How Access to Hudl Video Helps Athletes Own Their Growth
Aug 22, 2022
4 Min Read
By Sydney Wagner
As head coach for the Emporia State Softball team, April Rosales knows how important access to video is for her players' development. Hudl’s suite of video capture and data analysis tools allows her players to understand their performance like never before. With instant access to video, they’re constantly able to see their progress in real time, giving them a complete picture of what they’re doing well—and what needs improving.
Athletes are able to own their experience and grow their skills thanks to having video and feedback right at their fingertips with Hudl. Game and practice footage is automatically captured through Hudl Focus, and uploaded to Hudl where players and coaches can review and discuss, giving athletes the ability to watch themselves, their teammates and their opponents. These tools show athletes how they can improve by allowing them to see their mistakes on film, instead of being told what is wrong and trying to improve it from there. Seeing really is believing for young athletes.
With this easy access to video and the ability to provide corresponding feedback, coaches can identify and share with student-athletes what they need to do to improve their game. Coach Rosales’s softball team takes advantage of Hudl via the app, filming on an iPad and instantly uploading film to Hudl after practices and games, giving coaches and athletes more time to watch and learn.
“It helps us correct that form so that they're able to fix it. Instead of waiting another day or waiting a week before we can see it, we can see it right then and there," said Rosales.
Coach April Rosales discusses how having real-time footage from Hudl helps her players improve.
The Importance of Body Language
It's important for athletes to be able to see and recognize the on and off-field skills they need improvement on. Hudl also presents a unique opportunity for athletes to work on soft skills, like body language.
“That accountability piece is something that today's generation is lacking a little bit and making sure that they do take ownership in those things, especially if they're not seeing success,'' said Rosales.
“I love the idea of being able to show body language. It allows us to show them everything because it's just one of those things that it's on all day.”
Body language is one of the most powerful aspects that affects a player's performance. Since bringing in Hudl, Rosales has made a point to prioritize her student athlete’s body language to help improve their performance. One area she monitors is a player's demeanor during an at-bat. Bad body language at the plate can mean a player is set up for failure from the moment they step in the batter's box.
Get a Head Start on the Season
Another way Hudl helps athletes improve themselves is by allowing them to get ahead of the game. Hudl’s video tools give players constant access to footage of themselves to improve pre-season, during the season and post-season. Incoming freshman and transfer students are also able to get up to speed faster than before by seeing drills that coaches share prior to the season. This allows for student-athletes to feel well prepared and gives teams more time to get into a good rhythm from the start.
With Hudl there is no off-season. Evan Lavery, Associate Head Coach of the Men’s Basketball team, has used Hudl to help players during crucial times both in-season and the off-season. When players return for the season they have access to their own reels which show clips of what they can improve on.
“Hudl has been a key part to our team's development for this past year,” Lavery said. “It's essential not only for us to put our guys through repetitions on the court, but for them to also see what's good, bad and indifferent with their efforts based on our teaching methods.”
The best part about players having access to film to help their improvement is that they can watch it on their own time. They have the ability to manage their own improvement. This has been a huge help to Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach Kiel Unruh. “That's kind of their homework,” he said. “They don't necessarily have to be with us to watch film. They can watch film on their own time. They can take 15 minutes out of their day, get on there and watch whatever scout film that we have uploaded into our Hudl account.”
Coaches now get the comfort of knowing that their players can have access to film whenever and wherever they are. It takes a significant burden off of a smaller coaching staff, knowing players are able to take their development into their own hands.
The New Normal
Unruh mentioned that this level of access wasn’t something that his teams had in the past. Before Hudl it was difficult to get players to watch film or notice how important it was to their performance. Now with Hudl, players have access to watch game footage on their own time so that they can scout and improve themselves when they need to. Athletes get to be in control.
Ready to help your athletes own their growth? Start here.
