Sport Science Agency is thrilled to introduce Andrew Miller as the newest addition to the team, taking on the role of Communications and Content Lead. With nearly a decade of invaluable experience in strategic marketing and communications, Andrew's arrival marks a significant milestone for SSA as we navigate an exciting period of growth and expansion in 2024 and beyond.
New moves by the Premier League to remove betting firms as front of shirt sponsors have gained significant headlines in recent days.
Since the announcement, sports business experts have speculated about the consequences of this decision. Limiting the sponsorship options for one of the industry’s major partnership categories is likely to have a significant impact.
Preparations for France’s World Cup final appearance vs Argentina have been seemingly hit by an outbreak of illness amongst the squad. Prior to their semi-final, reports started to emerge that players were unwell. Dayot Upamecano and Adrien Rabiot missed the 2-0 victory over Morocco with the France Football Federation (FFF) confirming the reason both players were absent was due to illness.
Concussion and brain trauma are emotive subjects in sport. As research continues to uncover the problems that traumatic brain injuries seem to have, discussions about safety and the long-term health of players will only intensify. In the USA, as early as 1906 doctors were publishing papers highlighting the dangers of concussion linked to playing American Football.
British Athlete Dina Asher-Smith has called for more research into the effect of periods on female athletes. The 2019 World 200m champion made the statement following pulling up in the European Athletics Championship final because of cramping calves. She attributed the cramps to “girls stuff” linking the incident to her menstrual cycle.
Concussion is an issue for athletes in many sports. In a recent blog, we highlighted the higher relative risk of concussion amongst female athletes compared to their male counterparts. In this follow-up blog, we will take a deeper look at some of the proposed reasons women are at a higher risk and what the stakeholders in women's sport can do to help as part of their sponsorship or partnership mix.
Riders performances, like in any sport, consists of a number of interdependent factors. Cycling at its professional level contains some of the most elite endurance athletes in the world. To achieve this level takes enormous dedication, going through years of training to develop the endurance adaptations needed to compete within the professional peloton.
In just under a month, England will host the 2022 UEFA Women’s European Championships. The event will draw the best players from across the continent and is set to break records in terms of both live attendance and TV viewership. Reigning Champions Netherlands, currently ranked 5th in the world, will seek to defend their title against the historic powerhouse of European football, Germany (ranked 4th) and the number 2 and 3 ranked nations Sweden and France respectively.
Technology has permeated sport in numerous ways. With the global popularity of football, it should come as no surprise that in many instances, the game is at the forefront of technological innovation. In this clip, from the BBC’s technology show, BBC Click Manchester-based VR company Rezzil’s player22 technology is the focus of attention.
As for so many, 2021 was another Covid-19 affected year for Sport Science Agency and its staff. In the UK, crowds were absent from major sporting fixtures until May. Even after they returned numbers remained restricted. As the year progressed, however, restrictions were gradually removed and for many, a welcome return of events and full capacity stadia brought the sports industry surging back to life.
The issue of fixture congestion and player welfare, perhaps predictably, came back to the fore recently as it seems to at this time every year. Multiple managers, and most notably Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, have spoken out about the demands on players during the festive period. The usual debates surrounding fatigue, recovery, and injury have now been heightened by squad depletion that has hit many teams due to Covid-19.
Recent comments from Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has given player welfare a greater spotlight. Fixture congestion, injury, illness and obviously Covid-19 make his comments difficult to ignore.
Take a look at the video below to see SSA’s Dr Tom Brownlee discussing the matter with the BBC’s Olly Foster on Sports Day.
The signing, by Manchester United, of Cristiano Ronaldo, created considerable media coverage. The nature of the transfer, with the Red Devils seemingly snatching him from under the noses of cross-city rivals Manchester City only heightened the intrigue. In modern football, signing a player with a global reach and appeal such as Ronaldo heightens any club’s commercial opportunities. Ronaldo is the most followed person on Instagram meaning club partners are set to benefit from increased exposure and value across numerous metrics.
As restrictions associated with the Covid-19 pandemic ease further in the UK, football fans will once again be allowed into stadiums for the final few games of the season. The new regulations, announced by the government, will see only home fans allowed to attend and limits of up to either 25% capacity of the stadium or 10,000 people, whichever is the smaller.
Concussion and brain trauma are emotive subjects in sport. As research continues to uncover the impact that traumatic head injuries have, discussions about safety and the long term health of players will only get louder. In the USA, as early as 1906 doctors were publishing papers highlighting the dangers of concussion linked to playing American Football. Ongoing research that identifies a link between heading and dementia in football draws major attention here in the UK. Additionally, a recent legal case brought against the RFU, WRU and World Rugby alleging failure to protect against the risk of concussion will have serious ramifications for the game no matter what the outcome.
It is pre-season for Formula 1 right now, so if you are a fan, your social media will be awash with images of the 2021 cars and the drivers getting in condition for the year ahead. Over the years the fitness demands of racing a Formula 1 car have changed considerably. While drivers are still able to enjoy a glamorous lifestyle, their focus has had to shift somewhat to ensure they are physically and mentally able to maximise the capabilities of the cars. Driving talent is no longer enough to ensure a seat at the pinnacle of motorsport.
In March 2020, the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, and the Prime Minister of Japan, Abe Shinzo, held a press conference call announcing that the Tokyo 2020 Games would be postponed until no later than the summer of 2021. As we enter 2021 and the end of the Covid-19 pandemic comes into sight, all parties are still insistent that the Games of the XXXII Olympiad will go ahead.
Since March and the dawning realisation of the seriousness of Covid-19, 2020 has presented challenges for sport scientists. At the elite end of the profession, event cancellations, postponements and lockdowns inhibited training and monitoring plans. For those that use exercise as a health intervention, social restrictions interrupted programmes and the worry of increasing sedentary behaviour caused concern particularly among older and isolated groups. In this blog, Sport Science Agency will take a look back at some of the key developments that have shaped sports science in 2020.
