Elite Skills Arena is a designer and manufacturer of football products, invented to enhance the productivity and efficiency of footballers at all levels.
The company was founded in 2014 by ex-football chairman Eddie Mitchell, famous for owning AFC Bournemouth FC and taking them from the bottom of League Two to Premier League contention.
Elite Skills Arena have sold their technology and products to major league clubs across Europe, including FC Barcelona, Manchester City FC, Southampton FC, and many others, accounting for over 60 clubs and national teams.
Recently, the company signed a tech partnership with the Rangers FC, supplying them with the latest ICONs and Circuit products to be used in the club’s youth programmes and first team.
The company’s mission is to empower coaches by giving clubs the equipment to identify talent, rehabilitate players faster and prevent risk of reinjury, and other technical development while keeping the enjoyment of the game alive.
The ICON
Their flagship product, the ICON, is a dodecagon (12-sided) ‘arena’ with sensors on each panel to analyse the player’s movement, touch, awareness of their surroundings, and passing ability.
The ICON was first mocked up in 2014, later released on the market in 2016, and got the attention of football clubs for its ability to individually analyse and identify each player’s strengths and weaknesses using data. The training product has been used by professional footballers like Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Suárez, and David Beckham.
The equipment is designed to mimic match-realistic movements for players to fine-tune their skills and abilities on the field and off of the field for footballers who are rehabilitating after injury.
The ICON can also benefit youth development in the sport, allowing coaches to test the skill level of their young players, give appropriate and useful feedback on their game, and give each training session with the ICON a chance for players to express what they’ve learnt.
The ICON comes in several types: the most popular 2.5 m diameter arena Fast Foot, the range of versions each with their own specific features, the ICON Q (known as the ICON Wall) used for academy training, and the ICON CUBE, which is marketed to “force the player away from the centre”.
Elite Skills Arena also provides professionally designed programmes for the ICON to help players target much-needed skills to focus on, as well as develop their physical and mental capabilities while on the field.
The Wireless Circuit
Among other products, Elite Skills has released a range of safe and controlled wireless training products designed to help a football player rehabilitate from injuries without the risk of further pain.
The product, called the Wireless Circuit, covers individual obstacles, training drills, and scoring and sensor equipment to monitor the level of efficiency of the player’s fitness.
Separated into four different modules as well as custom drills, the Circuit is used to relay real-time feedback to coaches on what their players are doing right and wrong, including their physical health, to gain an insight into enhancing performance.
Each module is set up to work on specific attributes and skills footballers need to improve on, including passing accuracy, movement of the ball, and shooting opportunities.
Outside of training, the ICON and other ESA products can also be used for entertainment purposes. At the event, ICONs are rented to allow brands and patrons to show off their football skills. Brands like Tag Heuer, Adidas and Disney have used Elite Skills Arena products at promotional events.
One of these products is the Precision Wall, one of the latest products Elite Skills Arena has made, designed to develop shooting accuracy for players. Similar to the ICON, the player is put in front of a wall of panels and sensors and has to hit the targets when lit up, simulating the pressure of real-time situations.
