DAHLONEGA - WHOOP has signed on as the inaugural wearable partner of the University of North Georgia's (UNG) Institute for Peak Performance (IPP). Through the partnership, a group of cadets and student-athletes have received WHOOP bands for the spring 2025 semester.
 
The selected student-athletes and cadets have been provided a WHOOP band to wear during their normal team, Corps and student activities so they can see and better understand how they can improve their performance based on the real-time data feedback on things like sleep, recovery, heart rate and strain. They are also receiving health education as part of the program.
 
"We'll be outfitting the UNG Corps of Cadets and student-athletes with WHOOP to help them unlock performance, optimize recovery and achieve their peak potential," Todd Stiefler, vice president of Government and Defense at WHOOP, said. "As a federally-designated senior military college, UNG plays a critical role in shaping the future force. The Institute for Peak Performance is a forward-thinking initiative that unites cadet leadership, athletics and health sciences — all focused on developing tomorrow's leaders. WHOOP is thrilled to bring the best performance technology to these outstanding young men and women. We can't wait to see the impact of this partnership."
 
The IPP brings together the collective expertise and resources of the Cadet Leadership Academy (CLA), Athletics Department and College of Health Sciences & Professions. It is a strategic enabler which lies at the nexus of three UNG strategic big bets: "deliver the Corps of the future,"  "build the most competitive, value-added Division II athletics program in the nation" and "supercharge workforce development."
 
"WHOOP's wearable bands will provide a significant opportunity to create awareness for our students and influence behavioral change. Wearable devices like the WHOOP band will be foundational in our efforts to encourage and enable holistic health and fitness in student-athletes and members of the Corps of Cadets," retired Col. Bryan Kirk, interim director of the IPP and associate vice president and chief of staff for the CLA, said. "This inaugural partnership with WHOOP is the first of many opportunities IPP is pursuing to teach, train and transform the understanding and performance of our UNG student-athletes and cadets."
 
Grace McGill, a sophomore from Senoia, Georgia, pursuing a degree in cybersecurity, is a member of the Corps of Cadets and women's soccer team at UNG. She said her WHOOP band is especially helpful in balancing her workload as she balances being a cadet and a student-athlete. For her, the data is helpful beyond its impact on her health.
 
"I'm a data geek," McGill said. "Those data aspects can help me recover better and they're really interesting for me."
 
Edwin Bowman IV, a junior from Suwanee, Georgia, pursuing a degree in management, was interested in being part of the WHOOP program because his brother had one of the bands. Bowman plays on the UNG baseball team. The WHOOP coaching features help users know how much sleep they need to recover after a workout.
 
"I always had an interest in how different strains of what I do throughout the day have on my body. I was 100% in," Bowman said. "I would like to see how these recovery numbers affect my performance on the field."
 
Amber Rawlins, a freshman cadet from Hampton, Georgia, pursuing a degree in kinesiology with a concentration in exercise science, enjoys how the WHOOP band taps her arm to wake her up in the morning, rather than a phone alarm making a loud sound that could disturb her roommate. The data from the band has proven beneficial so far.
 
"I didn't realize how much harder I could push myself in my workouts," Rawlins said. "The WHOOP band has taught me so much about my body."
 
Thanks to her WHOOP band, track and field student-athlete Ella Stoudenmire realized she needed to start getting nine hours of sleep at night, based on her workouts during the day. The senior from Crawford, Georgia, is pursuing a degree in kinesiology with a concentration in health and fitness.
 
"I feel so much better throughout the day," Stoudenmire said. "It's a really cool partnership. For athletes like me that are willing to make changes, it's super helpful. I definitely think it will help my performance."