Falcons turn to new technology COVID-19 leads to newrecruitment methods, strategies for soccer coaches By CLAIRE A. WILSON ue to the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lang- ara soccer teams have rethought the way they go about training and recruitment. In the fall of 2020, B.C. imple- mented mask and physical distancing mandates that resulted in the stop- page of all conference competitions. This lack of competition disrupted the flow of a typical season. In the interim, new virtual training and recruitment methods have been added in order to minimize disrup- tions and strengthen the teams. “That was difficult, very diffi- cult, but it was for everyone’s safety,” said Jake McCallum, the director of athletics and intramurals department. One of the most exciting imple- mentations from the hiatus, is a video analysis software called Hudl. It allows coaches to assess the perfor- mance of their players as well as the opposing team. The hope is that these new technologies will trans- late into wins for the Langara soccer team. “We always want to push the envelope for new stuff, new technol- ogy,” said Marc Rizzardo, the head coach for the men’s soccer team. For Aidan LaBreche, team captain and third-year general stud- ies student, Hud offers the chance for more accurate introspection into areas of improvement both individu- ally and as a group. The women’s program has mirrored the adoption of new train- ing methods through its growing partnership with the kinesiology department. By partnering with the applied human performance research team and assistant coach Dr Andrew “We always want to push the envelope for new stuff, new technology.” — MARC RIZZARDO, MEN'S SOCCER HEAD COACH Perrotta, the team has spent the last six months analyzing their perfor- mance in ways they've never done before. Perrotta and his team break down health factors such as resting heart rate, blood pressure, body composi- tion and weight. These are examined in order to understand their relation to athletic performance. Using Polar Team Pro software and their heat tracking capabilities, the team is also able to determine whether players have achieved their strategy objec- tives. “It keeps you honest and accountable and that’s one of our team values as well,” said Samantha Seaborn, third-year nursing student and player on the team. Thanks to the break in compe- tition from COVID-19, Mark Eckerle, head coach for the women’s team, was able to build an infrastruc- ture around the incorporation of team values into training. This time also allowed Perrotta to gain the trust of players and dissect the data of the female team sport athletes, an area that he says is under-represented in research. “We became more or less a media company,” said Eckerle. Potential recruits would upload videos to Google Drive folders, allowing coaches to break down the videos and come up with individual development plans for each player. While this provided a way to work around the restrictions of the pandemic, frustrations arose from not being able to see the player on the pitch. In addition, it hinders the abil- ity of the new recruits to form social connections, said LaBreche. According to Rizzardo, the goal is to switch back to in-person recruiting at the end of the season. Falcons basketball gears up for competition Langara Falcons prep for opener vs Capilano By LESIA POGORELO fter almost two years with- out facing any opponents, the Falcons women’s and men’s basketball teams are brushing off the dust and gearing up for a return to the competitive court this month. Having trained with zero contact and in smaller numbers, the teams are trying to get back to their good habits — and winning ways. The Falcons men’s team were last PACWEST provincial cham- pions during their 2013-14 season campaign, before going on to win the National Championships. The women’s team were last PACWEST provincial champions in 2005-06. Jake McCallum, Langara’s direc- tor of athletics and intramurals, said during the pandemic athletes had been training with no contact and in smaller numbers though as they moved through varying levels of restriction, they were on occasion able to train with contact. Since competition was suspended in the middle of October last year due to COVID, the teams have focused on training, “Since the second week of Septem- ber, players work hard and train every day,” said the men’s basketball team coach, Paul Eberhardt. The men’s team has been almost completely overhauled since they last competed, with only two players left from the previous competitive season in 2019-2020, Ronan Reid and Jas Dhudwal. There are a total of six players returning from last year, when the players trained but saw no competi- tion due to COVID. Dhudwal, a third-year Kine- siology student, expressed feeling exhaustion in the earlier days of the team’s return to training, but now . Jas Dhudwal feels energized centre FALCONS despite dealing BASKETBALL with the stress of classes combined with training. “I enjoy practising and being able to play,” Dhudwal said. According to Virginia Watson, coach of the women’s basketball squad, the team became close-knit through their training, which has consisted of going on hikes and bike rides. Janna Jamorabon a first-year student in the Design Formation program, has been playing with the women’s team since 2019. Jamora- bon says the team spends two hours running through drills, and game plans daily and she believes they are in good shape in the final days to the start of the season. “The team is looking good. We are a young team,” she said. The women’s team hasn't seen much change, but that doesn't change the level of effort needed to win this season, said coach Watson who has noticed the team’s dynamics gradu- ally develop. Despite the team having ample training sessions so far, Jamorabon is eager for the team to have more game-time to assess how much work there’s still left to do. “Game-time is the best way to gain more experience”. 100 West 49th St. Vs Capilano Blues - Oct. 29. 100 West 49th St. Vs Douglas Royals - Nov. 05. 100 West 49th St. Vs Douglas Royals - Nov. 06. 900 Fifth St. Vs VIU Mariners - Nov. 12. 431 Interurban Rd. Vs Camosun Chargers - Nov. 13.