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By Greg Bartlett

GPS tracking devices receive information from satellites and transmit that information to receivers owned by individuals, businesses, or departments.  Most GPS’s consist of two main parts-the tracking device and the computer software that receives and organizes the data.  While GPS tracking systems play an important role in many different people’s lives, they play a surprisingly important role in an athlete’s life.  Whether you are an avid runner or just a casual hiker, a GPS tracking device can help keep you safe.  If you prefer to run, hike, or ski all on your own-meaning you like to “fly solo”-a GPS tracking device is a great thing for you to wear.  You can wear a GPS watch or carry a small navigational tool.  Simply give your friends or family the receiver, and this will allow them to know exactly where you are at all times.  This way, if they ever need to come after you, they can follow the signals right to wear you are.  GPS tracking devices are also important to an athlete’s training.  Training inside an arena is relatively easy because the conditions never change.  But what happens when your sport is outside and the weather and surfaces change frequently?

Athletes and GPS Tracking

GPS tracking systems were used in conjunction with the very recent 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia.  It was reported on February 27 of this year that the Canadian Skiing Team used a GPS tracking system called STEALTH (Sensor for the Training of Elite Athletes) to help in their skiers’ training.  In the practice runs, STEALTH was worn in a pack at the skier’s waist, and the information was sent to their coaches by means of an antenna.  The information that was received helped the coaches and skiers review practice runs and make improvements to help them find the fastest route possible.   Also, the GPS tracking device gave the coaches, trainers, and skiers valuable information about skiing in various snow and ice conditions.  The device is incredibly accurate; it gives the athlete’s location within a foot.  The information is easily retrievable in a very short amount of time.  This GPS tracking device was very helpful to the Canadian ski team, and other countries, like the US, are also experimenting with STEALTH for the training of their athletes.

Whether you are a casual or professional athlete, a GPS tracking device can be helpful to you-for both your training and safety.