At the end of last season, after winning a great Primavera Championship, Fitness Coach Mario Familari shared his experience on how he used gpexe to monitor the athletic performance of FC Inter Primavera’s players.

1) How often do you utilise gpexe?

We use gpexe in all sessions, except the day before the match, and in all friendly and official games. We decided not to monitor the training the day before the games.

This is because of the little interest that we would have from the load analysis point of view and to highlight the importance of these sessions from the mental point of view.

2) Which parameters supplied by gpexe are you particularly interested in and why?

First of all, we focus on the equivalent distance index because, together with the total distance, it shows the player’s commitment during the session.

Secondly, I only use energy expenditure if I need to highlight an excessive workload.

3) What type of feedback do you gain from the parameters of interest?

We use the player’s data as a parameter compared to the team average and role average. Upon our coach’s request, for example, we have compared a technical-tactical drill (flank-play match) carried out with and without a fixed man-to-man marking.

This is to check the differences in intensity, energy expenditure and equivalent distance index. Regarding the match, we focus a lot on reserves’ data, to verify their “physical” approach to the match.

“I am completely satisfied in using gpexe and I’d like to point out the complete availability I have found every time that I was in contact with your company”

Mario Familari
F.C. Inter Fitness Coach

4) In what way does the monitoring of the data impact on the planning of your work?

The monitoring of data collected through gpexe does not impact in a systematic and automatic manner on the planning of our training, but it helps us when we need to analyse low-performance periods.

5) Do you use the live and for which purpose?

Until last season I used the LT model and I did not have this opportunity. This year we have upgraded to the pro2 version and we will have the possibility to use this function.

Exchanging ideas with the staff of the first team, that uses this tool for a few years, will surely allow me to exploit its full potential.

6) Is there any significant data collected, as an example of analysis, which you can share with us?

In the following example, I reported the individual course of the distance and the equivalent distance index between the first and the second time during a fundamental game played at the end of the season.

Each line represents a player. In particular, I highlighted two players whose behaviour was very different.

Considering the same technical effectiveness, from a physical point of view the GREEN player is our “top-player”:

• travel a long distance …
• … that does not decrease between the first and second time
• has high acceleration capacities …
• … that decrease only slightly between the first and second time

On the other hand, always from the physical point of view, the RED player is our “worse-player”:

• travel a modest distance…
• …which decreases dramatically between the first and second half
• has limited acceleration capabilities…
• …that gets worse during the match

7) What type of interaction do you have with the coach relative to the data collected?

Our trainer is very careful and receptive to all that concerns the performance of the players. After visualizing the data, we often discuss the parameters that he doesn’t like.

He asks me to speak directly to the interested player in order to stimulate positive answers; plus, the technical staff receives the complete and detailed analysis of the session in pdf, after every training session.

8) What type of interaction do you have with the player relative to the data collected?

Once the data analysis is ready, the players receive the same results that I deliver to the staff, through our team manager. Everybody sees the data of the team and most players are interested.

They ask for comparison or for highlighting of particular data they are proud of. Sometimes I use GPS data (e.g. max acceleration) to stimulate the commitment during a drill without the ball.

9) How much time do you utilise on average for the operative phase of the system and on the data analysis?

Managing GPS is very challenging. We have 26 units and I have to thank the club which has shown care and availability with regards to our request to monitor all the players of the team. Of the whole procedure, the longest part is recharging the devices, which I do outside the sports centre.

The task of dealing with the vests is assigned to the intendant, while the GPS delivery is carried out in an open space in the locker room and the players return the vests directly on the pitch at the end of the session. Downloading the tracks and analyzing the data does not require particularly long time periods: 20 minutes are usually enough.

10) What pushed you to choose gpexe and have you had any experience with other GPS systems, and if so, what differences did you find?

As a Primavera Team, we managed to get the gpexe system thanks to the fact that the first team was already using it. I had never used gpexe in my previous experiences, but I was close to other brands because of personal interest and, even if I did not have direct experience with other instruments, I am completely satisfied in using gpexe.

I’d like to point out the complete availability I have found every time that I was in contact with your company: in particular, a huge thanks to Marco Vettor and Cristian Osgnach for the continued and punctual assistance to various levels.