SportsTrace launches app

Want your swing analyzed by coaches and professionals?

SportsTrace, one of Codefi's 2020 1ST50K startup competition winners, recently launched a mobile application designed to help athletes by using uploaded video to breakdown movements of a swing or a pitch.

The app was always in the master plan for SportsTrace. Co-founders Max Montrey and Alex Gardner are former Microsoft employees who "wanted to make something anyone could use anywhere to evaluate form and technique using video from your phone," Montrey said. Currently, the focus is on baseball, softball and golf, with plans to expand into soccer, cricket and other sports.

SportsTrace founders noticed gaps with creating videos, analyzing the videos and getting results in the hands of front-line coaches. By way of the app, the users can utilize their phones either recording a video live or uploading it weeks later.

"Even more than that, they can get recommendations that are personalized for them," Montrey said.

Through the app, users can quickly and easily upload or record live videos with their phone to SportsTrace. Experienced coaches and biomechanists analyze the data, which consists of 17 points in 3-D on the human body and no fewer than 35 measurements per sport. Users can then review the analysis of a swing or pitch. The software knows what matters, such as arm angle, point of contact, the moment motion starts, etc. And, all within 5 minutes of the time SportsTrace gets the video.

Even prior to the app launch, SportsTrace had around 100 clients using its services. The app will make access to the technology much easier.

"It's a sports science lab on your phone," Montrey said.

A screenshot of the new SportsTrace app that traces and analizes sport movements.Submitted

Getting sports teams back on playing fields after many teams had a year off because of the pandemic has been beneficial for SportsTrace.

"We've been able to sign a few contracts, teams and training facilities," Montrey said. SportsTrace had additional coaches and facilities reach out, including in Texas, where they have existing clients and contacts, as restrictions are being lifted.

In addition to the app, SportsTrace was chosen to be an exhibitor at a "very giant sports tech conference — probably the preeminent sports technology organization in the world," Montrey said.

Rice University Baseball and Stanford University Baseball are two teams using SportsTrace, in addition to two golf-training facilities — one in Georgia and one in the Southeast Missouri area.

Users can sign up as either individual athletes or entire teams.

On the technical side, launching the app was "pretty wild," Montrey said.

"You have to be respectful of the platforms you are partnering with," he said. "There are Android phones, which is Google. Or an iOS phone, that's Apple. So it's nearly two separate worlds."

Once the app is approved, it's all about getting the word out, Montrey said.

"We've been looking into partnering with different video providers to see if they can help us get into their purchase funnel, with different organizations like tournament sponsors," he said.

A screenshot from the new SportsTrace app that analizes sport movements.Submitted

Being able to officially launch the app enabled SportsTrace to "celebrate the accomplishments of the team and the great partnership that we've had in the community," Montrey said.

Since the SportsTrace founders arrived in Cape Girardeau, they committed to be an integral part of the community, such as Montrey speaking to sports marketing classes at Southeast Missouri State University.

In addition, SportsTrace is the final project for an international marketing class at Southeast, which will study cricket in Indian markets.

SportsTrace is now up to eight employees, including a college coach adviser and three interns from Southeast.

1ST50K is startup competition put on by Codefi that awards $50,000 equity-free to innovative companies. In August, Codefi's sixth annual 1ST50K competition brought four new technology companies to town. The developers of SportsTrace, Swipesum, Upswot and Venku each received $50,000 as well as membership in Codefi, access to venture capital and angel investment networks, business coaching and mentorship, and each relocated to Cape Girardeau as part of the 12-month long 1ST50K program.