Graphic by Sesame Gaetsaloe/ The Choate News
After the Founders League’s July 15 announcement canceling all interscholastic play for the 2020 fall season, along with the School’s August 20 decision to delay the reopening of school until October, prospects for the fall season of Choate athletics were grim. Sports are an integral part of the Choate experience, and, for athletes, often a deciding factor when applying to high school and college.
Choate’s Athletics Department is now working hard to adapt to remote athletics. In lieu of physical practices, Choate sports have gone virtual, incorporating Zoom practices and the use of the app CoachMePlus.
“The CoachMePlus app has been around for a number of years, serving the needs of over 250 professional and Division I programs,” said Head Athletic Trainer Mr. Brian Holloway.
Mr. Holloway, along with Boys’ Varsity Lacrosse Coach Mr. Ethan McDonnell, has been looking at potential use of the software since 2019, when the two were working on a player developmental model before the lacrosse season. The sudden necessity for remote athletics accelerated this plan. The coaches “elevated the product from ‘would like to have’ to ‘must have’ in order to best serve our student athletes given the circumstances,” Mr. Holloway said.
The app has a wide variety of uses, including allowing coaches and players to interact with each other through an in-app messaging feature and share important documents, photos, and videos. The app also tracks and analyzes performance metrics and players’ wellness by having students fill out surveys and add their statistics. The app enables coaches to “make better informed decisions regarding team and individual athlete preparation,” said Mr. Holloway.
Highlighted features include training plans that are designed for athletes with or without access to weights, and macronutrient and weight management trackers designed to help players either gain or lose weight. Another feature of practicing remotely is that athletes can participate in workouts at any point in their day, from any location.
When players open the app, a detailed outline of their workout plan with specific instructions from their coaches appears. Athletes can then check off exercises as they go, and will get credit for that day.
Varsity and JV Football have taken full advantage of the CoachMePlus app. The football team, although sidelined for the 2020 season, is determined to maintain and improve their skills. The CoachMePlus app has helped to maintain aspects of the typical football season, like letting players weigh in and weigh out before and after sessions. In some ways the app has also enhanced their ability to prepare for a unique season. Offensive Line Guard Oliver Howard ’23 said, “The app is good because it has a lot of aspects of the athletic experience. It has nutrition, workouts, individualized stats, and more.”
Page Wildridge ’21, co-captain of Varsity Field Hockey, added, “I love the app! It offers great workouts and it will be super helpful for me to stay in shape, even while I’m not out on the turf.”
The responses from players and coaches thus far have been promising. Lacrosse player Zephyr Simus ’23 lauded the lacrosse team’s ability to integrate the program into their training, saying, “I’ve found it’s a really great way to communicate with teammates and coaches.”
The integration of CoachMePlus is the next step towards enriching athletic performance both remotely and in-person. Mr. Holloway said, “We are planning to utilize the program to its full potential when we return to sporting competitions.”
