Javelin 1.1

TREND REPORT: PRESENTED BY FANTHREESIXTY
HERE’S A LOOK AT
FIVE KEY TAKEAWAYS
FROM ZOK’S KEYNOTE:
1. TECHNOLOGY IS
A STRATEGIC ASSET
Think about technology as an asset. If we’re serious
about success in sports, think of technology as a fundamental
strategic partner of any athlete. Just like nutrition
and hydration, physiology and coaching, strength and
conditioning, all are strategic assets for athletes. Moving
forward, we cannot consider success in sports unless we
embed technology - That’s key.
2. HUMANIZE TECHNOLOGY
No matter what technology we’re going to be using, no
matter how sexy, futuristic or complicated it sounds, it has
to be humanized. And the humanizing process may be the
most difficult element of technology. Making technology
to the level where it starts speaking each and every one
of your languages is a challenge.
3. CROSS-POLLINATION
The biggest opportunity is when we are able to cross-pollinate.
Let’s say, from USA Gymnastics today, we can pour
into USA Diving tomorrow, or whatever learning we will get
from USA Skiing and Snowboard in the upcoming Winter
Olympic Games, we’ll work those into a sport that you
would not even be thinking about. I don’t know, maybe USA
Weightlifting. So that cross-pollination is a responsibility
of ours. I would say the more effective that is done, the
better results we will get for our athletes.
4. CHALLENGE THINKING
If we continue predicting what our future will look like
based on our experiences, we are going to be moving
only with incremental steps. If we are really serious about
growing, and making significant change, we must always
be challenging our thinking. We must always be innovative
in the ways that we’re working. Reset the clock and put in
doubt everything and anything that we’re doing.
5. RECREATE AN ECOSYSTEM
Mounir Zok
speaking during
the Titans of
Sports Tech
roundtable event
Recreating around ourselves an ecosystem, a community,
that is able to deliver results that we can leverage, while
we focus on what we know best. And what we (USOC)
know best are our athletes, our coaches, and what their
needs are. There’s no reason for us to develop a way to
scan the whole basketball field if we know we can work
with people at ShotTracker. There’s no reason for us to
develop any neural priming technologies. Why not partner
with Daniel (CEO, Halo Neuroscience) and what he’s
doing? This is the new thought process.
“No matter what technology we’re going to be using, no matter how
sexy, futuristic or complicated it sounds, it has to be humanized.”
— Mounir Zok
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