Customer Stories > University of Georgia Football

How UGA Football Keeps Practice Running Smoothly

  • Ryan Madaleno
    Athletic Trainer

Before Perry Weather, we had to make lightning decisions and practice vs no practice decisions based on the “Flash to Bang Theory”. Now, with Perry Weather, it’s much more precise and allows us to keep our guys safe and ensure we still get practices in safely which is priority #1. 
Ryan Madaleno
Athletic Trainer

Weather Decisions Made Easy

Ryan, the Athletic Trainer for University of Georgia Football, has a plate full of responsibilities. From monitoring player injuries during practice to ensuring that weather conditions don’t throw a wrench in the team’s training plans, Ryan has to stay on top of it all. That’s where Perry Weather comes in, helping Ryan quickly identify potential weather issues that could impact practices. With this information, he can communicate with coaches well in advance, allowing them to make necessary changes to keep practice running smoothly, especially during crucial game weeks.

Accurate Data With an On-Site Weather Monitoring System

In Georgia, the weather can turn on a dime. One minute it’s a sunny, 85-degree day, and the next, the temperature drops 20 degrees, and a storm rolls in with lightning and heavy winds. Relying on generic weather apps and local news forecasts can be a gamble, as the data often comes from airports or stations miles away. To combat this, UGA Football installed a Perry Weather monitoring system right at their practice facility. This gives Ryan hyper-local data on heat stress, wind, precipitation, and air quality, ensuring that he’s making decisions based on the exact conditions on campus, not guesstimates from afar.

Eliminating Lightning Guesswork

Before Perry Weather, Ryan and the team used the “Flash to Bang Theory” to gauge lightning risk. This method, which measures the time between seeing lightning and hearing thunder, is prone to human error and often results in unnecessary practice cancellations. Monitoring lightning within a 10-mile range was a nightmare. Now, with Perry Weather, Ryan gets instant alerts when lightning strikes within 10 miles, plus advance warnings at 20 and 30 miles out. The system also starts a 30-minute countdown timer after each strike, resetting with every new bolt. This takes the guesswork out of deciding when it’s safe to get back on the field.

Pro Meteorologists on Standby for When Things Get Tricky

When the weather gets tricky, Ryan can always count on Perry Weather’s team of professional meteorologists for backup. If he knows a storm is brewing, he can reach out for a precise forecast. Will the storm park itself over campus, or will it skirt by without disrupting outdoor practice? Before Perry Weather, Ryan had to rely on generic forecasts from local news stations that cover wide areas, which just didn’t cut it for the level of precision he needed.

A Single Source of Truth That’s Simple to Use

The Perry Weather mobile app has streamlined Ryan’s decision-making process. Before, he juggled multiple weather apps, each with conflicting information. One had lightning data, another had heat info, and yet another tracked wind and precipitation. It was a headache trying to make sense of it all. With Perry Weather, Ryan has a single, reliable source of truth, with hyper-local data from the weather station right next to the practice field. The app is a breeze to use, and Ryan can trust that he’s getting the most accurate readings for the team’s exact location.

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