Sports Science Inside Sawmill

Sawmill Sports Hub is home to Synapse SRT’s approximately 8,000-square-foot facility, which combines biomechanical testing, neurocognitive training, research & collaboration spaces. Its Motion Analysis Lab includes 3,200 square feet dedicated to movement analysis, alongside sport-specific testing environments & an adjacent Brain Gym.

This is not simply a room full of equipment. The setting brings advanced measurement tools into an athletic environment where athletes can jump, cut, throw & perform sport-specific movements. Regulation equipment, performance turf & court flooring help connect laboratory evaluation with the actions athletes actually use in competition.

Located at 17W411 S Frontage Rd., Willowbrook, Illinois, Sawmill provides a local home for this technology in DuPage County, serving as a connection point between athletic participation & specialized sports science.

A Mission Beyond Performance

Synapse SRT’s mission connects clinical research, biomechanics & practical applications in sports medicine. Its multidisciplinary approach focuses on investigating & validating sports and rehabilitation technologies, improving understanding of injury prevention & recovery, and providing comprehensive athlete care.

That includes physical & neurocognitive performance, as well as assessment during rehabilitation and the transition back to sport following injury. Housing this work at Sawmill places those priorities within a facility centered on athletes & the games they play.

Inside the Motion Analysis Lab

What can movement testing reveal that the eye alone may miss? A jump can look strong while an athlete distributes force differently between legs. A change of direction can appear smooth while muscle activation & movement timing tell a more detailed story.

The Synapse SRT Motion Analysis Lab combines 3D motion capture, force plates & wireless muscle-activation measurement to examine these details. Together, these tools help build an objective picture of how an athlete moves, generates force & coordinates muscular effort.

Two Approaches to 3D Movement

The lab uses both markerless & marker-based motion capture. These complementary systems allow Synapse SRT to evaluate movement through different testing approaches.

• Markerless motion capture: Eight modular OptiTrack Prime Color cameras paired with Theia3D software track movement without requiring markers attached to the athlete.
• Marker-based motion capture: Twenty OptiTrack Prime cameras integrated with Motive software capture the positions of markers placed on the athlete for detailed biomechanical analysis.

Rather than relying solely on what a coach or clinician can observe, 3D motion capture provides measurable information about movement patterns & joint mechanics. That information can help guide more targeted questions about technique, training & rehabilitation.

Measuring Force & Muscle Activity

The laboratory includes four AMTI force plates arranged in two pairs. These platforms measure ground reaction forces—the forces exchanged between an athlete & the surface beneath them—during movements such as jumping and landing.

A Delsys Trigno wireless EMG system adds another layer of information by measuring electrical activity associated with muscle activation. Combining movement, force & muscle-activation data helps researchers and clinicians examine not only what happened, but how an athlete produced the movement.

Testing That Looks Like Sport

Sport-specific equipment makes the lab more than a general movement-testing space. A regulation basketball hoop supports jumping & shooting assessments. A custom volleyball net creates opportunities to examine spikes, blocks & lateral movement. A full-size soccer goal supports soccer-specific testing.

The facility also includes a 1,200-square-foot Taraflex court & a performance turf footprint with 2,200 square feet of permanent turf and 1,000 square feet of modular space. These surfaces & configurations allow testing to reflect a range of athletic demands rather than a single standardized exercise.

Brain Training With i-BrainTech

Physical practice is only part of an athlete’s preparation. Planning a movement, sustaining attention & mentally rehearsing a skill also involve the brain. Inside Sawmill, the Synapse Brain Gym provides a dedicated environment for exploring that side of performance.

The 1,200-square-foot neural training room includes 20 Neurovisualization Feedback Training stations. At the center of this experience is i-BrainTech at Synapse SRT, a system that combines sport-specific visualization with real-time feedback on brain activity.

How i-BrainTech Works

i-BrainTech uses an EEG headset to record brain activity while an athlete mentally rehearses a sport-specific action. The system translates that activity into feedback within a digital training environment, allowing the athlete to practice the mental task without physically performing the movement.

For example, an athlete may visualize a soccer shot while watching a digital version of the action. Instead of controlling the game with a handheld controller, the athlete works through visualization & receives feedback related to the brain activity detected by the system.

This creates a different kind of training repetition: mental rehearsal without the physical load of another sprint, jump or kick. It is designed to complement physical training, not replace it, and outcomes depend on the athlete, training approach & application.

Turning Measurement Into Insight

Collecting data is only useful when it helps answer a meaningful question. Synapse SRT’s work at Sawmill connects its technology with specific performance, research & rehabilitation applications.

Establishing a Movement Baseline

Custom biomechanical profiling can document force production, movement patterns & joint mechanics during functional tasks. A baseline creates a reference point for evaluating changes over time and informing individualized training or rehabilitation planning.

Understanding Injury-Related Factors

Movement screenings can identify asymmetries, loading patterns & other findings that may warrant further assessment. These evaluations can inform injury-prevention strategies, but no screening can predict or prevent every injury.

Informing Return-to-Play Decisions

After an injury, feeling ready & demonstrating readiness are not always the same. Objective testing can help track rehabilitation progress and provide information about how an athlete performs relevant movements before returning to full-speed competition.

Return-to-play assessments are one part of a broader decision that includes clinical evaluation, the athlete’s recovery & the demands of their sport. Testing supports that process; it does not guarantee a risk-free return.

Evaluating Sports Technology

The lab also provides a setting for independent evaluation of emerging sports equipment, wearables & footwear. Motion capture and force measurements allow researchers to investigate performance claims through structured testing rather than relying on marketing language alone.

See the Science Inside Sawmill

By housing Synapse SRT, Sawmill Sports Hub brings athletic space, movement science & neurocognitive technology together in Willowbrook. Alongside Sawmill’s youth sports programs, leagues & training opportunities is a specialized environment exploring how athletes move, prepare and recover.

Sawmill provides the home. Synapse SRT brings the science. Together, they create a place where athletic movement can be practiced, measured & better understood.

Visit Sawmill Sports Hub to explore our facility, programs & training opportunities. For photos and videos of the facility & technology inside Sawmill, follow @sawmillsportshub on Instagram.

Learn more about the Synapse Brain Gym & i-BrainTech at Sawmill Sports Hub, or explore Synapse SRT’s Motion Analysis Lab.