One of my favourite memories from my junior sporting years is a video of me running a 400m at the Victorian Championships. To this very day, I still find myself watching it when I feel like taking a trip down memory lane. However, the purpose of filming the race all those years ago wasn’t based on fuelling any future nostalgia, but giving me an avenue to see my race in a completely different light. Back then my understanding of technique and tactics was only limited, but the one thing that was certain was the incredibly motivating effect video has on sporting performance and personal excellence.
With this positive experience in mind, I find it an absolute must, to incorporate the wonders of digital video within my Physical Education classes. While video may not a completely foreign tool for most, it has, in recent years, gone to a whole new level of possibility. Thanks to the capacity to warp time.
What’s a TimeWarp?
Whenever I’m asked by a PE Teacher for the first app they need to install on their new device, I suggest a video delay or “timewarp” app. Essentially an app such as this enables you to simultaneously record and display delayed video. This means that a PE Teacher can have their device pointed towards any action in the PE classroom and after the performance has been completed, the performer has adequate time to return to the screen to see their skill in action.
Is this new?
The short answer is No!
Back in 2009, I convinced my school to purchase an expensive piece of software that made it possible to timewarp video. At the time, I remember being excited with the possibilities that it presented to the classroom. You can see the potential it had in the video I shot in September of 2009 below
How did it work in 2009?
In the video, I finish with a statement saying “Definitely something I will do again“. Hmmm… What a complete lie that proved being as the sheer difficulty and time-consuming setup led to an inability to use it in the general classroom setting. So even though it had was an incredibly powerful addition to the classroom, it got put aside.
So how is it different now? Flash forward to the smartphone era and it’s now possible to achieve all of the things I attempted to do in 2009, for a sheer fraction of the cost and with no more than 20 seconds setup time. Here’s how.
For iPhone & iPad Users
BaM Video Delay When this app first hit the scene I was completely blown away. It’s capacity to enable a complete hands-free video feedback in the PE classroom enabled me to resume using time-shifted feedback in my PE classroom after a 3-year hiatus. Since its release it has become an absolute must have for PE Teachers and sports coaches who are keen to take performance analysis to the next level. Use it in gymnastics, dance, track and field or during skill development. The possibilities are endless. See the video tutorial below to see exactly how easy this app is to use.
For Android Users
For many years, I’ve been asked for equivalent Android versions of BaM Video Delay, and until recently it simply didn’t exist. That’s until, the good people at Appy Hands brought Video Coach to life. Video coach helps you analyse and improve your sporting activities or the performance of your students or athletes. To make this happen Video coach records videos and displays them continuously with a time delay for a quick and hands-free visual feedback. You can also record your performance and watch it a few seconds later directly on your device without touching a button One of the unique features of Video Coach that it’s iOS equivalent apps don’t have, is the ability to utilise a collection of drawing tools to further emphasise the teaching points. See the app in action via the video demo below;
So without a doubt the physical education landscape has shifted, with it now possible to enable video replays in the PE classroom using the apps above. How could you use a TimeWarp?
