January 31, 2025 • 23 mins
How are data and AI revolutionizing teams—whether on the field or in the boardroom?
In this episode of Innovation Heroes, Casey Murphy, goalkeeper for the North Carolina Courage and the U.S. Women’s National Team, and Founder and Director of Operations of AP2T, Mike Olim, dive into the cutting-edge tech reshaping elite sports.
From wearables to AI-driven insights, discover how these tools optimize performance and help give you an edge over the competition.
Featuring: Casey Murphy, goalkeeper for the North Carolina Courage and the U.S. Women’s National Team, and Mike Olim, Founder and Director of Operations of AP2T.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
casey (00:00):
Tech has evolved and I think one of the biggest things is there's
so much more data now coming out onthe females and how, you know, there's
differences obviously in our bodiesand how we perform and how we move.
So it's been really helpful to workwith coaches like Mike who understand
the female game just as much as themale game and also positionally as
(00:22):
a goalkeeper versus a field player.
ed (00:26):
In the world of technology, heroes are everywhere.
They're overcoming disruption, deliveringsustainable outcomes, and fearlessly
forging the future to solve what's next.
Join me, ed McNamara as we meet thepeople and businesses driving change
in our constantly disruptive world.
This is Innovation Heroes, apodcast brought to you by SHI.
(00:51):
In today's world, data isn't just king.
It's the game changer.
Redefining how we work, play, and win.
From boardrooms to locker rooms,technology and analytics have
become the driving forces behindgroundbreaking transformations.
Businesses now thrive on predictiveinsights and precision strategies.
While the sports world harnesses thatsame power, push human performance to
(01:15):
new heights, corporate leaders basedmost decisions on data and data analysis.
While athletes are taking more than justtalent, hard work and grit out to the
pitch with AI, analyzing every play anddata shaping every decision, the way we
compete in business and on the field.
Has changed forever today.
Casey Murphy goalkeeper for the NorthCarolina courage and the U S women's
(01:36):
national team and her training coach, MikeOlin dive into the seismic impact data
analytics have had on Casey's training.
And the way we all compete Casey andMike, welcome to innovation heroes.
casey (01:48):
Thank you for having us, Ed.
ed (01:50):
Thank you.
Absolutely.
I'm glad you're here.
Casey at 28, you've already built.
A really impressive resume while atRutgers University, you were two time
big 10 conference goalkeeper of the year.
Your 45 clean sheets make you Rutgersall time shutout leader and second,
all time in the big 10, which probablyirks you a little bit knowing you.
You've played professionally in France,Seattle, and now for the North Carolina
(02:13):
courage and the NWSL in this past summer,you're one of the 18 Americans who.
Brought home a gold medal from the2024 Summer Olympics in France.
First question, how do youeven describe being part of
the Olympics to the rest of us?
What was it like to, to represent theU S on, on the world stage in France?
casey (02:31):
Yeah, the Olympics or something I always dreamed about as a kid.
I feel like growing up, uh, it wasalways my goal to get on the U.
S. Women's national team and toplay on the international stage.
And so this was my first Olympics andhopefully not my last, but definitely
an amazing experience to be able to stepon the podium with, uh, my teammates
hand in hand winning a gold medal.
(02:52):
Uh, I had my whole family out there.
So it was just overall anincredible experience that I'll have
memories that I'll have forever.
Yeah.
ed (03:00):
No question.
And I think some of what we're goingto talk about today is going to be, uh,
talking about how you get to stay onthe podium, um, which is, uh, which,
which is important, but just, just forsort of take us back to the beginning,
Casey, how did you first get into soccer?
casey (03:12):
Yeah, I started playing soccer when I was probably like five or six years old.
I was a kid that played all typesof sports and soccer was just one of
them that I enjoyed and I stuck with.
And, uh, eventually just went fromthe local town team to a travel team
to, PDA, which is one of the top,uh, academies in the, in the country.
(03:34):
And, uh, from there, uh, thenext step was collegiately.
And then from there, nextstep was professionally.
So it was just climbing thisladder, um, the whole time.
And it's been a. You know,a really fun journey so far.
ed (03:47):
So obviously you were having success, um, you know, pretty early, but there is,
is there a moment you can remember whenyou were young, when you realized that,
Hey, like I, I might be a special player.
Was there a big save, a big victoryor a big breakthrough of some kind
that you, you had that realization?
casey (04:05):
You know, I was like one of those kids that just was super competitive
and always just like loved winning.
Uh, and so I was always just like tryingto be You know a bit better than the rest
of my teammates and I think that Thatkind of set me apart from a young age.
It's just like, I was the first one there.
I like to stay after and do extra stuff.
(04:26):
And, uh, I just always was competingagainst myself to be a better
version, even at the youth level.
ed (04:33):
Mike turning to you for, uh, for a few seconds, uh, for the past 15
years, you've been owner and directorof operations at advanced physical and
technical training in Metucha, New Jersey.
And, and you've built.
AP2T into one of the largest soccerspecific athletic performance
and technical trading, you know,companies in the, in, in the country,
you know, what about yourself?
(04:54):
Like, how did you get into soccerand, and when did you make that
transition to becoming a trainer?
mike (04:59):
Yeah.
So, you know, I alwaysplayed at a young age.
I would credit my uncle and aunt,uh, Barry and Laura, who were in
Europe for a lot of their youngeryears who fell in love with AC
Milan, Parma and Manchester United.
And so I remember watching at a youngage, Uh, falling in love and playing
and what really got me into trainingwas kind of a different path than most.
(05:22):
So I started off as an exercise sciencemajor in college and I actually switched
after my freshman year because I didn'treally understand how to make a career
out of it besides physical therapy.
And I actually, you know, went to lawschool and my semester before I went
to law school, I started helping outin my old high school and just really
fell in love with training again.
And always had, um, very impactfulcoaches, Mike Romeo, one of my coaches
(05:46):
who used to work with Casey as well.
He's over at Rutgers University in PDAtoo, was my club and my high school
coach, and he had a big impact on me.
So when I was in law school, Idecided to try to start AP2T.
I dropped out after six weeks.
I had an idea to bring an athleticperformance gym to a field.
So for the first, you know,seven years or so, I was driving
(06:08):
around in a truck and a trailer.
Bringing all this equipmentto different fields.
Uh, and then was fortunate enough tolink up with Jeff Josel, who I ended
up coaching with, uh, as his assistant.
And we were able to open thema touch and sports center.
And that happened abouteight, nine years ago.
ed (06:23):
Awesome.
Well, congrats on that.
You know, Mike, when you, when you,when you and Casey met at Rutgers, you
know, when, when Casey was in college,I'm going to say I'm sure it was a
little over 10 years ago or just about10 years ago, what, what tech were you
using during, during Casey's trainingback then, what, what, what tech was
being employed at the college level,uh, as, as, as early as 10 years ago.
mike (06:43):
So I think the top universities were utilizing, you know, force plates are
using different kinds of dynamometers and.
Different kind of data analytics thatwere created, whether it be with like
Power BI or through algorithms within,you know, um, whatever the tech was on
our end, we just started to get intoutilizing, um, the force plate technology.
(07:04):
So I can't remember exactly how manyyears ago we started with Sparta Science.
They were unbelievable.
Uh, their algorithm is very nice.
And then we switched over to VaultTechnologies now, which we've used for
the, the past, uh, X amount of years.
So initially we werestarting with just JumpMats.
And, um, you know, kind of handhelddynamometers and things like that.
And it's since, uh, very muchevolved and rapidly evolved.
(07:27):
In a short amount of time
ed (07:29):
and using that data, you know, what did the data say?
Like, did it give you any insightinto how to adjust Casey's training
or playing style, et cetera?
mike (07:39):
Absolutely.
So, um, what we were able to realizeis that she was a bit of a hip hinger,
um, didn't properly transition fromher eccentric phase into a concentric
phase as efficiently as possible.
And it's interesting when you're agoalkeeper, it's a really unique position
because you're, you're vertical andhorizontal based as far as power output
goes, but there's also a component tonot just agility, obviously, but also
(08:02):
conditioning because you're expectedto do very powerful things in rapid
succession and it's kind of at randomwhen it happens, you could be, you know,
having limited action for the first 75minutes and you could be peppered with
shots and corners for the next 15 minutesand then another 30 minutes of overtime.
And then you're expected to gomake some saves and penalties.
or kicks at the spot at the end.
So we tried to utilize the data to notonly, uh, you know, address any kind
(08:28):
of imbalances that we saw, but we'realso looking at how do we maximize
performance and, you know, talk about theendurance, talk about the anaerobic, the
aerobic component while simultaneouslyhitting those imbalances and getting
her faster, getting her stronger.
Um, and obviously withsomebody of Casey's.
mental and physical,you know, uh, capacity.
It's not very hard becauseshe's a workhorse and always
(08:50):
eager to learn and listen.
And, uh, oftentimes, youknow, enough, wasn't enough.
And we do those extra fewreps or extra few sets.
Uh, that's what, you know, separatesthe best in the world from the rest.
ed (09:00):
Casey, I, I think I heard Mike say that you might have
been a sloucher growing up.
Is that, is that, uh, was that the case?
Is that where that comes from?
casey (09:08):
Yeah, I remember my mom would always like make me stand
against the wall, like backstraight and work on my posture.
But a lot of my position is, youknow, on my toes leaning forward.
So it's, it was a, youknow, a hard habit to break.
ed (09:23):
Well, as someone who was once six foot four, I know about slouching.
So I know I can relate to itand boy, those days are gone.
Um, Casey, the tech you had accessto when you were in university is
obviously different than today.
You know, how has the, the technologythat you're deploying, whether it be
in, in, in practice, in, in, in games,in preparation or reviewing exercise.
(09:44):
You know, how has it evolved over thelast five or 10 years and, and, and
what's really been effective for you?
casey (09:50):
Yeah, definitely tech has evolved.
And I think one of the biggest thingsis there's been so much research done,
especially on male athletes and, um,male soccer players, but there's so
much more data now coming out on thefemales and how, you know, there's
differences obviously in our bodiesand how we perform and how we move
(10:11):
and our bone structure and all that.
So it's been really helpful to work withcoaches like Mike who understand the
female game just as much as the male game.
And also positionally as a goalkeeperversus a field player, what movement
patterns are going to be mostimportant for me to, uh, be more
explosive or quick burst off my line.
(10:32):
So, uh, it's been reallyhelpful to use little bits of.
Data here and there, in addition tothe training on the field, um, as
ways to just, you know, widen thatgap between me and the other keepers.
ed (10:46):
And Mike, how do you incorporate, you know, those
insights into, into Casey's training?
mike (10:52):
Yeah, so I, I just think, you know, training is small increments over
time to yield, you know, great results.
So it's about positive, notjust physical behaviors, but
emotional behaviors as well.
And like we talked about before, where.
Willing to learn willing tolisten willing to adjust.
So there could be a time when perhapsshe's a little bit more in balance
(11:13):
favoring her left side versus her right.
We would know we need to work a littlebit more on keeping that balance up.
Maybe it came from fatigue.
Maybe that year when she was playing.
She ended up planting on that foot,you know, X amount of times more
than she did in the other one.
So there was a bit of an imbalancethat developed over time.
So we kind of utilize the offseason to correct those things.
And that's why it's important to havethe data and to check often to see
(11:35):
what those adjustments need to be.
Cause it's not really a universal thing.
It's a very specific per the athlete.
There are definitely universal norms.
As far as training goes for speed,power and strength and things like that.
But, you know, the microadjustments is what separates, you
know, the 99 percent for the 99.
9. And those are the things that wetry to do based on the individual data.
ed (11:53):
And what is it?
Is it a wearable?
Is it like, you know,what's giving you that data?
What's, what's, what's thedata collection method?
mike (12:00):
So, uh, there's definitely wearables.
What I primarily look at are,you know, force plate jumps.
I'll look at hamstring strength, hipabduction, adduction strength, and
we'll look at like shoulder stabilityand shoulder strength as well to
try to make sure that the body's inharmony and also not just in harmony,
but it's getting better, right?
And you want to make sure that, youknow, if you're comparing it to a car,
the engine, the tires, the gas, the oil,everything is firing on all cylinders
(12:24):
to get the best machine possible.
We don't want one to becompensating for the other because
that's when injuries occur.
At the same time, not justlooking at injuries, we're
also looking at performance.
So we want to make sure that whilewe're trying our best to keep her injury
free, there's also a gain in performanceas well, which is very important.
It's not one or the other.
It's kind of those two in,you know, working together.
ed (12:46):
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(13:29):
We've talked a lot about data fortraining, you know, but, but what
about like for scouting opponents?
You know, I was thinking to myself,you know, you see the Microsoft
Surface devices are on, on thefield for every, you know, NFL game.
Um, but I was thinking like, you know,for penalty kicks, like, are you, are you
using any data to like, you know, analyzelike the, the, the history of, you know,
(13:50):
what an opponent, you know, tends to do,like, do you have access to that, like
either before or during a game or, or, youknow, is that, is that classic film study?
Like what, what tech are you guys using,you know, for that kind of preparation?
casey (14:03):
Yeah, we have staff behind the scenes that really helps
scout the opponent for us andwill give us information for me
specifically on their strikers.
You know, which side left or rightam I expected to see more crosses
from, you know, uh, set piecewise, like where they're looking to
target, uh, penalty kicks, where.
(14:24):
An opponent may more likely go and sothat's all information that we received
before the game and it's on us to reviewthat and make sure that we, you know,
we take that all into consideration,but also as a team, you want to.
You know, be you and play your game andnot worry so much about the opponent,
(14:45):
but that's definitely a resource thatwe have, especially going into the
international level games where, uh, themargins are really little and you want
to have that edge as much as possible.
It's information like that.
It's really, it's helpful
ed (14:59):
and Mike, back, back to you, you, you mentioned, uh, Sparta science.
You said you've used the, the, the AIinfused platform of Sparta science and
Casey's training, you know, how, how, howdo you exactly, does that, does that work?
And, uh, and you know, what aresome of the insights you, you
learned about Casey from Sparta?
mike (15:15):
Yeah.
So the, the cool thing aboutSparta is that it provides based
on AI, a whole workout protocol.
So a lot of the other technology, like,like I said, we use vault now where.
You know, you have the rawdata and the interpretations
kind of up to the practitioner.
So as far as, you know, run a lot of, um,different, I don't know if experiments
(15:35):
right word, but they definitely runa lot of different trials to see how
appropriately, um, a workout programworks basically to help whatever the,
the algorithm saying that the athleteneeds to work on, if that makes sense.
So, um, that was a really cool thingto be able to utilize what they saw
based on the data and then kind of.
You know, modify it based on my ownneeds or Casey's needs are because
(15:58):
like we said, you don't want to justblindly look at what the algorithm
says without interpretation.
There's a quantitative component to it.
There's got to be a qualitativecomponent to where if you know,
a deadlift, for instance, mightbe the recommended exercise.
Perhaps Casey doesn't like the deadlift.
I'm not saying she doesn't.
I'm just giving an example.
Then you have to modifyas, um, as a practitioner.
(16:19):
But we're able to have that datato say, look at This is the type of
exercise that's going to help compensatefor the issues that we're seeing,
and it's going to help performance.
ed (16:29):
Nobody likes deadlifts.
I mean,
but Casey, um, you recentlystarted using a gen AI tool
called, I think it's called whoop.
Um, how does that work?
casey (16:41):
Yeah, so I used to have the Aura Ring, and that was really helpful for
sleep tracking, and I moved on and also,uh, invested in a Whoop this Christmas,
and what's great about that is I can wearit under my goalkeeper glove, and that's
why I chose to go with that, uh, device.
One, it still tracks my sleep.
(17:01):
Two, it tracks my recovery, butit also, uh, tracks my strain,
so it will pick up on my sleep.
My practice, how much my heartrate, uh, what zone I'm in, uh,
it will track HIV and recovery.
And, uh, and so it's a, it's a reallyhelpful resource for me, um, to see where
(17:22):
I'm at, how much I'm exerting, uh, and howmuch more or less I need to be recovering.
ed (17:29):
Case, was there any moment when you could tell the tech you used in
training like paid off during a match?
casey (17:33):
I I'm really like in tune with how I feel.
And so it gives me anextra bit of confidence.
If I know like the tech istelling me I've recovered.
Well, I'm ready to perform.
I'm ready to push myself.
Uh, it will even, like, encourage me to,like, challenge myself if it, it seems
I've been, um, you know, at a place whereI've recovered well and I can push myself.
(17:57):
And so when I go into the game and Iactually feel myself performing, uh,
my legs feel good, my body feels good,uh, that just gives me an extra bit of
confidence, uh, to, um, take more risk.
ed (18:11):
Casey, sports are a business like any other, you know, how do
you think data analytics has madeyou and the teams you played for
more competitive over the years?
casey (18:19):
Yeah, I definitely think one of the things that sticks out of my
head is the fitness component of it.
And a lot of the things thatI've been on pride themselves
on being the fittest team.
And so especially in preseason withthe heart rate monitors and our coaches
have on the iPads, um, our heart rate.
and how hard we're working.
And so say we're working for a period ofthree minutes, the coaches are able to see
(18:42):
if you're dogging it or if you're actuallyworking as hard as you know, should be.
And it's just a tool that we canuse to make sure that everyone
is pushing themselves, especiallybefore the season starts.
That's an opportunity toget your fitness levels up.
And that's, uh, one area we'veused tech in the past to.
(19:03):
Uh, set ourselves apart fromother opponents and making sure
that we're fit and ready togo for when the season starts,
ed (19:09):
Mike, I think getting better at something, you know, whether it's it's
soccer or building a company, you know,requires slow, incremental improvement.
Like, how does the, how doesthe right tech help do that?
mike (19:21):
Yeah, I would say that having access to the technology
guesswork out of what you're doing.
So if our goal, for instance, is to To getsomebody to balance out the way they're
taking off and additionally increasetheir peak power and increase their 10
meter acceleration and the vertical.
Let's say we have a few differentmetrics there and we know we don't
(19:44):
have to hit that in two weeks.
But we also know that if the goalis to get better in those in six
months to a year and we test often,we could see if the plan we have
is working because otherwise you'rekind of just guessing that it does.
You know, historically, if we were ableto train these athletes, And we would,
we would test them periodically, let'ssay every two weeks, every three weeks,
(20:05):
every four weeks, if you're enactinga plan over that time, and it's not
really responding with them, thenyou've kind of wasted that time, right?
It's not, nothing's really a wastebecause you're doing something.
But you're not reallyoptimizing what you want to do.
So the technology and the data setsallow you to optimize exactly what
you're doing to make sure that yourprotocol is working with the athlete.
And I think that's the most valuable thingpossible because it, it helps the athlete
(20:29):
with feedback too for them to understandthat what they're doing is working.
And on the flip side of that,maybe four or five weeks go by or
three weeks, whatever it might be.
And we're like, Hey, this isn't working.
Let's modify it now.
The athlete doesn't feel likethey wasted too much time.
either.
And I think that's important when youhave an athlete looking for a goal,
but at the same time, they're tryingto trust you with that goal as well.
(20:49):
And that makes it easier on the trainerand the coach, and it makes it easier
in the relationship with the athlete.
ed (20:54):
Casey, what's next for you in your soccer career?
What's next, uh, nextfor you professionally?
casey (20:59):
Yeah, so I'm entering, gosh, I think it's my 8th professional year.
And, which is just crazy to me.
And, uh, I have my eyes set onthe next World Cup and Olympics.
Uh, last time around, Iwas the backup goalkeeper.
This time around, Iwant to be the starter.
Uh, so everything I do From now until2027 is in preparation for, uh, for,
(21:22):
you know, all of those big tournaments.
And one thing that I think I willtry and utilize as much as, you know,
I can is, is the tech and that's.
Especially importantfor me in the offseason.
I'm coming off offseason now, and that'sa lot of time where I go to a PTT and
I train with Mike and, uh, we're ableto break down how I ended the season
(21:46):
where my numbers are at and my goalsfor the offseason and making it, you
know, a really productive two months.
So going into.
The upcoming year.
I'm, uh, you know, just continue to raisethe bar and, uh, some players like to take
it totally easy in the offseason, but, uh,Mike knows, like him and I love to get up
(22:07):
early seven and sessions and get work in.
And, uh, so, yeah, just.
going into, um, a really big new cycle.
We have a new staff with the U.
S. Women's National Team andnew team, a lot of new players.
So just really wanting to, uh, do whatI can on and off the field to make sure
that, uh, I'm helping the team succeed.
(22:30):
And that's kind of on my, on my radar.
ed (22:33):
And, uh, I know that you, uh, you lead, um, soccer camps for, uh, future
future stars, um, c mgk soccer.comto find out more information for
those I know you've had camps in,in, in Austin and, and New Jersey.
So if you, uh, want to check outwhen the CMGK camps come to your
town, go to c mgk soccer.com.
(22:55):
Uh, Casey at Mike, thank youso much for joining us today.
Thank you, ed.
Thank you very much.
Appreciate it.
Talent, skill and hard work are neededto excel in any field, but to compete
at the world class level in sport orbusiness, you have to find another gear
and utilize whatever is necessary toseparate yourself from the competition.
Data, analytics and AI tools give thoseprecision insights that take athletes
(23:19):
and business leaders to the next level.
Thank you, Casey Murphy and Mike Olemfor giving us an insightful look into
how data and innovation are reshapingtraining, competition, and performance.
The future of athletics, likebusiness, is being driven by those
who embrace change and technology.
Until next time, keep innovatingand stay ahead of the curve.
(23:40):
For Innovation Heroes andSHI, I'm Ed McNamara, and I'll
see you again in two weeks.
Tech has evolved and I think one of the biggest things is there's
so much more data now coming out onthe females and how, you know, there's
differences obviously in our bodiesand how we perform and how we move.
So it's been really helpful to workwith coaches like Mike who understand
the female game just as much as themale game and also positionally as
(00:22):
a goalkeeper versus a field player.
ed (00:26):
In the world of technology, heroes are everywhere.
They're overcoming disruption, deliveringsustainable outcomes, and fearlessly
forging the future to solve what's next.
Join me, ed McNamara as we meet thepeople and businesses driving change
in our constantly disruptive world.
This is Innovation Heroes, apodcast brought to you by SHI.
(00:51):
In today's world, data isn't just king.
It's the game changer.
Redefining how we work, play, and win.
From boardrooms to locker rooms,technology and analytics have
become the driving forces behindgroundbreaking transformations.
Businesses now thrive on predictiveinsights and precision strategies.
While the sports world harnesses thatsame power, push human performance to
(01:15):
new heights, corporate leaders basedmost decisions on data and data analysis.
While athletes are taking more than justtalent, hard work and grit out to the
pitch with AI, analyzing every play anddata shaping every decision, the way we
compete in business and on the field.
Has changed forever today.
Casey Murphy goalkeeper for the NorthCarolina courage and the U S women's
(01:36):
national team and her training coach, MikeOlin dive into the seismic impact data
analytics have had on Casey's training.
And the way we all compete Casey andMike, welcome to innovation heroes.
casey (01:48):
Thank you for having us, Ed.
ed (01:50):
Thank you.
Absolutely.
I'm glad you're here.
Casey at 28, you've already built.
A really impressive resume while atRutgers University, you were two time
big 10 conference goalkeeper of the year.
Your 45 clean sheets make you Rutgersall time shutout leader and second,
all time in the big 10, which probablyirks you a little bit knowing you.
You've played professionally in France,Seattle, and now for the North Carolina
(02:13):
courage and the NWSL in this past summer,you're one of the 18 Americans who.
Brought home a gold medal from the2024 Summer Olympics in France.
First question, how do youeven describe being part of
the Olympics to the rest of us?
What was it like to, to represent theU S on, on the world stage in France?
casey (02:31):
Yeah, the Olympics or something I always dreamed about as a kid.
I feel like growing up, uh, it wasalways my goal to get on the U.
S. Women's national team and toplay on the international stage.
And so this was my first Olympics andhopefully not my last, but definitely
an amazing experience to be able to stepon the podium with, uh, my teammates
hand in hand winning a gold medal.
(02:52):
Uh, I had my whole family out there.
So it was just overall anincredible experience that I'll have
memories that I'll have forever.
Yeah.
ed (03:00):
No question.
And I think some of what we're goingto talk about today is going to be, uh,
talking about how you get to stay onthe podium, um, which is, uh, which,
which is important, but just, just forsort of take us back to the beginning,
Casey, how did you first get into soccer?
casey (03:12):
Yeah, I started playing soccer when I was probably like five or six years old.
I was a kid that played all typesof sports and soccer was just one of
them that I enjoyed and I stuck with.
And, uh, eventually just went fromthe local town team to a travel team
to, PDA, which is one of the top,uh, academies in the, in the country.
(03:34):
And, uh, from there, uh, thenext step was collegiately.
And then from there, nextstep was professionally.
So it was just climbing thisladder, um, the whole time.
And it's been a. You know,a really fun journey so far.
ed (03:47):
So obviously you were having success, um, you know, pretty early, but there is,
is there a moment you can remember whenyou were young, when you realized that,
Hey, like I, I might be a special player.
Was there a big save, a big victoryor a big breakthrough of some kind
that you, you had that realization?
casey (04:05):
You know, I was like one of those kids that just was super competitive
and always just like loved winning.
Uh, and so I was always just like tryingto be You know a bit better than the rest
of my teammates and I think that Thatkind of set me apart from a young age.
It's just like, I was the first one there.
I like to stay after and do extra stuff.
(04:26):
And, uh, I just always was competingagainst myself to be a better
version, even at the youth level.
ed (04:33):
Mike turning to you for, uh, for a few seconds, uh, for the past 15
years, you've been owner and directorof operations at advanced physical and
technical training in Metucha, New Jersey.
And, and you've built.
AP2T into one of the largest soccerspecific athletic performance
and technical trading, you know,companies in the, in, in the country,
you know, what about yourself?
(04:54):
Like, how did you get into soccerand, and when did you make that
transition to becoming a trainer?
mike (04:59):
Yeah.
So, you know, I alwaysplayed at a young age.
I would credit my uncle and aunt,uh, Barry and Laura, who were in
Europe for a lot of their youngeryears who fell in love with AC
Milan, Parma and Manchester United.
And so I remember watching at a youngage, Uh, falling in love and playing
and what really got me into trainingwas kind of a different path than most.
(05:22):
So I started off as an exercise sciencemajor in college and I actually switched
after my freshman year because I didn'treally understand how to make a career
out of it besides physical therapy.
And I actually, you know, went to lawschool and my semester before I went
to law school, I started helping outin my old high school and just really
fell in love with training again.
And always had, um, very impactfulcoaches, Mike Romeo, one of my coaches
(05:46):
who used to work with Casey as well.
He's over at Rutgers University in PDAtoo, was my club and my high school
coach, and he had a big impact on me.
So when I was in law school, Idecided to try to start AP2T.
I dropped out after six weeks.
I had an idea to bring an athleticperformance gym to a field.
So for the first, you know,seven years or so, I was driving
(06:08):
around in a truck and a trailer.
Bringing all this equipmentto different fields.
Uh, and then was fortunate enough tolink up with Jeff Josel, who I ended
up coaching with, uh, as his assistant.
And we were able to open thema touch and sports center.
And that happened abouteight, nine years ago.
ed (06:23):
Awesome.
Well, congrats on that.
You know, Mike, when you, when you,when you and Casey met at Rutgers, you
know, when, when Casey was in college,I'm going to say I'm sure it was a
little over 10 years ago or just about10 years ago, what, what tech were you
using during, during Casey's trainingback then, what, what, what tech was
being employed at the college level,uh, as, as, as early as 10 years ago.
mike (06:43):
So I think the top universities were utilizing, you know, force plates are
using different kinds of dynamometers and.
Different kind of data analytics thatwere created, whether it be with like
Power BI or through algorithms within,you know, um, whatever the tech was on
our end, we just started to get intoutilizing, um, the force plate technology.
(07:04):
So I can't remember exactly how manyyears ago we started with Sparta Science.
They were unbelievable.
Uh, their algorithm is very nice.
And then we switched over to VaultTechnologies now, which we've used for
the, the past, uh, X amount of years.
So initially we werestarting with just JumpMats.
And, um, you know, kind of handhelddynamometers and things like that.
And it's since, uh, very muchevolved and rapidly evolved.
(07:27):
In a short amount of time
ed (07:29):
and using that data, you know, what did the data say?
Like, did it give you any insightinto how to adjust Casey's training
or playing style, et cetera?
mike (07:39):
Absolutely.
So, um, what we were able to realizeis that she was a bit of a hip hinger,
um, didn't properly transition fromher eccentric phase into a concentric
phase as efficiently as possible.
And it's interesting when you're agoalkeeper, it's a really unique position
because you're, you're vertical andhorizontal based as far as power output
goes, but there's also a component tonot just agility, obviously, but also
(08:02):
conditioning because you're expectedto do very powerful things in rapid
succession and it's kind of at randomwhen it happens, you could be, you know,
having limited action for the first 75minutes and you could be peppered with
shots and corners for the next 15 minutesand then another 30 minutes of overtime.
And then you're expected to gomake some saves and penalties.
or kicks at the spot at the end.
So we tried to utilize the data to notonly, uh, you know, address any kind
(08:28):
of imbalances that we saw, but we'realso looking at how do we maximize
performance and, you know, talk about theendurance, talk about the anaerobic, the
aerobic component while simultaneouslyhitting those imbalances and getting
her faster, getting her stronger.
Um, and obviously withsomebody of Casey's.
mental and physical,you know, uh, capacity.
It's not very hard becauseshe's a workhorse and always
(08:50):
eager to learn and listen.
And, uh, oftentimes, youknow, enough, wasn't enough.
And we do those extra fewreps or extra few sets.
Uh, that's what, you know, separatesthe best in the world from the rest.
ed (09:00):
Casey, I, I think I heard Mike say that you might have
been a sloucher growing up.
Is that, is that, uh, was that the case?
Is that where that comes from?
casey (09:08):
Yeah, I remember my mom would always like make me stand
against the wall, like backstraight and work on my posture.
But a lot of my position is, youknow, on my toes leaning forward.
So it's, it was a, youknow, a hard habit to break.
ed (09:23):
Well, as someone who was once six foot four, I know about slouching.
So I know I can relate to itand boy, those days are gone.
Um, Casey, the tech you had accessto when you were in university is
obviously different than today.
You know, how has the, the technologythat you're deploying, whether it be
in, in, in practice, in, in, in games,in preparation or reviewing exercise.
(09:44):
You know, how has it evolved over thelast five or 10 years and, and, and
what's really been effective for you?
casey (09:50):
Yeah, definitely tech has evolved.
And I think one of the biggest thingsis there's been so much research done,
especially on male athletes and, um,male soccer players, but there's so
much more data now coming out on thefemales and how, you know, there's
differences obviously in our bodiesand how we perform and how we move
(10:11):
and our bone structure and all that.
So it's been really helpful to work withcoaches like Mike who understand the
female game just as much as the male game.
And also positionally as a goalkeeperversus a field player, what movement
patterns are going to be mostimportant for me to, uh, be more
explosive or quick burst off my line.
(10:32):
So, uh, it's been reallyhelpful to use little bits of.
Data here and there, in addition tothe training on the field, um, as
ways to just, you know, widen thatgap between me and the other keepers.
ed (10:46):
And Mike, how do you incorporate, you know, those
insights into, into Casey's training?
mike (10:52):
Yeah, so I, I just think, you know, training is small increments over
time to yield, you know, great results.
So it's about positive, notjust physical behaviors, but
emotional behaviors as well.
And like we talked about before, where.
Willing to learn willing tolisten willing to adjust.
So there could be a time when perhapsshe's a little bit more in balance
(11:13):
favoring her left side versus her right.
We would know we need to work a littlebit more on keeping that balance up.
Maybe it came from fatigue.
Maybe that year when she was playing.
She ended up planting on that foot,you know, X amount of times more
than she did in the other one.
So there was a bit of an imbalancethat developed over time.
So we kind of utilize the offseason to correct those things.
And that's why it's important to havethe data and to check often to see
(11:35):
what those adjustments need to be.
Cause it's not really a universal thing.
It's a very specific per the athlete.
There are definitely universal norms.
As far as training goes for speed,power and strength and things like that.
But, you know, the microadjustments is what separates, you
know, the 99 percent for the 99.
9. And those are the things that wetry to do based on the individual data.
ed (11:53):
And what is it?
Is it a wearable?
Is it like, you know,what's giving you that data?
What's, what's, what's thedata collection method?
mike (12:00):
So, uh, there's definitely wearables.
What I primarily look at are,you know, force plate jumps.
I'll look at hamstring strength, hipabduction, adduction strength, and
we'll look at like shoulder stabilityand shoulder strength as well to
try to make sure that the body's inharmony and also not just in harmony,
but it's getting better, right?
And you want to make sure that, youknow, if you're comparing it to a car,
the engine, the tires, the gas, the oil,everything is firing on all cylinders
(12:24):
to get the best machine possible.
We don't want one to becompensating for the other because
that's when injuries occur.
At the same time, not justlooking at injuries, we're
also looking at performance.
So we want to make sure that whilewe're trying our best to keep her injury
free, there's also a gain in performanceas well, which is very important.
It's not one or the other.
It's kind of those two in,you know, working together.
ed (12:46):
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(13:29):
We've talked a lot about data fortraining, you know, but, but what
about like for scouting opponents?
You know, I was thinking to myself,you know, you see the Microsoft
Surface devices are on, on thefield for every, you know, NFL game.
Um, but I was thinking like, you know,for penalty kicks, like, are you, are you
using any data to like, you know, analyzelike the, the, the history of, you know,
(13:50):
what an opponent, you know, tends to do,like, do you have access to that, like
either before or during a game or, or, youknow, is that, is that classic film study?
Like what, what tech are you guys using,you know, for that kind of preparation?
casey (14:03):
Yeah, we have staff behind the scenes that really helps
scout the opponent for us andwill give us information for me
specifically on their strikers.
You know, which side left or rightam I expected to see more crosses
from, you know, uh, set piecewise, like where they're looking to
target, uh, penalty kicks, where.
(14:24):
An opponent may more likely go and sothat's all information that we received
before the game and it's on us to reviewthat and make sure that we, you know,
we take that all into consideration,but also as a team, you want to.
You know, be you and play your game andnot worry so much about the opponent,
(14:45):
but that's definitely a resource thatwe have, especially going into the
international level games where, uh, themargins are really little and you want
to have that edge as much as possible.
It's information like that.
It's really, it's helpful
ed (14:59):
and Mike, back, back to you, you, you mentioned, uh, Sparta science.
You said you've used the, the, the AIinfused platform of Sparta science and
Casey's training, you know, how, how, howdo you exactly, does that, does that work?
And, uh, and you know, what aresome of the insights you, you
learned about Casey from Sparta?
mike (15:15):
Yeah.
So the, the cool thing aboutSparta is that it provides based
on AI, a whole workout protocol.
So a lot of the other technology, like,like I said, we use vault now where.
You know, you have the rawdata and the interpretations
kind of up to the practitioner.
So as far as, you know, run a lot of, um,different, I don't know if experiments
(15:35):
right word, but they definitely runa lot of different trials to see how
appropriately, um, a workout programworks basically to help whatever the,
the algorithm saying that the athleteneeds to work on, if that makes sense.
So, um, that was a really cool thingto be able to utilize what they saw
based on the data and then kind of.
You know, modify it based on my ownneeds or Casey's needs are because
(15:58):
like we said, you don't want to justblindly look at what the algorithm
says without interpretation.
There's a quantitative component to it.
There's got to be a qualitativecomponent to where if you know,
a deadlift, for instance, mightbe the recommended exercise.
Perhaps Casey doesn't like the deadlift.
I'm not saying she doesn't.
I'm just giving an example.
Then you have to modifyas, um, as a practitioner.
(16:19):
But we're able to have that datato say, look at This is the type of
exercise that's going to help compensatefor the issues that we're seeing,
and it's going to help performance.
ed (16:29):
Nobody likes deadlifts.
I mean,
but Casey, um, you recentlystarted using a gen AI tool
called, I think it's called whoop.
Um, how does that work?
casey (16:41):
Yeah, so I used to have the Aura Ring, and that was really helpful for
sleep tracking, and I moved on and also,uh, invested in a Whoop this Christmas,
and what's great about that is I can wearit under my goalkeeper glove, and that's
why I chose to go with that, uh, device.
One, it still tracks my sleep.
(17:01):
Two, it tracks my recovery, butit also, uh, tracks my strain,
so it will pick up on my sleep.
My practice, how much my heartrate, uh, what zone I'm in, uh,
it will track HIV and recovery.
And, uh, and so it's a, it's a reallyhelpful resource for me, um, to see where
(17:22):
I'm at, how much I'm exerting, uh, and howmuch more or less I need to be recovering.
ed (17:29):
Case, was there any moment when you could tell the tech you used in
training like paid off during a match?
casey (17:33):
I I'm really like in tune with how I feel.
And so it gives me anextra bit of confidence.
If I know like the tech istelling me I've recovered.
Well, I'm ready to perform.
I'm ready to push myself.
Uh, it will even, like, encourage me to,like, challenge myself if it, it seems
I've been, um, you know, at a place whereI've recovered well and I can push myself.
(17:57):
And so when I go into the game and Iactually feel myself performing, uh,
my legs feel good, my body feels good,uh, that just gives me an extra bit of
confidence, uh, to, um, take more risk.
ed (18:11):
Casey, sports are a business like any other, you know, how do
you think data analytics has madeyou and the teams you played for
more competitive over the years?
casey (18:19):
Yeah, I definitely think one of the things that sticks out of my
head is the fitness component of it.
And a lot of the things thatI've been on pride themselves
on being the fittest team.
And so especially in preseason withthe heart rate monitors and our coaches
have on the iPads, um, our heart rate.
and how hard we're working.
And so say we're working for a period ofthree minutes, the coaches are able to see
(18:42):
if you're dogging it or if you're actuallyworking as hard as you know, should be.
And it's just a tool that we canuse to make sure that everyone
is pushing themselves, especiallybefore the season starts.
That's an opportunity toget your fitness levels up.
And that's, uh, one area we'veused tech in the past to.
(19:03):
Uh, set ourselves apart fromother opponents and making sure
that we're fit and ready togo for when the season starts,
ed (19:09):
Mike, I think getting better at something, you know, whether it's it's
soccer or building a company, you know,requires slow, incremental improvement.
Like, how does the, how doesthe right tech help do that?
mike (19:21):
Yeah, I would say that having access to the technology
guesswork out of what you're doing.
So if our goal, for instance, is to To getsomebody to balance out the way they're
taking off and additionally increasetheir peak power and increase their 10
meter acceleration and the vertical.
Let's say we have a few differentmetrics there and we know we don't
(19:44):
have to hit that in two weeks.
But we also know that if the goalis to get better in those in six
months to a year and we test often,we could see if the plan we have
is working because otherwise you'rekind of just guessing that it does.
You know, historically, if we were ableto train these athletes, And we would,
we would test them periodically, let'ssay every two weeks, every three weeks,
(20:05):
every four weeks, if you're enactinga plan over that time, and it's not
really responding with them, thenyou've kind of wasted that time, right?
It's not, nothing's really a wastebecause you're doing something.
But you're not reallyoptimizing what you want to do.
So the technology and the data setsallow you to optimize exactly what
you're doing to make sure that yourprotocol is working with the athlete.
And I think that's the most valuable thingpossible because it, it helps the athlete
(20:29):
with feedback too for them to understandthat what they're doing is working.
And on the flip side of that,maybe four or five weeks go by or
three weeks, whatever it might be.
And we're like, Hey, this isn't working.
Let's modify it now.
The athlete doesn't feel likethey wasted too much time.
either.
And I think that's important when youhave an athlete looking for a goal,
but at the same time, they're tryingto trust you with that goal as well.
(20:49):
And that makes it easier on the trainerand the coach, and it makes it easier
in the relationship with the athlete.
ed (20:54):
Casey, what's next for you in your soccer career?
What's next, uh, nextfor you professionally?
casey (20:59):
Yeah, so I'm entering, gosh, I think it's my 8th professional year.
And, which is just crazy to me.
And, uh, I have my eyes set onthe next World Cup and Olympics.
Uh, last time around, Iwas the backup goalkeeper.
This time around, Iwant to be the starter.
Uh, so everything I do From now until2027 is in preparation for, uh, for,
(21:22):
you know, all of those big tournaments.
And one thing that I think I willtry and utilize as much as, you know,
I can is, is the tech and that's.
Especially importantfor me in the offseason.
I'm coming off offseason now, and that'sa lot of time where I go to a PTT and
I train with Mike and, uh, we're ableto break down how I ended the season
(21:46):
where my numbers are at and my goalsfor the offseason and making it, you
know, a really productive two months.
So going into.
The upcoming year.
I'm, uh, you know, just continue to raisethe bar and, uh, some players like to take
it totally easy in the offseason, but, uh,Mike knows, like him and I love to get up
(22:07):
early seven and sessions and get work in.
And, uh, so, yeah, just.
going into, um, a really big new cycle.
We have a new staff with the U.
S. Women's National Team andnew team, a lot of new players.
So just really wanting to, uh, do whatI can on and off the field to make sure
that, uh, I'm helping the team succeed.
(22:30):
And that's kind of on my, on my radar.
ed (22:33):
And, uh, I know that you, uh, you lead, um, soccer camps for, uh, future
future stars, um, c mgk soccer.comto find out more information for
those I know you've had camps in,in, in Austin and, and New Jersey.
So if you, uh, want to check outwhen the CMGK camps come to your
town, go to c mgk soccer.com.
(22:55):
Uh, Casey at Mike, thank youso much for joining us today.
Thank you, ed.
Thank you very much.
Appreciate it.
Talent, skill and hard work are neededto excel in any field, but to compete
at the world class level in sport orbusiness, you have to find another gear
and utilize whatever is necessary toseparate yourself from the competition.
Data, analytics and AI tools give thoseprecision insights that take athletes
(23:19):
and business leaders to the next level.
Thank you, Casey Murphy and Mike Olemfor giving us an insightful look into
how data and innovation are reshapingtraining, competition, and performance.
The future of athletics, likebusiness, is being driven by those
who embrace change and technology.
Until next time, keep innovatingand stay ahead of the curve.
(23:40):
For Innovation Heroes andSHI, I'm Ed McNamara, and I'll
see you again in two weeks.
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