VEO TEST

ESPN COVERS

PEOPLE’S PUSKAS CAMPAIGN

Notes from our CEO

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DIRECTORS WANT MORE COACHES, COACHES WANT VEO

Insights from 2023 Study

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FREE AGENT

ESPN COVERS PEOPLE’S PUSKAS CAMPAIGN, WHICH PORTRAYS THE ESSENCE OF VEO

Welcome to Free Agent

Welcome to the first issue of Free Agent –our new paper about everything that’s going on in the Veo universe. This is our celebration of the people and moments in our community. Every quarter, we will collect the most exciting insights and entertaining stories from the last quarter in this format. We hope you enjoy reading our first issue. We begin with a celebration of the heroes of grassroots football.

Back in February, FIFA announced the winner of the Puskás Award to the scorer of the most beautiful goal in 2022. Marcin Oleksy from Poland was the deserved winner with an incredible volley – check it out if you haven’t seen it. However, after we saw the list of nominees packed with well-known names from the world elite, we wondered: Where are all the grassroots players? Aren’t they equally worthy of being celebrated?

Here at Veo, we believe in the power of sport on all levels, amplified by technology. So when we saw a window to celebrate the players and moments that normally don’t get proper recognition, we took the chance.

We wrote FIFA an open letter, asking if they really took all the goals recorded in 2022 into consideration. And we announced our alternative, “The People’s Puskas” – eight bangers selected from the 5.7 million goals recorded with Veo in 2022.

The football community embraced it. In no time, amazing goals flooded our social media channels and inboxes. Some recorded with Veo, some not. All of them tagged #PeoplesPuskas.

Will we see FIFA nominate more grassroots players for the Puskas Award 2023? One thing is for sure, with video technology more accessible at the grassroots level and the nominees that have come in, we will see plenty more belters from every level of the game.

You’ll find the same in Free Agent: Stories from all levels of the game – with a special love for the grassroots.

Because the grassroots players are out there, and they are definitely worthy of being celebrated.

THE 8 CONTENDERS FOR #PEOPLESPUSKAS

1. Kieren Crighton (Forfar United)

2. Oliver Johansen (Kareby Herrfotboll)

3. Jodi Cornwall (Ilminster Ladies FC)

4. Oli Babington (Clevedon Town)

5. Ryan Hardy (Future Elite Academy)

6. Mathilde Tollagsen (Hundvag Idrettslag)

7. Conner Collins (Wessex Wanderers)

8. Zac Allen (David Green FC)

“EVERY ONE OF THESE IS BETTER THAN THE OFFICIAL FIFA SELECTIONS.”

“HOW AMAZING WOULD IT BE IF @FIFA MADE THIS AN ACTUAL AWARD?”

KEVIN DE BRUYNE’S KDB CUP GOES

GLOBAL IN 2023

While Kevin De Bruyne was at the Ballon d’Or ceremony last year picking up his prize for 3rd best player in the world, Barcelona’s Gavi won the Golden Boy Award. The two have an unlikely connection in that Gavi broke into the scene at De Bruyne’s U15 youth tournament, The KDB Cup alongside players like Jamal Musiala and Eric Garcia. Now in its 6th iteration, De Bruyne’s passion project has steadily been cementing itself as the “best youth tournament in the world”, according to scouts from Roc Nation Sports International.

This year, the KDB Cup is going global, with South African side Mamelodi Sundowns and Brazilian side Palmeiras competing as the first-ever non-European sides. “When I played youth tournaments, I never played teams from outside of Europe. So to

get a team from Brazil is a little bit crazy. I’m excited to watch them play,” says Kevin De Bruyne. For Mamelodi Sundowns, this will be the first time outside of South Africa for these kids. “I think it will be a great experience for them not only to play football against other teams but to see another part of the world and to have a life experience,” says De Bruyne. They will compete against Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Odense Boldklub, RB Leipzig, Manchester City, Ajax, PSG, KAA Gent, and Club Brugge.

Follow @veotechnologies and @kdbcup for all the build-up to the KDB Cup, and tune in to Veo Live on June 10th and 11th for a free Champions League appetizer.

KEY INSIGHTS FROM 2023 VEO STUDY

BUDGET SEASON WISH LIST: DIRECTORS WANT COACHES (#2), COACHES WANT VEO (#1)

Club directors rank better facilities as their main investment priority, followed by more coaches.

However, only 5% of coaches think ‘more coaches’ is a priority, compared to 40% of club directors. Coaches are instead craving technology in the form of a Veo subscription, putting it first on their wish list, followed by better facilities.

And while facilities are a long-term investment, technology can make both an immediate and long-term impact at a fraction of the cost.

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We surveyed 314 club directors, coaches, players, and fans to explore the impact of technology at a grassroots level and how behaviors and expectations have evolved because of it.

A NEW FORM OF ATTRACTING TALENT

of coaches say a club is more attractive if they have a Veo. 87% of players agree.

REVENUE OPPORTUNITIES IN GAME HIGHLIGHTS AND LIVE-STREAMING

92% 67%

of fans would pay a small fee to watch their local team’s highlights and games. 63% of directors also believe video and livestreaming help them gain sponsorships.

NEW BEHAVIOURS: WHAT PLAYERS PREFER TO SPEND THEIR EVENING WATCHING.

THE COST OF NOT HAVING ANALYTICS: RIVALS GAIN AN ADVANTAGE

81%

of club directors agreed that rivals would have an advantage if “rivals had access to analytics and we didn’t.”

76% of coaches agree.

CREATING ENGAGING LEARNING EXPERIENCES IS THE BIGGEST BENEFIT OF VIDEO ANALYSIS

Directors and coaches in the survey agree that creating engaging learning experiences is the most important aspect of video analysis, more so than saving time, implementing their philosophy, or helping kids be recruited. This shows their focus on developing players and how vital visual learning and feedback is today.

Coaching is no longer a one-way exercise. It needs to be engaging. 94% of players agree that video and data make it more fun to learn and develop, with 64% strongly agreeing.

Kids are used to consuming sports in this way already, so it’s the only natural way to communicate. And it works. 92% of coaches say that players listen to them more when video is involved. Video and data help coaches translate information and instructions in a tangible way that players are unable to argue with.

A NEW FORM OF LEARNING & ENTERTAINMENT

It’s an underdog story that will make the perfect movie script in a few years. During the Covid lockdown of 2020, Tommy Fish and Akin Okunola – two old school friends and lifelong football fanatics – realized that their elite playing days were soon behind them. They decided to do something they dreamed about as kids and created their own football club based in their West London neighborhood of Hammersmith.

Despite being surrounded by a plethora of professional and amateur clubs, including Chelsea, Brentford, and QPR, Tommy and Akin persisted with grit and determination to make their dream a reality. Utilizing their backgrounds in international professional football and rugby, both on the player and organizational side, they managed to recruit enough friends and former elite players to start a men’s team. And after an inspired meeting with a superstar of the Women’s game, they realized they could create a Women’s team too.

What happened next will go down as a legend. In their debut season, the Hammersmith FC Women went unbeaten, won the league, and gained automatic promotion. Not to be outdone – the men’s team also won their league – and both grassroots teams embarked on an open-top bus parade

HAMMERSMITH FC: INVINCIBLE WOMEN ON THEIR WAY TO FA CUP?

around London as if they’d just won the Champions League, to the absolute amusement of anyone who watched them.

At the time of this publication, the Hammersmith FC Womens Team have lost only one competitive game in their two years of existence. If they maintain this trajectory, they could qualify for the English FA Cup in the next three years.

What’s the secret behind this grassroots football phenomenon? A crew of innovative and committed volunteers, a shared attitude of deploying coaching and recruitment resources equally across the teams at the club, and the use of tech to inspire and develop.

The use of technology is both humorous and tactical. The players will tell you about Head Coach Akin’s infamously long post-match WhatsApp notes to each player on the team. And the use of Veo’s Analytics Studio to constantly assess if the squads are maintaining the fast-paced, direct, and goalscoring philosophy that has led the club to be successful. It’s fascinating to see what is next for the women of Hammersmith FC and their founders/coaches.

Southampton-born soccer coach Mitch Kavanagh traveled to the United States as an 18-year-old kid to play soccer. Today, he is Director of Coaching at Nebraska’s Gretna Elite Academy, running the Girls ECNL program, and Assistant Coach at Creighton University Men’s Soccer.

For Mitch and Gretna Elite Academy, who’s been using Veo for the last five years, it’s important to have a clear philosophy throughout the club:

“It sounds simple, but for us, it's to score a lot of goals. And play with a purpose. There’s got to be a purpose in whatever you do. I think people can sometimes overcomplicate the game.”

Every team in Gretna Elite Academy have access to Veo. In a club with only a handful of full-time coaches, having Veo is crucial in the day-to-day work at the club.

“Being able to record every game's massive,” Mitch explains. “A lot of our coaches aren't in a full-time environment, and they have other jobs. So being able to have something that you know will record the game is massive. You don't have to worry about parents or volunteers. Veo does it all for you, and it's quality.”

When the club is recording every game, it’s also easier for the families – and even the coach – to watch the kids’ highlights without looking through the whole match.

“With the camera, it’s so easy to simplify the game. It's easy to find ways that you can look at things and really break it down without having to sit there and watch 90 minutes,” Mitch describes before he continues:

“I tell all our kids when I'm breaking down video, I'll watch it, speed up until I see something I find interesting. Then I clip it and send it out, and the players can look at it. It's easy enough for coaches that aren't in a full-time role.”

CLUB

Video is also something that, according to Mitch, can give players and coaches confidence when seeing something you’ve been working on in training happen on the field.

“We might have lost this game today but look at this [the Veo recording]. Look at the chances we create. If we weren't creating chances, I would be worried, but the fact that we created ten chances, I'm fine with that. As long as we're creating chances, it's gonna come.”

Mitch sees more opportunities for the club, the family, and the players. It's not just about analyzing the game:

“You’ll have multiple options with the camera. For players, it’s an educational tool. Parents can post their kids on socials. It’s advertisement for the club. There are a lot of different tools in it. The advertisement aspect is huge.”

The fact that he finds the Veo camera simple and effective ties in with his earlier statement about how we sometimes overcomplicate soccer and that having a purpose is important in the game. By using the Veo camera, Mitch can focus on what really matters – scoring goals and playing with a purpose. And this tool helps him achieve those goals more effectively.

“It's really simple; it's not complicated. D’you know? It sounds stupid, but it's literally a green box that you start and stop, and it does a great job,” Mitch ends.

INTERVIEW

IMPROVING GRASSROOTS PLAYERS WITH ANALYTICS

Tom Reynolds, the First Team Manager of English Step 7 club, Shrewsbury Up and Comers FC, spoke to Veo about how the club uses data and analytics to evaluate player performance and identify areas for improvement.

LEARNING THE BASICS:

“We need to get players doing the basics well. The 2D map is great for player positioning and pitch geography. Possession is an important aspect of the game, so we use the possession stat data to make sure we keep the ball in the right areas of the pitch."

INFORMING TRAINING:

“If the analytics show that we are not getting enough shots in a game, we work on the attacking and finishing phase of the game in training. If possession is not where it needs to be, we increase ball protection and passing/ receiving skills in sessions."

WINNING GAMES:

"In a certain game, we wanted to make sure we played longer passes to play in the opposition's final third more and utilize our pace in attacking areas by hitting space behind the opposition's back line. The pass location stat after the game proved that the team listened, and it helped us get a win." Tom Reynolds ends.

NEWS IN THE VEO WORLD

KEVIN DE BRUYNE'S FORMER TEAMMATE SCORES ELEVEN GOALS IN ONE MATCH

Jonathan Ulens from SK Munkzwalm, who played youth football with Kevin De Bruyne, scored eleven goals in a crushing 17-1 win against Sp. Sint-Niklaas. “I learned it all from the best. I played in the youth series of K.A.A Gent for three years together with Kevin De Bruyne.” Follow @veotechnologies for more.

LOWER-LEAGUE MADNESS: WINGATE & FINCHLEY STAGED A COMEBACK FOR THE AGES

Football is a game that is known for its dramatic moments and comebacks, and on a chilly evening in London, Wingate & Finchley provided a truly remarkable example of the latter. Wingate & Finchley came back from 3-0 down to win 4-3 against Bowers & Pitsea, with goalkeeper Ben Goode scoring the equalizer in the dying moments of the game.Follow @veotechnologies for more.

INCREDIBLE SPORTSMANSHIP BY ASCOT UNITED U12 YOUTH

After their penalty shoot out win over Walton & Hersham FC, the Ascot United U12 Youth team showed true character by running over to support the opponent's goalkeeper, who was devastated by the defeat. Manager Wayne McKnight was proud of his team's character display, saying, "I don't think in 17 years of coaching I've seen anything like that before.” Follow @veotechnologies for more.