Practitioner Blog 01: Working with Technology in Sport Science

Ryan McLaughlin

Ryan McLaughlin, hailing from Buncrana, Co. Donegal, is a seasoned professional in the sports performance industry. Currently based in Vancouver, Canada, he contributes his expertise to VALD. With a BSc (Hons) in Sports Coaching & Performance from Atlantic Technological University, Letterkenny (Formerly LYIT) and a MSc in Strength & Conditioning from University of Ulster, Jordanstown, Ryan has honed his skills in various roles. He has made impactful contributions at STATSports, worked with the Kerry GAA Senior Footballers, and the Donegal Senior Hurlers. He is extremely passionate about connecting with and learning from experts in their respective topics in sport science and currently preparing to embark on further postgraduate studies in sport science.

Based out of Vancouver, Canada, my role with VALD as a business development manager is extremely diverse and no two weeks are the same. Applied experience is something that is extremely emphasized in this role as the majority of conversations occur around the implementation of objective measurement technology in human performance. The term human performance covers a broad range of individuals from the most elite professional athletes to patients in the healthcare system. Practitioners are typically working in high performance sports, physiotherapy, allied health and in the tactical/first response industry. Examples of our technology solutions include a dual force plate system (ForceDecks), timing gates (SmartSpeed Plus) and handheld dynamometer (DynaMo) to name but a few of the solutions provided by VALD. Proficiency with the use of these technologies as well as the ability to interpret data is crucial.

The two main scenarios of my regular interactions are either with prospective clients or with current clients. With prospective clients, the focus is typically on learning about their organization to provide a solution that will benefit their current practices. Solutions can be as simple as providing a tool to help objectify their testing process all the way to improving efficiency in their workflow which ultimately improves athlete/patient outcomes. When meeting with current clients, conversations usually cover optimizing the use of technology in the applied sport science or rehabilitation environment as well as diving into research to provide insights on data collection.

The biggest difference for me in Canada compared to what I’ve previously been used to in Ireland is the travel requirement to meet some clients. As an example, if I need to travel to Winnipeg (which is still technically in the western half of the country), it is either a 3-hour flight or 2,340km if I decide to take the car. I laugh when I used to think the drive from Buncrana to Killarney was rough!

For anyone interested in a role similar to this, I put equal value on academic qualifications alongside practical experience. I take a lot of confidence in the experiences I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of in this role and previous roles as it allows me to adapt quickly but also understand multiple perspectives when it comes to providing a solution to a multi-disciplinary group of practitioners. On top of that, one thing I’ve observed over the this role and previous roles is that those who are passionate about sport science and it’s evolution, typically tend to see success across their career.

Anyone interesting in contacting Ryan can find him here:

Instagram: @ryan.vald
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-mc-laughlin/
X: @ry4nmclaughlin
Email: r.mclaughlin@vald.com