonstrations of the Coaches Dashboard as well as the functionality for adding training and gym sessions. GPS imports and exports were also demonstrated to Sports Science staff.

The Report Hub on The Football Squad

Stephen Young and Dan Jackson also demonstrated the Reports functionality to staff. This included Medical Reports, GPS Reports and Individual Reports. Bespoke reports were also set-up for the club’s various departments. Ongoing support will be provided to Kairat F.C. remotely and The Sports Office Client Managers will visit the club again later in the year.

Kairat F.C. squads have also been set up using The Sports Office App to enhance communication between the club and player.

Alongside this, the staff users have been set up with The Manager’s App to keep key personnel connected with the latest player data.

If your club could benefit from an Athlete Management System like The Football Squad, please contact The Sports Office for more information.

28th February 2019 /

FA WSL: Performance, The WPS & The Sports Office

The FA Women’s Super League (FA WSL):

The Sports Office provides league-wide performance management and monitoring solutions for elite sports. This includes at the highest league of Women’s Football in England, the FA Women’s Super League (FA WSL).

A centralised agreement with the FA gives each WSL club and the national team access to The Sports Office’s Athlete Management System referred to in this case as the Women’s Performance System (WPS). This provides modules for each department, including Coaching, Sports Medicine and Sports Science. Also, Recruitment, Administration, Finance and more to support the women’s professional game.

Each club has the option to further upgrade their systems to the full WPS.

A team from The Sports Office travelled to St. George’s Park to interview key FA staff involved with the women’s game. Ryan King, Head of Performance Services, Caroline White, FA Lead Physiotherapist and Pippa Bennett, Medical Lead Women’s Pathway gave their views on the WPS and the Women’s Game.

25th February 2019 /

The Sports Office New Medical Interface Preview

NEW: Medical Enhancements

The Sports Office latest system update offers a range of new features to assist all medical practitioners.

The new easy to use interface provides access to all injury data on one page allowing users to cross-reference medical notes. This provides faster processes for accessing information and adding injuries, SOAP notes and other medical data.

An all-new charting feature provides access to a number of reports and injury data for an extensive player review.

These Medical Enhancements will improve the overall workflow for all medical users of any of The Sports Office Systems.

This update will be live across all systems early March 2019.

For more information on the upcoming medical enhancements, contact The Sports Office now.

22nd February 2019 /

Video Case Study: Aberdeen FC

Aberdeen FC Academy:

Coaching, Scouting and Operations staff from Aberdeen FC explain their experiences with The Sports Office’s Athlete Management System. The Club has used the system since 2014 at Academy level and has since rolled out the system to the first team.

Director of Football Operations, Steven Gunn said, “Another key area where we have utilised The Sports Office to its full capacity is our Medical and Sports Science provision. We now have a universal platform to collate, store and share data.”

For more information on how we can assist your club, contact The Sports Office now.

6th February 2019 /

TSO CLIENTS Atlanta United ARE MLS CHAMPIONS 2018:

The Sports Office client Atlanta United FC have been crowned MLS Champions 2018.

Atlanta – who also won the Eastern Conference – secured the title with a two-nil win against Portland Timbers. The MLS club has used The Sports Office performance management system for elite football (The Soccer Squad) for two seasons. The system supports United’s First Team and Academy and helps the organisation optimise all aspects of performance and preparation.

The Sports Office Client Manager, Carl Pomfret, works closely with Atlanta United. He said: ”We congratulate Atlanta United on their Championship victory. We are incredibly proud of the support we provide them.”

Lucy Rushton, Atlanta United’s Head of Technical Recruitment and Performance Analysis said: “ The improvement in our data management has allowed us to identify patterns and trends in our performances and coaching.”

Atlanta United FC Celebrating Major League Soccer 2018 as they are crowned champions

Photo Source: Twitter

The Sports Office systems for elite football provide a range of functions to support performance management; with extensive modules for coaching, medical, conditioning, scouting and administration.

The centralised system includes features to support all departments within a professional club. Features also include video analysis, depth charts and session planning.

The Sports Office’s Soccer Squad successfully supports senior management and players through a centralised hub. It allows for enhanced communication and athlete management through the use of The Manager’s App and The Sports Office A.P.P.

11th December 2018 /

UAR Argentina Rugby Union Choose The Sports Office

Buenos Aires, Argentina:

The Sports Office are excited to announce that Argentina Rugby Union (UAR) is the latest major nation to choose our performance management system for elite rugby.

The UAR will use ‘The Rugby Squad’ system throughout their structures, including the Argentina national team ‘Los Pumas’. They are 10th in the World Rugby rankings currently and compete in the Rugby Championship. The Union’s Super Rugby team, Los Jaguares, will also use ‘The Rugby Squad’ to maximise the potential of their players.

Chris Tuson Client Manager presenting to UAR staff on The Rugby Squad

Teams in Argentina’s semi-professional and amateur competitions will also benefit from the system. High-performance rugby centres throughout the country will also be using the same platform as a centralised system.

Stuart Jones and Chris Tuson from The Sports Office Client Management team recently visited Buenos Aires to help UAR staff launch and implement the system.

Stuart Jones said: “We are delighted to welcome the UAR as a Sports Office client. Both the Argentina national team and Los Jaguares regularly compete at the highest level and we believe The Rugby Squad will provide excellent support as they strive for further success.”

Jones added: “The trip to Buenos Aires was a great success and we met with each department to help implement the system across the organisation.

“We are confident the whole of Argentinian rugby will benefit from The Rugby Squad’s many features.”

The implementation of the system within UAR structures consisted of full training days for staff in coaching, sports medicine, sports science and administration departments. Staff from the organisation’s high-performance centres also met with the Client Management team.

One element of the UAR’s use of The Rugby Squad system will be to improve scheduling. This will enable players from across a geographically large nation to attend training without timing conflicts. Improving sports medicine, sports science testing and data collection are also areas to benefit.

Los Pumas and Los Jaguares Training in Buenos Aires

Dublin, Ireland:

The Sports Office CEO, Phil Clarke and Client Managers Stephen Young and Dan Jackson recently met with Los Pumas coaching and management staff in Dublin, prior to their Autumn International against Ireland.

They met with all national team medical, coaching and performance staff including Alex Ross and Lucas Chioccarelli. The Client Managers went to ensure all Argentina player profiles were properly set up on the system. Specific injury fields and scheduling were also set up for the rest of the season.

Many elite rugby organisations throughout the world are among The Sports Office’s varied client base. These include governing bodies, teams in the SANZAR Super Rugby competition and the Australian NRL. Also, clubs in the UK’s Rugby League Super League and now in Major League Rugby over in USA.

If your organisation needs a centralised system allowing all departments to share data and information, contact The Sports Office now.

10th December 2018 /

NEW Medical Enhancements for 2019

The Sports Office has exciting developments and enhancements across the system to come for 2019, including site-wide and bespoke developments for specific clubs. The Medical module, the most powerful across the site is to go under a remodel with a brand new interface.

The new medical dashboard from The Sports Office

The new and improved medical dashboard provides easier access to current and previous medical data. This includes access to current and previous injuries, notes and other medical information.

Medics will soon see more information with fewer clicks. Faster processes for adding injuries, creating SOAP notes and accessing medical information will provide a significant improvement to the user experience.

These developments will be going LIVE in Spring 2019. The Sports Office centralised hub cohesively brings all departments together to work on one platform.

For more information on our developments and enhancements, or if you think your organisation could benefit from The Sports Office, contact us now!

7th December 2018 /

Canberra Raiders

Canberra Raiders:

The Sports Office’s Head of Client Services, Andy Gorski, recently travelled to Australia to work with leading National Rugby League club, Canberra Raiders, to deliver a full system implementation. All of the Raiders’ playing groups, including the first team, the Jersey Flegg team plus the Junior and Women’s teams have started to use The Sports Office’s ‘Rugby Squad’ platform for athlete management.

Staff from Coaching, Medicine, Sports Science and Administration departments have all received training. They are delighted with how quickly they have been able to integrate it into their daily workflows.

System Implementation:

The five-day on-site implementation was delivered at the Raider’s training facility prior to the start of the pre-season programme. Andy Gorski initially worked closely with the Coaching staff to prepare the system before players returned.

The following two days were spent with the Medical and Strength and Conditioning staff, focusing on pre-season screening and testing. Playing squads were also supported to gain access to their designated areas of the system, to view team schedules and wellbeing data.

Andy Gorski commented “This implementation and set-up for Canberra Raiders was a great success and we believe this aspect of our service is highly beneficial for our clients.

“The Club and Staff were friendly and welcoming and we’re delighted to have Canberra Raiders as one of the latest members of The Sports Office ‘club’.”

During the implementation visit, Andy Gorski also worked closely with Raider’s Performance staff Matt Ford and Wendy Bennett. This ensured all users had an account with a populated schedule and that elements including accurate GPS data points were input to prepare for future data collection.

Andy Gorski Teaching players how to use The Sports Office system

The Raider’s medical department also received support with the set up for injury surveillance, fitness testing, monitoring and screening in order to be ready for the NRL season. In addition, the bespoke medical dashboard was set up, ready for club-specific injury fields.

All dashboards and reports were configured to ensure player availability was transparent and accurate for Head of Performance, Nigel Ashley-Jones. This functionality allows sports science staff to monitor players’ physical wellness and test results.

The Raiders continued their use of the ‘Rugby Squad’ during a pre-season camp which included an intensive week of training. During this, the system allowed the staff to create the players’ daily schedule and training plans.

The Canberra pre-season programme now continues until the NRL kick-off in March 2019. The Sports Office Client Management team will continue to provide ongoing assistance with the performance management system.

The Sports Office provides online performance management systems for elite sport, which offer a range of functionality. The systems support key performance processes including athlete monitoring and training load management. In addition, the Raider’s will also be using the system to assist with injury prevention, administration, and sports analytics.

Many elite rugby organisations throughout the world are among the company’s varied client base. These include governing bodies, teams in the SANZAR Super Rugby competition, the Australian NRL and clubs in the UK’s Rugby League Super League.

If your club needs a centralised hub, allowing departments to cohesively work under one system, contact The Sports Office now!

3rd December 2018 /

Academy Directors across elite sport use The Sports Office ‘Report Engine’ for Long Term Player Development

Academy Directors from a range of elite sports clubs have highlighted The Sports Office ‘Report Engine’ as an invaluable tool for optimising long-term player development.

The ‘Report Engine’ is a core element of The Sports Office performance management systems for elite sport. The functionality has the power and capacity to deliver fully customisable and automated reports to staff, players and other key personnel.

Users can create and share individual player or automated team reports, using a range of performance data. The reports can track on-field and training performance, injuries and wellbeing.

Emma Flett, Aberdeen FC’s Senior Football Operations Coordinator, commented: “Player and parent engagement has improved as coaches’ reports can be tracked and analysed.

“Prior to the adoption of The Sports Office, much of the reporting on players’ performance was verbal, which was difficult to monitor and review with players at later dates.”

She continued, “The ease of use of the system has allowed the club to develop and progress its Academy functions. It has been invaluable since its introduction in 2013.”

The Sports Office Report Engine Player Performance Report on a MacBook

The ‘Report Engine’ has key benefits for everyone within an elite football organisation. Transparency and feedback can be provided at all levels including federations, players and parents.

In addition to their success within Scotland, The Sports Office also work to support the FA’s The Long-term player development strategy. A strategy which emphasises the importance of accurate performance data and applied knowledge for player development.

The ‘Report Engine’ can also present data in an accessible format. This makes it easier to apply and take effective evidence-based decisions.

If you feel your organisation would benefit from a centralised hub which cohesively brings together all elements of performance workflow into one system, contacts The Sports Office now.

19th November 2018 /