Thursday, 28th March – St. Mirren Football Club is proud to announce a new partnership with Podium Analytics to implement their free player management and injury reporting app, SportSmart. The programme will be introduced across the St Mirren Women and Girls Academy, putting player welfare at the heart of their decision-making, with the ultimate goal to help better manage each player’s journey through football.

With SportSmart, St. Mirren Academy will have access to insight that will enable coaches and players to make data-driven decisions that will help to improve individual player performance, enhance overall team management and deliver greater duty of care over the long term.

SportSmart has been developed by Podium Analytics to support the on-the-ground needs of sports coaches. The tool enables coaches and support staff to monitor and manage the welfare of each participant, ensuring a holistic approach to player development.

The club is excited about the new possibilities that SportSmart brings to their training sessions and match preparations. By leveraging this innovative technology, St. Mirren Women and Girls Academy aims to elevate their game and achieve greater success on the pitch.

Kate Cooper, Head Coach, St. Mirren Women and Girls, said: “It’s a phenomenal opportunity for us to be connected to SportSmart. From my experience in football, one of the challenges we have is keeping women and girls playing football due to injury and it’s a key area that’s under-funded and under-researched in the female game.

"SportSmart is a revelation; it will change the way we approach training, matches and player development. It’s a player and injury management tool that is under one roof, in one app, that can help us manage everything we could possibly need when looking after our players! We have been waiting a long time for something like this and are super grateful to SportSmart and Podium Analytics”.

Stephen Jones, COO, SportSmart, added: “It is great for us all at SportSmart and Podium to have our first professional football club come on board and for them to be focused entirely on the women and girls’ game just goes to show the importance that is being placed on female athletes.

"It’s a really exciting time for us to be working with St. Mirren and we are looking forward to what the future holds for the club.”

ENDS

MEDIA CONTACTS

Lucy Humble, Head of Communications, Podium Analytics –lucy.humble@podiumanalytics.org

ABOUT PODIUM ANALYTICS

Podium Analytics is an NGO, registered as a charity (England, Wales and Scotland) with a vision to create a world with more sport and less injury. Founded by Sir Ron Dennis CBE, its mission is to significantly reduce the incidence and impact of sports injury, with a focus on youth and grassroots sport. Podium’s team is made up of hand-picked specialists with proven expertise in business, academia, science, technology and sport, who share in a sense of responsibility for shaping a safer legacy for sport.

SportSmart is the free schools and clubs programme from Podium Analytics, which has been developed to support the on-the-ground needs of PE teachers and sports coaches. The programme includes tools, educational information and insights to prevent, monitor and manage injury – all while driving greater understanding of grassroots sport and trialling new protocols in the real world. Register to find out more at https://bit.ly/SportSmartreg

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