Newington College Football and Rugby has moved into a new phase of performance development with the acquisition of GPS fitness testing equipment which can be used to ascertain a number of metrics, separated into two distinct categories, Volume which entails Distance covered, Total Sprint distance, power plays, energy and impacts and the other category, Intensity which measures top speed, distance per minute, power score, work ratio and player load. The players wear a vest with a pod which calculates all these parameters, whether it is a training session or a match.

We have been utilising the new system for the past two weeks and already the boys are now more cognisant of the importance of improving overall fitness to raise their levels to new norms. The various statistics, when used over a consistent period of time do establish strengths and weaknesses for players and coaches alike to harness and prioritise.

From a health perspective, the new initiative highlights the positive effect on the boys’ health as they come to appreciate that lifestyle adaptations also contribute significantly to improving each and every metric. For boys who wish to build towards playing sport at a competitive level after Newington, the ability of the system to benchmark their performance against the best current practice is hugely informative.

The new tool is an important “step” in assisting our students in establishing new progressive benchmarks. It has already been highly motivational for the boys and as in academic life, as in sport, the new product illustrates comparative levels and acts as a “check and balance” for each boy, each week.

Brian McCarthy
Director of Football