Welcome to March. Spring is coming in 19 days and the official end of "Meteorological winter" was yesterday. Woo hoo. With that comes the beginning of spring sports training. So, baseball, softball, track, tennis and more are all starting up. Runners who have been trapped inside on their treadmill (like me, because I don't like running in cold, snow or ice) are eager to get outside. Coaches are holding team tryouts and players are working hard to be game ready. Inevitably, technology has some assistance to offer coaches and athletes.  Whether you are training on your own, trying to impress a coach or you are a coach looking for tools to help improve your athletes. I have a few smart devices/apps to introduce you to and a new wearable.

1. Zepp Smart Bat. Major League Baseball spring training is under way and high school tryouts (in our area at least) are this week. Most serious players have been working at indoor facilities all winter. But, as baseball players know the season is long and slumps can and will happen. Los Angeles Angels Mike Trout is using Zepps new Smart Bat to assist with analyzing his swing.  The bat has sensors within it that communicate with a corresponding app to track impact, swing, speed and more.  I know my high school baseball player would love this for his daily hitting practice.

2. Babolat Play. This is similar to the smart bat, but for tennis.  This racket and corresponding app will analyze your serves, volleys, topspin, power and more. It will allow you to share your statistics with friends or coaches to improve in all areas or brag about areas you're excelling in!

3. Fitbit Blaze. Fitbit has released a new wearable geared at individuals who workout modestly, two to three times per week. The $199 device has a touch screen to allow you to swipe through to see steps, heart rate, and calories burned without the smart watch features of Apple Watch. If you are mega-focused on hitting your step goal this might be for you. I moved far away from my Fitbit because it pulled my focus from fitness to conquering an ever increasing step goal. I no longer focus on steps at all. But, for some that works for them.

4. Adidas micoach Smart Ball. For all you soccer players out there, check out the Adidas Smart Ball. The micoach is Adidas solution for soccer players. Like the Smart Bat and Babolat play it works with a corresponding app and analyzes a soccer players kick. It will track your speed, spin, strike and more. The app also comes with a video library of drills and tips. Chances are that no matter what your sport is there is an app or smart device to assist you to master your game. Have you or your athlete found a device to help you step up your game?

I would love to hear about how your using technology to improve your game or how coaches are using technology to improve their team and athletes abilities. If you have an idea that you think would help improve your game or your athlete's game, talk to a developer today to bring it to life.