Washington Commanders

Needs

Given the grind of the NFL season, an athlete’s health and performance can vary week-to-week. In order to maintain peak performance and health during the course of a 16-game season, the Washington Commanders needed technology that informed their weekly decisions about how to adjust and evolve an athlete’s training plan. Washington’s Strength and Conditioning Coach Chad Englehart explained the demands of getting their athletes prepared for each gameday. “We’ve got collisions. You’ve got hits. So we’ve got to make sure they feel great and are prepared for that physical, stressful game.”

Sparta Solution

In 2018, the Washington Commanders partnered with Sparta to help overcome their challenges. While using the Sparta System, Washington’s staff found that the platform served as a connective language between sports science, strength and conditioning, and athletic training. By using the Sparta System before workouts, players were tracked throughout the year and adjustments are implemented quickly. “The thing Sparta does for us is it allows us to talk across all lines between athletic trainers, sports science, and strength staff in one verbiage. You have to be able to assess, diagnose, and then prescribe,” says Director of Player Recovery, Hutch Call. “The big thing with Sparta is it gives you feedback right away, and a guy can get going on what he needs to do right now”

“Within 90 seconds you can get feedback and a guy can get going on what he needs to do, right now, without putting things in a spreadsheet. It’s there and we can make changes on the fly.”

— Hutch Call, Assistant Athletic Trainer and Director of Player Recovery, Washington Redskins