Maths Elfvendal, goalkeeping coach for Swedish Allsvenskan club IFK Norrköping and the Swedish national team, relies on Spiideo’s automated camera system to capture footage as his players train.

Recording video is only the beginning of the process though. The true value of video lies in what you do with it. Hours of disorganised recordings are of little use to coaches like Elfvendal, who has just days to prepare his players for their next fixture.

Taking part in a recent takeover of Spiideo’s social media channels, the Allsvenskan coach offered insight and advice on how he uses the video analysis platform to help his players to learn and grow.

Whether you’re on the training field or in the stadium, Spiideo is ready to record and upload footage directly to Spiideo Perform in real-time. Even when a fixed camera isn’t accessible, a portable Mobile Virtual Panorama setup can keep the camera rolling anytime and anywhere.

For coaches and analysts, this not only provides an abundance of footage to mull over, but frees up more time to tag, analyse, and share footage.

At IFK Norrköping, there’s rarely a moment when Spiideo isn’t in use. Whether carrying out a training session or watching from the bench, Elfvendal is constantly tagging footage to share with his players.

“I live tag during training using my Apple Watch to easily give direct feedback to the players,” Elfvendal explains. “I use it even in games. I can tag from the bench and I can show the players at halftime.”

Traditional video analysis processes can take hours to get footage to a coach. By the time footage is shared with players, the moments being highlighted are no longer fresh in their minds. With Spiideo, coaches are able to access live video at any moment with a few clicks. Using an Apple device, coaches can access live recordings through Spiideo Perform at any time, allowing coaches to share visual feedback with their players instantly.

When they’re not out on the training field, Elfvendal is in constant communication with his players via a dedicated WhatsApp group, where they can discuss performance, receive feedback, and analyse the play of other top-level goalkeepers.

Since IFK Norrköping implemented Spiideo as part of a league-wide arrangement with Sweden’s Allsvenskan, Elfvendal has used video clips to enhance communication between the group. Using the Spiideo Perform mobile app, users can capture short video clips to share among staff and players via email, social networks, and messaging apps.

“To make communication & feedback easier between the players and myself, we have a WhatsApp group. In the group, we share clips from Spiideo and discuss together how we could learn from situations or other top goalkeepers,” Elfvendal says.

While coaches should be making use of video at every opportunity, providing athletes with too much information is likely to overwhelm them. Likewise, contradictory feedback could leave players confused and unmotivated.

“Have a clear philosophy and stick to it when analysing and giving feedback, Be consistent!” Elfvendal insists. “I believe it’s super important to be consistent towards the players. It’s not fair to give contradictory feedback.”

Coaches can even utilise video in their player development plans, using footage to evaluate how players are progressing as they work towards individual goals and targets.

Competing at the highest level requires hard work and dedication, but coaches shouldn’t underestimate the importance of morale and camaraderie amongst a group of players.

Capturing the wonder goals, schoolboy errors, and practical jokes that are part of the parcel of training can help to inject some fun into the dressing room after a session, and in turn keep spirits high and bonds strong.