Major Gift from Jim Williams Brings New Technology System to IU and Bloomington Tennis Communities
3/22/2018 11:38:00 AM | Men's Tennis, Women's Tennis
Bloomington, Indiana – The Indiana University and Bloomington tennis communities have taken an exciting, technological leap forward thanks to a new system recently installed at the Indiana University Tennis Center.
Indiana University and the Indiana University Tennis Center have teamed to equip Bloomington's indoor tennis facility with state-of-the-art live streaming, video and tennis analytics technology from PlaySight Interactive. The new technology will create new ways for players to train, coaches to instruct, and fans to watch.
The adoption of the PlaySight technology system was possible thanks to a major gift from IU Tennis Center member James G. Williams. Soon after retiring as Indiana University's Director of International Networking in 2013, Williams took up the sport of tennis, and thanks to his background in technology, his interest was piqued when he first learned about PlaySight.
After researching the merits of the system, Williams contacted the Indiana University Foundation about making a major gift, and the end result is something that will impact both Indiana University Athletics and the local tennis community.
"One thing I tried to make clear from the beginning was that I wanted this to benefit the men's varsity program, the women's varsity program and the (IU Tennis Center's) instructional program," Williams said. "From what I can tell, that's happened."
The new setup at the IU Tennis Center includes five "play" courts and one "pro" court. Each of the five "play" courts are equipped with two cameras, one behind each baseline. This will not only allow all of IU's indoor matches to be live streamed simultaneously on IUHoosiers.com, but will also offer instant replay capabilities to officials.
The "pro" court, meanwhile, will offer those features – and many more. This single court has four additional high definition "analytics" cameras and an interactive kiosk. This "Smartcourt" system will be able to call balls in and out, and call service faults. The analytics cameras, meanwhile, will record and analyze a host of variables including shot location, ball trajectory, ball speed, and spin rate, among others. The results can then be accessed through the courtside kiosk or a smart device and the information utilized by coaches and players alike.
"The addition of PlaySight will have a huge impact on our team," said IU Men's Tennis Coach Jeremy Wurtzman. "Our coaching staff is constantly looking for new ways to develop our current players and with the PlaySight Technology we have endless opportunities in practice and on match days to get instant feedback as well as data. We are very fortunate and grateful to have this cutting-edge technology at IU."
Indiana University Women's Tennis Coach Ramiro Azcui shares Wurtzman's belief that the technology will have an enormous impact on his team's practices and matches, while also pointing to the opportunity to reach fans, players and families in new ways.
"The live stream feature of Playsight will allow fans, former players, recruits and families of our current players to watch IU Tennis online from anywhere in the world," Azcui said. "It is an exciting time for both Indiana Tennis programs thanks to the addition of Playsight technology. We are so grateful for the donation that allowed us to add it to our home facility."
Williams did not necessarily envision the impact that the live streaming capabilities would have on the IU tennis programs, both of which have a large out-of-state and overseas flavor.
"Of the (IU) players who have spoken to me, they have all said they're so glad this system is installed because now their mom or their dad or their friends can watch them play, and in many cases they've never been able to," Williams said. "So that's been another real bonus."
While the new technology will offer new and exciting ways for IU student-athletes and coaches to practice and train, it will be equally useful to members of the local community. The ability to serve that dual-purpose is especially rewarding to Indiana University Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Fred Glass.
"This exciting development is an example of us living up to two of the tenets of our motto The Spirit of Indiana: 24 Sports, One Team," Glass said. "Not only is it a wonderful opportunity to further integrate IU Athletics with the University through this partnership with Recreational Sports, but the use of this technology will help our students who participate in intercollegiate tennis to reach their highest athletic potential."
With the technology now fully installed and operational, IU Tennis Center members can create a free account through the PlaySight website or mobile app and have full access to the "Pro" court's features.
"PlaySight SmartCourt technology is a top of the line amenity that utilizes real-time data to help all levels of players practice smarter and we are fortunate to have the opportunity to use it," said Chris Chopra, head tennis professional at the Indiana University Tennis Center. "It grants Recreational Sports Tennis Center participants access to technology generally geared towards professional players."
Indiana University and the Indiana University Tennis Center have teamed to equip Bloomington's indoor tennis facility with state-of-the-art live streaming, video and tennis analytics technology from PlaySight Interactive. The new technology will create new ways for players to train, coaches to instruct, and fans to watch.
The adoption of the PlaySight technology system was possible thanks to a major gift from IU Tennis Center member James G. Williams. Soon after retiring as Indiana University's Director of International Networking in 2013, Williams took up the sport of tennis, and thanks to his background in technology, his interest was piqued when he first learned about PlaySight.
After researching the merits of the system, Williams contacted the Indiana University Foundation about making a major gift, and the end result is something that will impact both Indiana University Athletics and the local tennis community.
"One thing I tried to make clear from the beginning was that I wanted this to benefit the men's varsity program, the women's varsity program and the (IU Tennis Center's) instructional program," Williams said. "From what I can tell, that's happened."
The new setup at the IU Tennis Center includes five "play" courts and one "pro" court. Each of the five "play" courts are equipped with two cameras, one behind each baseline. This will not only allow all of IU's indoor matches to be live streamed simultaneously on IUHoosiers.com, but will also offer instant replay capabilities to officials.
The "pro" court, meanwhile, will offer those features – and many more. This single court has four additional high definition "analytics" cameras and an interactive kiosk. This "Smartcourt" system will be able to call balls in and out, and call service faults. The analytics cameras, meanwhile, will record and analyze a host of variables including shot location, ball trajectory, ball speed, and spin rate, among others. The results can then be accessed through the courtside kiosk or a smart device and the information utilized by coaches and players alike.
"The addition of PlaySight will have a huge impact on our team," said IU Men's Tennis Coach Jeremy Wurtzman. "Our coaching staff is constantly looking for new ways to develop our current players and with the PlaySight Technology we have endless opportunities in practice and on match days to get instant feedback as well as data. We are very fortunate and grateful to have this cutting-edge technology at IU."
Indiana University Women's Tennis Coach Ramiro Azcui shares Wurtzman's belief that the technology will have an enormous impact on his team's practices and matches, while also pointing to the opportunity to reach fans, players and families in new ways.
"The live stream feature of Playsight will allow fans, former players, recruits and families of our current players to watch IU Tennis online from anywhere in the world," Azcui said. "It is an exciting time for both Indiana Tennis programs thanks to the addition of Playsight technology. We are so grateful for the donation that allowed us to add it to our home facility."
Williams did not necessarily envision the impact that the live streaming capabilities would have on the IU tennis programs, both of which have a large out-of-state and overseas flavor.
"Of the (IU) players who have spoken to me, they have all said they're so glad this system is installed because now their mom or their dad or their friends can watch them play, and in many cases they've never been able to," Williams said. "So that's been another real bonus."
While the new technology will offer new and exciting ways for IU student-athletes and coaches to practice and train, it will be equally useful to members of the local community. The ability to serve that dual-purpose is especially rewarding to Indiana University Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Fred Glass.
"This exciting development is an example of us living up to two of the tenets of our motto The Spirit of Indiana: 24 Sports, One Team," Glass said. "Not only is it a wonderful opportunity to further integrate IU Athletics with the University through this partnership with Recreational Sports, but the use of this technology will help our students who participate in intercollegiate tennis to reach their highest athletic potential."
With the technology now fully installed and operational, IU Tennis Center members can create a free account through the PlaySight website or mobile app and have full access to the "Pro" court's features.
"PlaySight SmartCourt technology is a top of the line amenity that utilizes real-time data to help all levels of players practice smarter and we are fortunate to have the opportunity to use it," said Chris Chopra, head tennis professional at the Indiana University Tennis Center. "It grants Recreational Sports Tennis Center participants access to technology generally geared towards professional players."
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