TIME MODE – Hotspot club / XL / PRO

In Time mode we firstly set the amount of time that we will be working for.  For example we may have a drill that requires an athlete to work for 20 seconds.  During this time the Hotspot is open to triggers from the spots and will record a “hit” every time a spot is activated.  In time mode the score at the end is simply the number of spots hit during the pre set time frame.

Time mode has a number of real world applications.  If you can imagine a “Zig Zag” pattern consisting of 4 spots.  The athlete has to move in this pattern touching each of the spots with his/her foot forwards and then backwards.  This pattern is then repeated for the set time.  The use of Time mode will increase the intensity and effort level of the athlete whilst forcing good body control, precise footwork and a rhythmic, fluid movement ability.   The score at the end of the activity will reflect the athlete’s ability in these areas.  Time mode allows up to 95 seconds, in increments of 5 and can really pressure all energy systems.

COUNT MODE – All Hotspot Systems

Count mode is essentially the opposite to Time mode where the system is configured to accurately time a set number of triggers.  In Count mode we set the number of spots required to be hit in the activity.  In the above example we could use a count of 4 (just the forward pattern) or 8 to include the backward pattern also.  We could set it to 16 for two repetitions of the forward and backward patterns, get the idea?  The result is a Time value, accurate to 100th of a second.  Obviously in this mode it is more discriminatory and can provide indications of marginal improvement (key for elite athletes) and also between groups i.e. in talent detection.  For athletes to achieve the fastest time’s certain movement techniques, fatigue levels etc will impact the time.  There are a variety of uses for this mode.

Split Time Mode – XL and PRO only

Split time mode is an extension of Count mode where each received trigger splits the running time.  To explain further if the count is set to 2 then there will be two time’s in the display cycle post activity.  The first time will be from the start of timing to the 1st received trigger and the 2nd time will be the total time for the activity.

Split timing can be used to look at movement to the left and the right, fluidity of movement i.e. if the splits are equal in difference then there is a a rhythmic component to the athletes movement.   Another use of split timing is to run a repeat of an activity touch a spot after each set.  Let’s say we are doing set’s of 5 medicine ball squat jumps.  After each set the athlete touches a trigger point.  After say 3 sets of this the hotspot will have 3 times.  With a bit of simple mathematics we can determine how much the athlete has fatigued over the course of the drill.  This would be useful in telling us whether the athlete starts strongly and finishes poorly or is pretty consistent throughout.

SUMMARY

So there are 3 timing modes on the hotspot system’s that can be used in a variety of ways.  In all cases the athletes get immediate performance feedback and are externally motivated to give 110% to the activity.  Like anything where there is improvement to be made and one can see that it is possible an athlete will strive to beat times/scores and may even be inclined to practice outside of formal training.  Athletes will begin to own their training, effort and performance becoming more aware of themselves.   This is essential to reaching potential and fulfilling dreams!

Remember…MAKE IT COUNT!

Mike

The background to this is the fundamental core of Games Education as a company – the one thing that led Mike and I to set it up. Not making huge sums of money (although maybe one day it would be nice to pay off all the loans!) but the strong belief and desire that every child playing sport and exercise should be able to use techniques and equipment similar to the professionals…

..why should only a very privileged few have access to such things…BECAUSE all the technology is too expensive and alas there aren’t many coaches out there like Mike who are passionate enough about coaching to try new things, to replicate the training of elite players and bring that coaching to the young players. I say this not as Mike’s business partner and friend but as the father on one of his protégés in tennis, my son Angus. It was hearing Mike say before a Sunday session that he had been looking at Nadal and Federer on You Tube the night before and was trying some of their drills with my son that stood out for me as a parent. That’s creative coaching and not confined by rigid guidelines of governing bodies. And the technology bit? Use scientific nowse, start from the very beginning and create a piece of technology that can be bought by the very entry point of sport and exercise. And so we created the HotSpot. And that’s accessible technology for sport and fitness. By definition.

Okay so where’s all this going….my concern is this. Why can’t we harbour the knowledge and passion that Mike and I have for sports coaching and combine it with tools and technology that are affordable and fun for children? You can I hear you say! Well we’d like to think so too, but we’ve faced an uphill battle with PCTs for obesity and schools for inclusion trying to convince them that by introducing healthy competition, by making sport and exercise fun and enjoyable, you will get more kids being active, having fun and ultimately all getting something out of it. My favourite expression that I have coined about this is it’s not about inter-competition but intra-competition. (Alas I guess this message my be lost on some audiences!) What I mean is we don’t want James to be better than John we want James to be better than James before! Why not get some times and scores and get some motivation. I work with children all day every day and they love competition! Everything is competition – but it’s about making that competition fun and using it to help each individual themselves. With me so far?!

So all the non believers that getting competition into schools and young people’s lives is a good thing, take note of the next bit. And the reason for me writing now…

I spent a very humbling afternoon yesterday with the group I mentioned at the beginning. I was asked by my friend and colleague from our football team if I knew who could help with his after school session that afternoon as the organisation (who I’d better leave nameless!) who had been booked to run the session had cancelled literally hours before. So in for a penny in for a pound I said I’d run a session. Having rushed down the motorway back home, out of a playground, some cones, footballs, ladders and a little goal I created an agility course for the ten or so kids assembled. Needless to say HotSpot was integral to mark out the way points and give me some scores. Urban Agility and Football had been born! Okay don’t want to labour the point but an hour later and two runs of the course, the header challenge and a crazy playground cross bar challenge later we had kept 10 kids very entertained and given it was around -3degrees, warm and entertained. Quick certificate giving for all and off they went.

Okay no need to feel smug but it really taught me something – most kids whatever their background can be entertained, helped and encouraged by good people skills, knowledge and fun and can get a lot from sport and exercise. That by having a little competition everyone got more from it. And that the most able and the least able all competed on the same level and all achieved.

And that’s what I want all those involved in sport and physical education who might doubt the fact that competition is good and healthy and right if conducted in a sensible manner to take on board.

If there’s still some non believers then this is the email I received today and I have entered it word for word…..

Nothing more to say huh but happy times and let’s give the kids what they deserve.