GoRout, the leader in coach-to-player communication, was built to help coaches securely communicate play calls and adjustments to players instantly, on-field in real-time without the worry of sign stealing. Founded in 2013, GoRout is headquartered in Rochester, Minnesota and is used across all levels of sports, ranging from youth leagues to NCAA Power 5 teams and NFL teams.
KORE is a global leader in Internet of Things (“IoT”) Solutions and pioneering IoT hyperscaler, and provider of IoT Connectivity, Solutions and Analytics. KORE empowers organizations of all sizes to improve operational and business results by simplifying the complexity of IoT. With a deep IoT knowledge and experience, global reach, purpose-built solutions, and deployment agility, KORE accelerates and materially impacts customers’ business outcomes.
The interview below features insights from key industry leaders. Responses attributed to GoRout come from Mike Rolih, the founder and CEO of GoRout. Meanwhile, the insights attributed to KORE are provided by Ronald Totton, who serves as the president and CEO of KORE.
GoRout: What is GoRout?
Mike Rolih: GoRout is a visual, coach-to-player communications platform that enables coaches to transmit play calls and position-specific play information using a tablet from the dugout or sidelines to the players on the field in real-time via a visual, wearable display (similar to a smartwatch). We’re currently working with more than 2,000 baseball, softball, and American football teams across the U.S., Canada, and Germany with an eye on continued expansion.
The industry of coach-to-player communications is making significant changes in sports and GoRout is the leader in the space. For too long the sports industry relied on a status quo made of outdated, inefficient communication methods; hand signals, poster boards, verbal cues, etc. While these strategies ultimately achieved the goal, they left a lot on the table with regards to communication. Both in terms of security and efficiency.
More than 80% of our team members are former high school, college, and professional athletes/coaches who deeply understand exactly what coaches need to communicate and when. When building each of our products, we’re intentional about providing coaches with the ability to not only visually relay play calls to players on the field, but also providing players with the added context and coaching points to help with execution. Our wearable devices are designed to allow players to focus on doing their job, rather than trying to remember all the details of each given play call.
GoRout: Tell us about the Liberty League conference pilot program.
Rolih: The Liberty League pilot was approved via a waiver process through the NCAA this spring. This will be the first time the NCAA will allow wearable communication devices to be worn during a football game — a huge step forward for the sport since both baseball and softball have been using wearable technology for coach-to-player communications since 2021.
For the upcoming season, each Liberty League team will use our wearable technology – GoRout Gridiron – throughout the in-conference schedule. Teams can utilize three GoRout watches per side of the ball during the game; three for offense and three for defense. In addition, each team will receive two coaching tablets to transmit play calls from the press box and sidelines.
KORE’s Super SIM® technology will power Gridiron networking to ensure that regardless of a team’s location, their systems will be connected to the best possible network at all times. Organizations like KORE are leading the way in multi-carrier LTE connectivity and providing companies with very diverse technology offerings. They truly provide the best-in-class network experience.
KORE: How does the platform work and what is KORE’s role?
Ronald Totton: GoRout is like having a digital playbook right on the field. Coaches can send plays directly to players’ wearable devices, so there’s no more running back and forth to the sidelines. This system also enhances efficiency and clarity, allowing teams to maximize practice time and mitigate sign-stealing during games. KORE comes in by providing the wireless connectivity that makes this instant communication possible.
We ensure the connection is fast and reliable, so whether it’s a football team working on new plays or a baseball team strategizing against a pitcher, everything runs smoothly. Our global IoT platform ensures reliable and secure data transmission, allowing coaches and players to communicate instantly, regardless of their location. Through our partnership, GoRout can focus on delivering innovative sports technology, while KORE ensures that their devices stay connected and secure.
GoRout: What are the benefits of GoRout’s technology for the teams using it?
Rolih: GoRout is designed to simplify the coaching experience and increase player development. Streamlined communication, time saved, and improved focus allow coaches to do more coaching and teams to do more winning.
The greatest benefits for coaches are clear and direct communication, time saved off the field in preparation, and a simplified process of conveying the message on each and every play.
For the player, major benefits come in the form of simplified processing. Details of each play call and the role they play in it are clearly displayed snap-after-snap and pitch-after-pitch. With GoRout technology, players get to shift all of their focus to execution on the field.
GoRout: What other athletic teams currently use GoRout’s technology during practices and games?
Rolih: GoRout worked with teams at all levels of competitive football this past season. This includes North Central College (D3 national championship runner up), two customers in the College Football Playoffs (Washington University and the University of Alabama) and nearly 100 teams who won high school state titles across the US. These teams utilize our technology to get a competitive edge in practice not only by getting 2-3 times their normal number of reps, but by also drastically improving the quality of those reps.
In 2023, we expanded and launched our baseball and softball product, GoRout Diamond, that delivers a best-in-class coach-to-player communication experience for teams across the country.
In our first year offering Diamond, we signed more than 1,000 teams across all levels. From Duke University and University of Florida (participants in the Women’s College World Series) softball teams to the Arkansas Stix 12U boys travel baseball team.
This technology focuses on delivering information with context; a pitch call is only the start of the play, not THE play. Our system was built knowing that when a coach calls “fastball away,” there are a series of events that affect the outcome of that pitch. You might have to reposition the middle infield, shade the outfield, and pull the corners onto the grass — all the other contextual elements that go into executing a “fastball away” successfully.
When we released our Diamond product, we didn’t just focus on delivering the pitch call, but allowing coaches to input all of the other required information. Things like position-specific notes, scouting reports, and spray charts to enhance the context around the pitch call.
KORE: How does KORE’s technology ensure security at all points including across the globe?
Totton: KORE provides robust and secure IoT solutions worldwide. We make sure your data stays safe no matter where you are. Think of it like a catcher in baseball who doesn’t let any pitch get past him. We use strong encryption to protect data in transit and at rest, and we have systems in place to catch any “wild pitches” that might come our way, like cyber threats. Travel is essential part of athletics, so global coverage means these security measures are in place everywhere. Whether your team is in New York, California, or the rural Midwest, we’ve got you covered.
We employ a multi-layered security approach that includes data encryption, secure network access, and comprehensive threat detection and response mechanisms. Our global IoT platform is designed to safeguard data integrity and privacy from device to cloud, ensuring sensitive information remains protected at all stages of transmission and storage. Additionally, we adhere to international security standards and compliance requirements, providing our customers with peace of mind no matter where their team’s bus is parked.
GoRout: Outside of football, what areas are you looking to grow?
Rolih: Football has been our bread and butter for nearly a decade, but we are very focused on the Diamond (baseball and softball) side of our business moving forward. This market is significantly larger across all levels of competition; Diamond sports allow us to reach more teams and help more coaches.
We’re also expanding our reach into overseas markets and establishing relationships with teams and leagues in Europe. Additionally, we’re working to grow our partnerships and integrations with other companies to extend our technology offerings and allow coaches to do more with our system.
KORE: What are the other ways IoT is changing sports?
Totton: IoT is transforming athletics in several exciting ways. For example, wearable tech can track a football player’s speed, heart rate, and other stats during practice, helping coaches tailor training programs and prevent injuries. In baseball, sensors can analyze a pitcher’s throw, giving real-time feedback on things like velocity and spin rate, which is great for improving performance. Beyond the field, IoT also enhances the fan experience with things like smart stadiums that offer personalized services and real-time updates. From enhancing athlete performance to improving fan engagement, IoT technologies are becoming integral to sports.
Moreover, IoT enables advanced analytics, allowing teams to make data-driven decisions and strategies. As the technology continues to evolve, we can expect even more innovative applications that will further revolutionize the sports landscape.
GoRout: GoRout and KORE’s partnership is a big step in how technology is transforming coach-to-player communication in the NCAA. How do you anticipate this influencing sports in the next 5, 10 years?
Rolih: All major sports are transitioning their in-game, coach-to-coach and coach-to-player communications to cellular-based technologies. The NFL has already moved their communications away from outdated, unlicensed radio frequencies on both the sidelines and on the field to private cellular networks to stabilize their comms. Doing so allows them to clarify the communication transmissions, and ultimately secure the systems from outside interference.
We anticipate the same movement to cellular in all other sports and over the next 3-5 years, more than 24,000,000 athletes in the US will be wearing some type of coach-to-player communication during games and practices every day.
