technology, participation and coaching

Technology is central to our daily lives

And while the most popular forms of technology are still used most frequently for non-sport/physical activity purposes...Most common activities in the UK on a mobile phone, tablet or PC/laptop (%)4

Growth in health and fitness apps and wearable technology suggests increasing numbers of people may be using technology in their sporting and active lifestyles.

UK adults owning wearable technology5

6.7 million

13.7 million

54%76%78% 61%of adults in the UK now own a smartphone2

of adults access the Internet every day or almost every day1

86%of households have Internet access1

of adults use social networking (79% of them do so every day or almost every day)1

of UK households have a tablet3

Browsing the Internet Using search engines Researching products/services

Purchasing products Using applications

93 85 82 81Watching videos/TV

Streaming/downloading video/TV

Using maps/navigators

49 44 47Accessing social network sites

60 23

Only

17%Managing health

and fitness

2014 6%2015 13%

General app

Health and fitness app

33%62%

2014Health and fitness apps were the fastest growing app category6

App usage growth

Upto

£375mhas been spent to date on health and fitness apps, smartwatches, running

bands and other similar devices7

18 millionpaid coaching hours

This is equivalent to at least

TECHNOLOGY,PARTICIPATIONAND COACHING

Research provided by:

But who are these people?Data is limited, but what exists shows:

75%

of smartwatch owners in 2014 were male, 25% female5

Fitness bands were more evenly owned – 51% male, 49% female5

Data on health and fitness app usage suggests women are the dominant users. Flurry data identified a demographic of ‘fitness fanatics’ driving the growth of health and fitness apps.

The profile of ‘fitness fanatics’ is:

62% female, aged 25–54, sports fans leading healthy lifestyles and likely to have children (Flurry Analytics).



1Office for National Statistics, 2Deloitte, 3Ofcom, 4Statista, 5YouGov, 6Google, 7Kantar



The increasing availability of technology – hardware (wearables, smartphones etc) and software (apps etc) – that can be used in sport and physical activity has given participants the opportunity to engage with ‘new’ forms of coaching technologies:Remote Coaching Technologies

Receiving long-distance coaching via electronic or online mediums (McQuade, Davis and Nash, 2015)8, targeted to improve learning and performance, including discussion and increasing awareness of individual technique, applied understanding and achievement of goals.

Self-directed Coaching Technologies

Informal learning used to support an individual in personal development (Nelson, Cushion and Potrac, 2006)9 within sport participation and performance. Technologies may include, but are not limited to, a mobile application, wearable technology or online platforms (YouTube etc) that support self-awareness, planning, analysis and reflection.

Is technology broadening our

definition of coaching?

8 McQuade, S., Davis, L. and Nash, C. (2015) ‘Positioning Mentoring as a Coach Development Tool: Recommendations for Future Practice and Research’, Quest, 67 (3): 317–329.9 Nelson, L., Cushion, C. and Potrac, P. (2006) ‘Formal, Nonformal and Informal Coach Learning: A Holistic Conceptualisation’, International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching, 1 (3): 247–260.



What we know

Research into these emerging coaching technologies is very limited. However, a study by Akker et al (2014)10 identified seven key concepts for a smartphone to engage and support sport participation and performance:

1) Inter-human interaction – If the app included interaction with professionals or peers

2) User targeting – If the app incorporated personalised details; for example, using the name of the user and recognising their birthday

3) Goal setting – If the app incorporated and set specific and achievable goals

4) Context awareness – If the app tailored the programme based on participants’ response or performance to date

5) Adaptation – If the app tailored specific messages to individuals based on demographic information initially provided

6) Self-learning – If the app structured programmes based on the recorded progress of the performer over time

7) Feedback – If the app presented individuals with information about themselves.

Self-directed coaching

A search of the top 100 health and fitness apps on both the App Store and Google Play, comparing the purpose, objectives and descriptions of the apps with Akker et al’s seven key concepts, found that 39% of the apps on Google Play and 38% on the App Store fit the definition of self-directed coaching.

The 61% that did not meet the definition for self-directed coaching included sleep trackers, diet trackers and health apps.

The top 10 self-directed coaching/health and fitness apps by download on the Google Play store are below, including details of how many of Akker et al’s seven key concepts they include:

STRAVA 5–10 million downloads 6 out of 7 key concepts

Freeletics Bodyweight 1–5 million downloads 5 out of 7 key concepts

Endomondo – Running & Walking 10–50 million downloads 5 out of 7 key concepts

RunKeeper – GPS Track Run Walk 10–50 million downloads 5 out of 7 key concepts

Run with Map My Run 5–10 million downloads 6 out of 7 key concepts

StrongLifts 5x5 Workout 100,000–500,000 downloads 4 out of 7 key concepts

Workout Trainer 10–50 million downloads 5 out of 7 key concepts

Runtastic PRO Running & Fitness 1–5 million downloads 6 out of 7 key concepts

Map My Ride GPS Cycling Riding 1–5 million downloads 4 out of 7 key concepts

Daily Yoga – Fitness On the Go 1–5 million downloads 3 out of 7 key concepts.

Remote coaching

Remote coaching could include live online coaching sessions with a coach (using Skype, for example) or recording yourself undertaking specific techniques, sending the video to a coach and awaiting feedback from them (for example, on a video call or in an email).

10 Akker, H.O.D., Jones, V.M. and Hermens, H.J. (2014) ‘Tailoring Real-time Physical Activity Coaching Systems: A Literature Survey and Model’, User Model User-Adapted Interaction, 24: 351–392.



Two key remote coaching apps include:

Hudl (formerly Ubersense) 1–5 million downloads

Allows an individual or group to study video they have uploaded or capture a video using a device, analyse data and view athletes’ activity. Hudl is advertised to benefit and be used by both coaches and athletes.

Coach’s Eye 500,000–1 million downloads

A video platform advertised for both coaches and athletes to review athlete technique, performance and competition. Offers instant replay facility and the ability to share videos securely over devices.

YouTube

Another key technological platform offering new forms of coaching, which encompass elements of both remote and self-coaching (but mainly the latter), is YouTube. Accessible on a range of devices including smartphones, tablets and laptops, many YouTube

channels provide coaching for sport and physical activity.

Examples of some sport-specific channels which provide coaching advice, and the number of subscribers they currently have, are given below:

• F2Freestylers – Ultimate Soccer Skills Channel – 2,665,217 (football)

• SkillTwins Tutorials Gameskills Freestyle – 1,736,396 (football)

• STRskillSchool – 1,214,766 (football)

• Meandmygolf – 208,360 (golf)

• AskGolfGuru – 170,415 (golf)

• Essential Tennis – Lessons and Instruction for Passionate Players – 61,924 (tennis)

• Online Tennis Instruction with Florian Meier – 34,357 (tennis).

Aside from possibly the football channels, the subscriber figures for sport-specific channels are dwarfed by figures for channels which provide physical activity (fitness training) coaching.

A number of fitness/workout channels exceed one million subscribers:

• Six Pack Shortcuts – 3,735,670

• BeFiT – 2,020,838

• FitnessBlender – 2,767,119

• Blogilates – 2,789,967

• Strength Camp – 1,497,559

• XHIT Daily – 1,972,595

• The Hodgetwins – 1,047,824.

Are these new coaching technologies for everyone?

While almost all the technologies above are free for everybody to access, the sport-specific nature of many and the Flurry Analytics data profiling ‘fitness fanatics’ suggests users of these new coaching technologies are more likely to be sports fans who are potentially already active.

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h’s

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STRAVA’s Vice-President (Marketing) Gareth Nettleton suggested something similar in a recent interview with Sports Management magazine.

‘ We’re not about getting anyone to their first 5k, or getting them off the couch – there are others aiming at that market. We’re more about enhancing the experience for the guys who are really into their cycling and running.’

(www.sportsmanagement.co.uk/pdf/SM_issue4_2015.pdf)

This raises the question: are there other technologies available for those who may not like sport and who may not already be active?

The answer is yes. Below are some examples of apps aimed at the ‘beginner’ market, including the number of downloads and how many of Akker et al’s seven key concepts they hit:

C25K 100,000–500,000 6 out of 7 key concepts

C25K is the easiest programme to get beginners from couch potatoes to 5K distance runners in eight weeks. Over five million people did it! Tailored for first-time runners.

Pact: Earn Cash for Exercising 100,000–500,000 3 out of 7 key concepts

Commit – Make a weekly pact to exercise more or eat healthier. Set what you’ll pay other Pact members if you don’t reach it.

Meet Your Goals – Use the Pact app to track your progress. Reap the rewards and earn real cash for living healthily, paid by the members who don’t!

Zombies, Run! 100,000–500,000 2 out of 7 key concepts

Zombies, Run! is an ultra-immersive running game and audio adventure. Walk, jog or run anywhere in the world. Hear your mission and music through your headphones. If you’re chased by zombies, you’ll have to speed up! You’ll automatically collect supplies to build up your base.

What’s next?

This report uses market data to add detail to the ongoing and very broad coaching and technology debate.

Our understanding of this area will be further enhanced by the second stage of this research. It will set out evidence gathered from a survey of almost 600 participants and 35 in-depth interviews, plus market leader insight.

The research is the first of its kind for coaching and will help us understand much more about this fast-emerging and critically important area, including how people are using coaching technologies, how they impact on participant behaviours, and how their use differs for different participant groups.

Keep an eye on our website and Twitter feed over the coming months for the full research report.

@researchub

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