By Andrew Trimble, Director of Athlete Performance, Teamworks
Setting the Stage
In a recent webinar hosted by PSN, I had the privilege of moderating a conversation with Aman Singh Shargill (Head of Innovation & Performance Science) and Todd Atkins (Product Success Manager, Teamworks). In the session titled: The Role of Innovation in Performance, we explored how AI, innovation, and Athlete Management Systems (AMS) are reshaping elite performance environments.
The Role of AI in Performance
Aman set the tone early, describing both the opportunity and caution around AI in elite sport:
On discovery:
“I do see a day where organisations that have their data well managed are able to have an AI chatbot in front of their data set… where we can ask it questions in our usual language and have it go and pull from all our different data streams.”
On limits:
“AI won’t make the decision at the end of the day. It’s there to give the information quicker, maybe with a bit more context, but the skilled practitioner still needs to interpret that.”
The consensus: AI will be an enabler of efficiency and insight, not a replacement for the scientific rigor and judgment of practitioners. I’m really interested in where this technology goes in the near future.
Aligning Technology with Athletes
Both speakers emphasised that technology must serve the athlete first.
Todd captured it well:
“The athlete has to be the end outcome. If you’re collecting data without giving anything back to the player, buy-in will never happen.”
Aman added that communication and education are vital:
“Athletes don’t want group lectures; they want one-on-one conversations about why this matters to me. If they feel the benefit personally, they’ll buy in.”
From my experience as a former professional rugby player, this resonates with me. Performance teams need to be engaging with athletes as partners, helping them understand the role performance teams play in helping them improve.
We also acknowledged barriers—particularly around culture, education, and ROI.
Todd explained:
“It never works if you just push technology onto a club. You have to listen, tailor, and show how it saves time or improves decisions. Start small, win trust, and then grow.”
For Aman, it came down to clear purpose:
“If you can’t answer the question, ‘What will we actually do with this data?’ before you buy the tech, then you won’t be able to answer it when you’re flying with it.”
At Teamworks, we are seeing more and more leading football clubs adopting our AMS because of its flexibility and our ability to work with clubs to build what they need.
Aman spoke about this process:
“Picking something off the shelf doesn’t necessarily do it. You need to go on a journey and you need to work out a way that works for you as an organisation.”
The Strengths of Teamworks AMS
The webinar then moved into a live walkthrough of Teamworks AMS. Several themes stood out:
- Athlete-Centric Design
- Multiple touchpoints for data input (app, iPad, staff-assisted).
- Simple, fast workflows for players (“10-second attention span” friendly).
- Personal dashboards to give players instant feedback on wellness, GPS, or recovery data.
- Flexibility
- “Not one size fits all.” Clubs can choose workflows that match their culture.
- From subjective questionnaires to wearable integrations, the system adapts to different philosophies.
- White-labeled branding (logos, colours) makes onboarding smoother.
- Alignment Across Departments
- Transparency and access across medical, S&C, nutrition, and leadership.
- “That 360° view of the player” allows performance directors and sporting directors to see the whole picture.
- Facilitates communication loops, so subjective and objective data flow seamlessly.
- Efficiency and ROI
- Automates data collection, flagging, and alerts (e.g., soreness thresholds).
- Reduces manual reporting and confusion by centralizing data into readiness dashboards and player profiles.
- Demonstrated value to stakeholders, from athletes to board members.
As Todd reinforced:
“The system can do so much, but the key is to start with what saves time or adds clear value. Once coaches see that, they’ll pull you for more.”
Closing Thought
The conversation reinforced that innovation isn’t about tech for tech’s sake. It’s about connecting people, processes, and performance through tools that are efficient, athlete-focused, and flexible.
That’s exactly what Teamworks AMS is built to deliver — a performance operating system trusted by leading clubs to unlock both efficiency and alignment.
You can listen to the full webinar here.
To learn more, visit teamworks.com/performance or reach out to the team via the form below.