USC football strength and conditioning coach Ivan Lewis met with the media during Friday’s practice. The reason? To discuss a new piece of technology the Trojans have implemented.
The system is called Catapult. It’s a GPS monitoring unit that fits on a vest underneath the players' shoulder pads, relaying important information to coaches and training staff members.
Whats the reason behind partnering with Catapult USA?
Ivan Lewis: “Basically its about working harder and smarter. Gathering as much information as possible on our players to really prevent soft tissue injuries. We’re looking at a variety of elements here, about ten different variables, a couple notable ones kind of the high intensity accelerations versus decelerations. Looking at the total yards these guys are doing, out of those total yards, how many times are guys going really fast. And through that data that we’re collecting, we can help the position coaches, help myself and help Coach Sark get a better vibe and feel of this team. At the end of the day, we’re really trying to prevent things before they happen. Which, a lot of times with soft tissue injuries, the majority of the time it happens when guys are tired, dehydrated and that’s what it is. We’re trying to prevent those soft tissue injuries from occurring.”
Is the staff monitoring data in real time?
IL: “The sports performance team that’s worked with me is a guy named John Meyer who’s been a PT (physical therapist) here for quite a while. Russ Romano was involved, the athletic trainer and then Danny van Dijk, he’s an assistant strength coach of mine and he’s heading up our catapult training. So the four of us meet everyday and then we get that data to the coaches and Coach Sark everyday as well.”
When did USC start using Catapult?
IL: “We started during bowl practice last year. I had been in communication with Catapult the last couple of years and it’s always been something we’ve been really wanting to do and we’ve just been able to do it here. Pat Haden is 100-percent behind it, Mark Jackson, so we feel really good about it and how we’re going to implement it. Again, it’s something that we’re in the starting phases of using it. but we’ve got all the confidence in the world that we’ll be the top, one of the best at using this data in the country, for sure.”
Will other sports at USC use Catapult?
IL: “We will be utilizing it with other sports, especially we’ll looking at soccer eventually, even from volleyball to sand volleyball. So we’ll be implementing it all and try to do as many sports as we can. Right now, we’re doing football only.”
What specific readings does it give you?
IL: “We’re getting an amount of total yards these guys run. You take a player like JuJu Smith for example, we’re looking at about ten different variables, a couple of ones I’ve talked about. Total yards, we’re seeing how many yards does he run at practice. It could be from 900 to a thousand or whatever it is. Then we can look at those yards and say, okay, how many of those yards is he going over sixty miles an hour. How many of those yards does he get and go. That’s what we want to know.”
What are other specifics on data?
IL: “We tested our forties this year wearing a catapult. So if he’s running a 4.4 forty, I can tell exactly how fast he’s going with that GPS monitor on his back. So now we can take that data and we can put it on the field and we can and see how many times is he reaching those velocities. The other good thing is too is that when guys return to competition and when guys get injured, through the data we have, we can also help the guys get back. So we can see with a certain number of drills we have, if a guy did it last year and he was hurt last and then we do the same drill with him this year, I can see the readings and see, you know what, he’s actually just as good as he was last year or he’s still lagging a little bit and we have to get back in the weight room or training room so we can figure out how we can get him back to reading those same numbers.”
How many players are using Catapult?
IL: “We have sixty total units”
Who determined the list of players that will use it?
IL: “Coach Sark’s determination and myself and our sports performance team really did. But you’re looking at a lot of the skill guys, guys who are doing a lot of volume running. But the big guys are just as important because they’re doing more of the collisoions and it’s going to read how hard those yards are. So it’s really interesting information. Again, it’s in the development phase and we’re excited to use it.”
How does it monitor collisions?
IL: “Well anytime a running back gets hit or the two O-line, D-line hit, that little GPS unit right there registers a shock, which is what we call a collision. We look at the high, high collisions because anything could count as a collision. i could bump into you and it’s going to read as a collision. So we look at the high intensity collisions. So that’s going to help us, especially with the big guys, its going to help us see how many of those they’re really taking and whats the impact on their body.”
Is Catapult common in the NFL?
IL: “A lot of teams are using them and we’re trying to be one of the best.”
How does it help during games in the season?
IL: “We can’t do anything live in the games but we can collect the data from the game (afterward).”
How durable is the catapult unit?
IL: “They’re pretty durable. They fit right there on the guys back so they don’t even feel them. So right there on their backs, the pads are on so they don’t feel them a bit.”
How big is it?
IL: “It’s not big at all.”
Was there a learning curve with the new technology?
IL: “I think there’s always a learning curve with anything we do. It’s still in the implement phase of it and we’re just going to keep getting better and better. So it’s not something that we’re going to look at as, hey, we’re just collecting data. I want to be able to use it immediately. So that’s what we’re doing. So from this time next year, I’ll be able to tell you a bunch more cool stuff. it’s always something we’re going to get better at, no matter if it’s the GPS units, the strength and conditioning, the athletic training, whatever it is. It’s always a learning curve.”
How much do people run in a football practice?
IL: “You never really know, you can run 2,000, it depends on the position, it depends on the the kid and how much he’s being used that day. All of it is kind of relative.”
Who are the fastest players on the team?
IL: “I can tell you on the team, Kevon Seymour is pretty fast. Kevon, Su’a (Cravens) Adoree’ (Jackson), JuJu (Smith), we have really fast skill positions.”
Does it help with concussions?
IL: “Yeah it really does, it’s just another piece of the puzzle. If we’re kind of concerned on hey is this guy showing symptoms of concussions, you can also look at that data from practice and be like, you know what, his numbers are really high from that collision. So you can immediately say, look this is telling us something, what he’s telling you is telling us something. So chances are, he’s probably got one.”
Could you put them in the helmets?
IL: “I don’t think we’re going to have them in the helmets. I think there’s other technology for that and a lot of stuff out there but we’re not concerned about it. I think Coach Russ has all that going with the concussion research."
The system is called Catapult. It’s a GPS monitoring unit that fits on a vest underneath the players' shoulder pads, relaying important information to coaches and training staff members.
Whats the reason behind partnering with Catapult USA?
Ivan Lewis: “Basically its about working harder and smarter. Gathering as much information as possible on our players to really prevent soft tissue injuries. We’re looking at a variety of elements here, about ten different variables, a couple notable ones kind of the high intensity accelerations versus decelerations. Looking at the total yards these guys are doing, out of those total yards, how many times are guys going really fast. And through that data that we’re collecting, we can help the position coaches, help myself and help Coach Sark get a better vibe and feel of this team. At the end of the day, we’re really trying to prevent things before they happen. Which, a lot of times with soft tissue injuries, the majority of the time it happens when guys are tired, dehydrated and that’s what it is. We’re trying to prevent those soft tissue injuries from occurring.”
Is the staff monitoring data in real time?
IL: “The sports performance team that’s worked with me is a guy named John Meyer who’s been a PT (physical therapist) here for quite a while. Russ Romano was involved, the athletic trainer and then Danny van Dijk, he’s an assistant strength coach of mine and he’s heading up our catapult training. So the four of us meet everyday and then we get that data to the coaches and Coach Sark everyday as well.”
When did USC start using Catapult?
IL: “We started during bowl practice last year. I had been in communication with Catapult the last couple of years and it’s always been something we’ve been really wanting to do and we’ve just been able to do it here. Pat Haden is 100-percent behind it, Mark Jackson, so we feel really good about it and how we’re going to implement it. Again, it’s something that we’re in the starting phases of using it. but we’ve got all the confidence in the world that we’ll be the top, one of the best at using this data in the country, for sure.”
Will other sports at USC use Catapult?
IL: “We will be utilizing it with other sports, especially we’ll looking at soccer eventually, even from volleyball to sand volleyball. So we’ll be implementing it all and try to do as many sports as we can. Right now, we’re doing football only.”
What specific readings does it give you?
IL: “We’re getting an amount of total yards these guys run. You take a player like JuJu Smith for example, we’re looking at about ten different variables, a couple of ones I’ve talked about. Total yards, we’re seeing how many yards does he run at practice. It could be from 900 to a thousand or whatever it is. Then we can look at those yards and say, okay, how many of those yards is he going over sixty miles an hour. How many of those yards does he get and go. That’s what we want to know.”
What are other specifics on data?
IL: “We tested our forties this year wearing a catapult. So if he’s running a 4.4 forty, I can tell exactly how fast he’s going with that GPS monitor on his back. So now we can take that data and we can put it on the field and we can and see how many times is he reaching those velocities. The other good thing is too is that when guys return to competition and when guys get injured, through the data we have, we can also help the guys get back. So we can see with a certain number of drills we have, if a guy did it last year and he was hurt last and then we do the same drill with him this year, I can see the readings and see, you know what, he’s actually just as good as he was last year or he’s still lagging a little bit and we have to get back in the weight room or training room so we can figure out how we can get him back to reading those same numbers.”
How many players are using Catapult?
IL: “We have sixty total units”
Who determined the list of players that will use it?
IL: “Coach Sark’s determination and myself and our sports performance team really did. But you’re looking at a lot of the skill guys, guys who are doing a lot of volume running. But the big guys are just as important because they’re doing more of the collisoions and it’s going to read how hard those yards are. So it’s really interesting information. Again, it’s in the development phase and we’re excited to use it.”
How does it monitor collisions?
IL: “Well anytime a running back gets hit or the two O-line, D-line hit, that little GPS unit right there registers a shock, which is what we call a collision. We look at the high, high collisions because anything could count as a collision. i could bump into you and it’s going to read as a collision. So we look at the high intensity collisions. So that’s going to help us, especially with the big guys, its going to help us see how many of those they’re really taking and whats the impact on their body.”
Is Catapult common in the NFL?
IL: “A lot of teams are using them and we’re trying to be one of the best.”
How does it help during games in the season?
IL: “We can’t do anything live in the games but we can collect the data from the game (afterward).”
How durable is the catapult unit?
IL: “They’re pretty durable. They fit right there on the guys back so they don’t even feel them. So right there on their backs, the pads are on so they don’t feel them a bit.”
How big is it?
IL: “It’s not big at all.”
Was there a learning curve with the new technology?
IL: “I think there’s always a learning curve with anything we do. It’s still in the implement phase of it and we’re just going to keep getting better and better. So it’s not something that we’re going to look at as, hey, we’re just collecting data. I want to be able to use it immediately. So that’s what we’re doing. So from this time next year, I’ll be able to tell you a bunch more cool stuff. it’s always something we’re going to get better at, no matter if it’s the GPS units, the strength and conditioning, the athletic training, whatever it is. It’s always a learning curve.”
How much do people run in a football practice?
IL: “You never really know, you can run 2,000, it depends on the position, it depends on the the kid and how much he’s being used that day. All of it is kind of relative.”
Who are the fastest players on the team?
IL: “I can tell you on the team, Kevon Seymour is pretty fast. Kevon, Su’a (Cravens) Adoree’ (Jackson), JuJu (Smith), we have really fast skill positions.”
Does it help with concussions?
IL: “Yeah it really does, it’s just another piece of the puzzle. If we’re kind of concerned on hey is this guy showing symptoms of concussions, you can also look at that data from practice and be like, you know what, his numbers are really high from that collision. So you can immediately say, look this is telling us something, what he’s telling you is telling us something. So chances are, he’s probably got one.”
Could you put them in the helmets?
IL: “I don’t think we’re going to have them in the helmets. I think there’s other technology for that and a lot of stuff out there but we’re not concerned about it. I think Coach Russ has all that going with the concussion research."
