This week in the world of sports science, here’s what happened…
- Nike’s mind shoe
- Why football academies are missing two-thirds of future stars!
- Experienced high-performance practitioners are not being valued!
Nike’s mind shoe
Recently, there has been significant online discussion surrounding Nike’s latest shoe, “Nike Mind”. Earlier this year, the YouTube channel NothingButTech released a clip that shed light on the innovative work being done by Nike’s scientists in developing the Nike Mind shoe.
For years, modern shoes have focused on comfort by incorporating excessive cushioning. However, this heavy padding has dulled the sensory receptors in our feet. In response, Nike’s scientists have designed soles with raised pressure points that actively stimulate these receptors. According to initial research from Nike, athletes who wore these shoes exhibited improved focus and enhanced brain processing speed.
This points to a potential breakthrough in shoe technology: optimising footwear to strengthen the connection between the brain and body. To find out more about Nike Mind shoes, check out the YouTube clip here.
Why football academies are missing two-thirds of future stars!
Jorg van der Breggen is a prominent figure in youth football development, and he recently shared a thought-provoking post on LinkedIn regarding football academies missing out on two-thirds of their future stars.
His insights are based on a recent study that tracked 313 Swedish footballers from 2011 to 2023 who represented either the senior or U21 Swedish national team. The findings reveal that 34% of these players were first selected at the U15-U16 stage (“academy years”), while 33% were first selected at the U17-U19 stage. Remarkably, one-third of the players who represented the senior or U21 national team were only first selected at this stage. These statistics indicate that about two-thirds of Swedish internationals were not picked during their “academy years”. Additionally, 40% developed outside of elite academies, and 12% had no experience in youth international matches.
Van der Breggen argues that many football academies adhere to the same mindset: “Identify early, invest heavily in a select few, and hope for the best.” He believes that for academies to gain a competitive edge, they need to create ecosystems with multiple entry points at various stages, nurture late bloomers, and allow flexibility so that players can re-enter the system at different times.
If you are interested in this topic, our blog How does age and maturation affect motor coordination and performance? and podcast episode, Is Youth Football in Crisis? With Andrew Hyde, are well worth checking out!
Experienced high-performance practitioners are not being valued!
High-performance specialist Dr Ryan King recently shared a sobering yet honest message on social media (see here) about practitioners in high-performance sport, suggesting that the future looks grim unless change happens.
King opens with a fundamental economic principle: “If supply outstrips demand, cost drops.” He refers to the overwhelming number of qualified practitioners in the high-performance sport industry. This oversupply enables organisations to offer low salaries for positions that require excellence.
With these inadequate salaries, King argues that many top professionals are being pushed out, underutilised, and left with few opportunities. He believes this has resulted in a system that undervalues experience, normalises low pay, and dilutes the standard of excellence—ultimately causing organisations and teams to fall short of their ambitions.
So, if you’re part of a team or organisation with serious aspirations, it’s crucial to value practitioners’ experience and ensure their salaries reflect that worth! Let’s hope this change occurs, allowing high-performance practitioners to feel valued and paid accordingly.
From us this week:
>> New course: Socially Supporting Athletes
>> New podcast: Neuroscience and Coaching in High Performance Sport
>> New infographic: Power BI
>> New article: Hydrotherapy
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