Cooperation Forwardsports.tech and NBB National Women’s Team

Last week the Dutch Women’s National Basketball Team played two games in the bubble in Amsterdam. Forwardsports.tech was present to track the players individually with Local Position Measurement technology, in order to support the program with actual performance data.

Should the world have looked in a normal way, without any effect of COVID-19, the National team of The Netherlands would have been on the road towards Slovakia and Hungary for two qualifiers for FIBA Women’s Eurobasket 2021. With the COVID-19 pandemic in place however, the two games took place in a bubble in Amsterdam, giving both NBB and Forwardsports.tech the possibility to extend their mutual project called ‘The Perfect Load’ within the bubble.

In July 2020 both parties agreed to start this project in search of confirmation of the RPE data the Federation already used in the talent program. RPE data was and is a good tool to track load and prevent injuries, but a more objective dataset was requested. The cooperation and the data where of such an importance to National Team Coach Hakim Salem that a broader scope in Dutch Women’s Basketball was decided upon.

With partners NOC*NSF and Topsport Amsterdam a daily training program was put together in chase of the ultimate… Qualifying for the 2020 Olympics 3×3 basketball in Tokyo. Forwardsports.tech facilitates tracking the individual athletes with its Local Positioning Measurement equipment. Data such as heart rate, physical load, speed, explosiveness and change of direction are measured on a daily basis, giving Headcoach Salem an insight in how the players perform and develop. In search of both qualifying for the 3X3 Olympic tournament and 5V5 European Championship this development is put against the international benchmark in order to see where both programs still need to improve. Given the opportunity of the bubble in Amsterdam both parties decided to extend the cooperation to the 5V5 program, in search of data and ultimate performances during qualifying for Women’s Eurobasket 2021 in Spain and France.

“The data of The Perfect Load program of Forwardsports.tech gives me a day to day insight in individual load during practices, meaning we have an actual, data-driven, input on the periodization in the program. Effects of drills, as well as combinations of drills, on load are known, which helps me put my practices together. Specified per individual athlete”, says coach Salem.

All data is shown in the basketball-dashboard, specifically designed to deliver the performance data to the coaching staff, straight after stepping off the court. The Netherlands is still pursuing its first presence at the European end-tournament since 1989, and has everything in hand to qualify. The first game in the bubble against Slovakia was lost, but a great bounce-back game against Hungary put The Netherlands back on top in Group H. Winning the final game against Slovakia in February will make the European Championship dream come true. Forwardsports.tech will continue to deliver the service and data to the program to add its share to that dream.