Home > Case Studies > SportTracker
20th February 2009
SportTracker
From Motor Industry To Sports Technology
When Peter Larkin was PRO at his local GAA club in County Louth, he wished he had some sort of formal system for recording scores and team information on a game by game basis, a tracking system which would give him individual player profiles, and provide the club with an historical data base.
The more he thought about it the more the car salesman realised he had hit upon an inspirational idea. Peter designed a sample book, began to use it at the club and showed his prototype to the club's manager, former Down Double All-Ireland winning coach, Pete McGrath, who immediately recognised its potential and came on board as Sporttracker's Technical Director. The pair then approached Peter Quinn, former President of the GAA and one of the most eminent figures in Irish sport, who agreed to become the company's Chairman.
"With such influential backing the company had instant credibility," says Peter, "but I needed to streamline the business structure. That's where Transform came in. The programme taught me how to write a business plan and opened a huge amount of doors. But without a doubt the most important aspect of the initiative for me was meeting my mentor, Diane Roberts. Diane was so interested in my idea to develop a mobile phone analysis recording system, that she joined us and is now directing and implementing the launch of the new Action Tracker planned for November 2008."
Sporttracker now produces a range of analytical books that are used by players, managers and coaches in sports teams throughout Ireland to assess performance and progress.
"Players input data each week recording everything from their form to their diet, gradually building up a performance profile," explains Peter. "The Action Tracker uses a mobile phone to track the performances of individual players during a match and supplies information which can then be downloaded onto a computer. Our initial customer base was the GAA, however we are extending our repertoire to include rugby, soccer and basketball. We are also making inroads into the UK and have just established an office in New York."
Peter has plans for a host of other related services including recruitment, speaking and networking, and hopes that, within the next five years, Sporttracker will be a brand name, recognised throughout the world.
The more he thought about it the more the car salesman realised he had hit upon an inspirational idea. Peter designed a sample book, began to use it at the club and showed his prototype to the club's manager, former Down Double All-Ireland winning coach, Pete McGrath, who immediately recognised its potential and came on board as Sporttracker's Technical Director. The pair then approached Peter Quinn, former President of the GAA and one of the most eminent figures in Irish sport, who agreed to become the company's Chairman.
"With such influential backing the company had instant credibility," says Peter, "but I needed to streamline the business structure. That's where Transform came in. The programme taught me how to write a business plan and opened a huge amount of doors. But without a doubt the most important aspect of the initiative for me was meeting my mentor, Diane Roberts. Diane was so interested in my idea to develop a mobile phone analysis recording system, that she joined us and is now directing and implementing the launch of the new Action Tracker planned for November 2008."
Sporttracker now produces a range of analytical books that are used by players, managers and coaches in sports teams throughout Ireland to assess performance and progress.
"Players input data each week recording everything from their form to their diet, gradually building up a performance profile," explains Peter. "The Action Tracker uses a mobile phone to track the performances of individual players during a match and supplies information which can then be downloaded onto a computer. Our initial customer base was the GAA, however we are extending our repertoire to include rugby, soccer and basketball. We are also making inroads into the UK and have just established an office in New York."
Peter has plans for a host of other related services including recruitment, speaking and networking, and hopes that, within the next five years, Sporttracker will be a brand name, recognised throughout the world.
