Technology

Awards Initiative Launches to Honor Influencers in Sports Technology

The International Sports Technology Association is recognizing individual achievements in sports technology with its first awards initiative.

To cast a spotlight on the people behind cutting-edge technology applications across the sports industry, the International Sports Technology Association is launching its inaugural Global Sports Technology Awards initiative.

ISTA is accepting nominations on its official awards website, which was launched on August 1. Applicants can submit their nominations in 10 categories, and winners will be announced on November 3 following two rounds of judging. For winning, ISTA members also earn a special designation in the association’s recently launched business directory.

The initiative aims to bring greater exposure and industry recognition to sports technology’s key influencers. “We want to recognize them,” said ISTA CEO David Geddes. “It just occurred to us that it would be really cool if we could just find out who these people are, recognize them, and help elevate their work.”

While businesses and corporations are often recognized for innovations in the sports realm, the people who directly work with the technology aren’t as well-known. “Those types of people are members of our association. We just felt obligated to tell the world about who these people are,” he said.

The awards will be made of hand-blown glass. (ISTA)

Because individuals at all levels of involvement in sports organizations are interacting with technology, Geddes said ISTA tried to be as inclusive as possible with its award categories. He also hopes the initiative helps ISTA reach a larger audience. “Bringing down technology to an amateur coach is like the Holy Grail mission,” he said. “Technology is everywhere in sports, so we had to really be inclusive to everybody.”

In addition to recognizing current achievements in sports technology, Geddes said the initiative helps create more opportunities for those looking to enter this narrow field. “By identifying these individuals, we can then start telling the story about how they got to where they are,” he said. “It’s a strategy for us to discover who these people are and grow a career path for technology in sports.”

Since its members are located around the world, ISTA chose to start the initiative online. Geddes said ISTA has received positive feedback so far and that it intends to continue this initiative every year to stay ahead of advancements in the industry. “At all levels, we want to hear from these people, we want to know what they’re doing, and we want to reward them for it,” he said.

(kentoh/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

Thorne McFarlane

By Thorne McFarlane

Thorne is an assistant editor for Associations Now and a literature buff who loves a great story. Have something interesting to share? Send it his way. MORE

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