Sports technology company Demcon Johan Sports has entered into a multi-year agreement with FC Twente in the field of data collection and technology. The club will use the new GPS heart rate system “JOHAN PACER”, which was recently developed by parent company DEMCON. The JOHAN PACER system is used at the first team, FC Twente Women and the Academy. This collaboration will be expanded in the coming years with the ERDF East project ‘Fit to Purpose’. This research has a duration of three years; the first results are expected in 2024.
Data collection and technology
FC Twente will collect player data in the coming years using the GPS heart rate system JOHAN PACER. The PACER sensor is worn by players in an advanced heart rate vest or sports belt under the shirt, so players only have to wear one sensor. Collecting heart rate data using a separate heart rate sensor is a thing of the past. The JOHAN PACER sensor records various data from players, such as distances, sprints, accelerations (short accelerations), but also detailed heart rate data, such as heart rate zones and heart rate variability. This gives the club a complete picture of the fitness of the players.
Arnold Bruggink, Sports Director FC Twente:
“JOHAN Sports is an ideal partner for us and can help us move forward as a club. The innovation they deliver is very comprehensive and easy to use. It provides all the tools we need. We also like to work with a Dutch party. This way we can take great innovative steps faster that strengthens the football branch.”
Niels van der Linden, Managing Director of Johan Sports:
“A club like FC Twente is a fantastic showcase for our company. We are therefore very happy to work with this club as a technology partner. This shows that our system is performing at a top level and we can really contribute to fitness and injury prevention. Together with our parent company Demcon, this is the ideal triangle: elite sports (FC Twente), innovation (Demcon) and performance & health (JOHAN Sports).”
Online Dashboard
In the JOHAN Software platform, the collected data is presented in a user-friendly and clear manner to the trainers, physiotherapists, exercise physiologists and sports scientists involved, so that they can include them in their training planning and medical policy. The platform is completely cloud-based and also offers real-time insights via the JOHAN Live application. This also allows coaches to gain insight into the fitness and health of players during training and matches directly on the field.
Combination with video analysis
Last summer there was already a collaboration between Demcon JOHAN Sports and FC Twente through the ERDF East project ‘Fit for Purpose’. Within this project, the new PACER monitoring technology is combined with video images for better infections, injury prevention and faster recovery. To this end, the sports technology company from Enschede is working together with FC Twente, University of Twente, 360SportsIntelligence and Pro-F Professional Physiotherapy. The combination of heart sensor and GPS data with video images should make it difficult for teams to provide information about injury prevention and faster recovery of their athletes. These facilities are available at the Training Center in Hengelo for the first selection and at the Sparta Enschede complex where FC Twente Women trains and plays its matches.
Monitor all teams
Collecting player data is not only done at the first team, but also at FC Twente Women and the Academy. This gives the club a complete overview of all players and can easily benchmark between different levels, mainly to see whether youth players can make the step to the 1st team.
Special heart rate belt for FC Twente Women
The JOHAN PACER sensor can be worn by players in two ways: using an innovative heart rate vest or using a sports band (heart rate belt). FC Twente Women wears special sports bands for monitoring GPS and heart rate data instead of a vest. To monitor heart rate data, a heart rate vest must be worn specifically on bare skin. This is often difficult for women’s teams because they have to wear a separate sports bra. A heart rate belt is an ideal solution.
About Johan Sports and Demcon
Demcon Johan Sports was founded in Delft in 2014 to develop monitoring technology for sports teams. The company has been working with Demcon for its sensors for years and has been part of the Demcon group since 2021. Demcon (1,000+ employees) develops, produces and supplies technology and innovative products. The group has locations in Best, Delft, Enschede, Groningen, Maastricht, Münster (D), Tokyo (Japan) and Singapore. The company arose from the founders’ passion for combining creativity and technical skills aimed at solving complex issues of a technological and social nature. In addition, Demcon is committed to encouraging entrepreneurship and investing in talent and education.
