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EWING – Healthy, properly trained players are the key to success.
Beyond the normal strides of maintaining balanced diets, appropriate workouts and enough sleep, technology has played a powerful role in building a healthy team. By utilizing technology in the form of heart monitors, the coaching staff for The College of New Jersey women’s soccer has formed their successful team.
“I mean I think it’s been a big part of our success. We wear them for everything. We track the training load of everything,” said TCNJ head coach Joe Russo after his team made quick work of NJCU, 8-0.
Players for the Lions wear heart rate monitors at all times when they are on the field. From practices to high-steak games, the coaches are able to monitor the health of the players to prevent any overworking.
Specifically the coaching staff from TCNJ keeps an eye clear for when the monitors register a player in the “red-zone”. This indicator is a clear sign to allow that player to rest and give body the chance to come back down to normal levels.
“It’s helped us in training, we can chart the mileage we take, how many sprints, how long your heart is in the red zone or in the different zones that we have,” said Russo.
Luckily for TCNJ, the team is made up of strong players from the starters to the bench. In times when players are in need of a break, the Lions can easily make substitutions and know their standard of game will still be played.
“Fortunately, we’re pretty deep so we can play a lot of kids so I know that worked out for us,” said Russo, referring to their game played Saturday against New Jersey City University.
On an unusually hot day in late September, temperatures reached nearly 90 degrees. With the Lions playing on the turf field of the TCNJ Soccer Complex, the heat had to have felt scorching.
With the difficulty it is to play in what feels like a “mid July day” according to Russo, the heart monitors particularly are important to track strenuous games like this one.
“It will be interesting to see some of it today, some of the results today because it has been so hot,” said Russo.
Having clear statistics to look over from a practice or game, the heart monitors are used to alter any aspect of the Lions training as seen fit. With a high physically demanding schedule this tool goes a long way to keep the team on track of their health. Keeping this team healthy goes a long way in maintaining the successful winning streak TCNJ has accomplished this season.
“So yeah it’s been good for us. We’ve just trying to play good soccer,” said Russo.
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