Over the course of the 2018 season for Real Salt Lake, many factors added to the team’s success on the field. While the many hours of work on the practice field and in the film room are at the forefront, there were other contributors behind the scenes that also played key roles.
Among them were the efforts of the Physical Performance and Sports Science duo of Henry Ruggiero and Matt Howley. Throughout the year, the team gathers data on workload – from distance traveled during training to heart rate to sprint speed and everything in between. With Newtons of force, kilometers per hour, beats per minute and other metrics dotting a spreadsheet, Ruggiero and Howley translate the output to provide training recommendations to the players and coaches, giving them a blueprint for success on any given week.