Football is the most popular sport on the planet! People love playing, watching and even reading about football. An Estimated 265 Million people worldwide play football actively.

Although I’m not a football follower, I am a fan of the spin-off game, Kick Ups, or ‘Keepy-Uppy’. Simply put, it is the skill of ball-juggling. To keep a ball in the air for as long as possible by bouncing it off any part of the body that is allowed in the rules of football. Typically the ball is kept up using the feet and head.

It is a fun game that can be played individually or between friends, either keeping track of the ‘number’ individually or as a group. The higher the ‘number’ of kick-ups, the better! The current world record is an astonishing 25000 kick-ups!

Whilst it’s great fun, keeping an accurate count of the number can be a bit challenging. Some may even say it’s a huge distraction, blaming the counting as a reason for a poor turn (guilty). Which, is today’s problem… being distracted whilst playing keepy-uppy!

Believe it or not, there’s some science to it – according to the American Psychological Association, carrying out two tasks simultaneously takes a toll on productivity. Psychologists have discovered that the mind and the brain are not designed for heavy multitasking, it actually splits the brain.

Doing kick-ups in itself is not something that you can do straight away, it takes practice, a bit like learning to count. So is it any wonder, that when we join the activities it is such a challenge?

They say pictures speak a thousand words.

Those numbers are pretty impressive…

The idea is to have an intelligent piece of software (an app, or even better, software integrated within a current platform) that would count kick-ups. It should make use of hardware technology available within the majority of smartphones today, preventing the need for a new purchase.  Having a pedometer is possible, so why not counting kick-ups?

The real genius, is when the software starts to not only track your personal progress, but can also link in with your friends when you partake as a group. This would provide a group total, as well as analytics to see how you all performed. This could then feed into a global leader-board – football is a competitive sport after-all!

There are already some devices out there that can count kick-ups. There are some devices that have a sensor in the ball, which keeps count. However, these balls don’t feel like the real thing, and also cost more. There is also another counter, which works by strapping a sensor on the foot. Again, this requires purchase of a separate article and the price is again a factor – neither are ideal!

Some may say counting is all part of the run, others may say to hell with it – untill we try it, how can we really be sure? I personally think I would be a fan, how about you?

What do you think about this idea? Do you feel it would add value? What would you do differently, if at all? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Either way, below is the option to invest in further market analysis. Like the post you have just read, the purchase will allow you to pose a question/problem, with background as to what actionable insight you are currently in search of. You will then receive direct correspondence from myself, where we will discuss your topic. As you would expect, the research will be created bespoke for your request, all for only £100! (please allow for a 5 to 10 day turnaround)

The amount of time and thought that has been placed into forming this process, and the thousands of hours personally invested into studying these topics and working with clients, will mean you’re getting great value!