In my first semester as an undergraduate researcher, I helped out with monitoring and collecting women's soccer data. They utilized the FirstBeat sensor program, and my research partner and I would monitor the real-time data through an app while the athletes were practicing. Our main focus was their Training Impulse or TRIMP scores which was a measurement of their training load based on their heart rate and the time of the session. Over the semester, I became more proficient in understanding the FirstBeat sensors and learned about the important aspects of a training session to prevent injury. I also had the opportunity to present at a PAWI talk (Physical Activity and Wellness Institute) about what our research entailed.
In my second semester in Undergraduate Research, I worked with Dr. Naugle, looking at the effect of pitch count in youth baseball. Since this is a new study that we are working on, this semester I mainly focused on reading research articles and gathering information about the best way to perform these studies. I was able to learn a lot about reviewing articles and creating research questions from the information that I learn. In the future, we plan to conduct studies incorporating a survey, a simulated game, and a wearable sensor.