The Florida State University Seminoles have one of the top women’s soccer programs in the United States. FSU has qualified for the NCAA tournament every year since 2000, making appearances in three championship games over that stretch.

The Seminoles women’s soccer team has been using the Fatigue Science Readiband technology since 2014. As the team prepares to kick off the 2015 season as defending National Champions, we had the chance to ask a few questions of Assistant Coach Mike Bristol about their use of the Fatigue Science Readiband platform.

Assistant Coach Mike Bristol photo courtesy of seminoles.com

Since his arrival in Tallahassee, Bristol has helped guide the Seminoles to four straight appearances in the College Cup, a national runner-up finish in 2013 and the national title in 2014. Last December, Mike was honored as the Glenn “Mooch” Myernick National Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year.

A few questions with FSU Women’s Soccer’s Mike Bristol

F/S: How do the Seminoles incorporate modern technology into the overall team program?

MB: All of the technology we use is geared towards avoidance of injury and player education. That is, we really try to reduce the impact of fatigue-associated injury and keep the players feeling fresh and healthy late into the season. We also want to prepare them for their future as professionals after their time at FSU. With the condensed nature of the collegiate soccer season amid a demanding academic schedule, recovery from training and games is imperative for optimal performance. The technology helps in their understanding of how fatigue affects performance, both on the field and in the classroom.

F/S: How are you using the Readiband technology?

MB: Currently, the Readibands are being used for player education and health screening, learning how athletes manage sleep around games/events, and making decisions to limit the impact of training and travel on sleep opportunity. We are looking forward to evaluating game-time readiness with the implementation of Bluetooth capabilities in the new model.

F/S: What have you found to be the biggest benefit?

MB: Player education is of great importance to us here at Florida State. The Readibands have encouraged our athletes to learn about their sleep habits and how it affects their performance on the soccer field. Another benefit we have seen is the ability to screen for possible sleep disturbances, and get to the root of the problem before it becomes a serious issue.

F/S: To what degree has using the Readibands been a game-changer for your athletes and the team overall?

MB: The Readiband and all of this education about sleep and recovery has been immensely helpful in preparing our athletes for training and competition. It definitely plays a part in the overall picture we try to give our athletes about the importance of preparation and recovery during a short and busy season.   The small details make a big difference at the end of the season.

F/S: Finish this sentence: Sleep is…

MB: One of the vital components to optimal performance.

We look forward to seeing what the season brings for defending national champions, the FSU Seminoles!