Improving the Adoption of Sports Analytics

How do we improve adoption of sports analytics by college coaches? The answer is simple, the execution of the answer more complex. The answer to improved adoption is to incorporate the benefits of the analytics into the daily activities of the coach. Most coaches do not want to understand the intricacies of how analytics are calculated, they want to know that the analytics will help them win and keep their job. They want data that they can trust to make better decisions.

Making analytics ubiquitous requires an iterative process based on coach feedback and leveraging the technology and analytics tools that are available.

At scoutSMART, we are working on the next wave of recruiting analytics that leverage what is important to the coach – finding recruits that will fit and stay in their program. Utilizing machine learning, we are improving our predictions of fit based on several factors including coach preferences and recruiting history.

Contact me at diane@scoutsmartrecruiting.com if you are interested in learning more.

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Finding Recruits that Fit and Stay

College football players now have more latitude to transfer to a different program. Increased player rights and the pandemic have resulted in more influence and options to leave a program. While in many cases a transfer provides opportunities for the player, there is usually a negative impact on the football program. Coaches are always recruiting, and this adds another dimension of risk to offering a scholarship.

Are there ways for a coach to determine if a recruit will stay in their program and reduce the risk of transfer? Is it possible to find recruits that are less likely to leave if their immediate expectations are not met? When recruiting, there are several factors that a coaching staff needs to consider:

1. Is the recruit a good culture fit for the program?

2. Has the coaching staff created a team culture so that players value team over individual?

3. What is the mindset of the recruit in terms of grit and growth?

At scoutSMART, we currently help coaches find recruits that fit their program athletically and academically. We are adding another dimension – the ability to assess Grit and Growth Mindset. We have partnered with Heart of a Champion Sports to develop an assessment that can be used during the recruiting process to determine

  • Grit which is defined as passion and perseverance for long-term and meaningful goals. It is the ability to persist in something you feel passionate about and persevere when you face obstacles. This kind of passion is not about intense emotions or infatuation.
  • Growth Mindset – Players with a growth mindset think of talents and abilities as things they can develop—as potentials that come to fruition through effort, practice, and instruction rather than being concerned with looking talented and avoiding failure.

If your program is interested in piloting these assessments, please contact Diane Bloodworth at diane@scoutsmartrecruiting.com or DM us on Twitter

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