Riding the Volcano of Analytics in Multisport: How do you Optimise Analytics in a Multisport Environment?

Riding the Volcano of Analytics in Multisport: How do you Optimise Analytics in a Multisport Environment?

In our previous blog we explore the experiences and thoughts of our graduate physiotherapist in their transition from textbook (academia) to clinical practice (employment). The blog highlighted the challenges of bring evidence-based practice to life in a school sport environment through the context of rehabilitation from injury. In this blog, we take the concept of reality and the challenge of optimising provision into the world of performance analysis in school sport. More specifically we delve into the challenges of ‘riding the volcano of analytics’ in a multisport, developmental sporting environment.

This blog has been inspired by Michael Calvin’s 2015 book ‘Living on The Volcano’. In this book Calvin explores the secrets of surviving as a professional football manager. Calvin documents the unique industry of football management in which shallow judgement and rapid change in fortune can accelerate or derail managerial status. More specifically, Calvin highlights the commitment, focus, persistence, sacrifice and graft of the football manager; the foundations, often unseen, on which to build success.

In a similar context, our approach to analysis within our multisport programme at Millfield is developing based on laying solid foundations to our delivery. The ‘simple technology’ approach, which was highlighted in the last performance analysis blog, is just one example of how the program strives to develop a sports analytics service that allows all stakeholders to buy into the provision across the school. This philosophy allows us to expand further to embed the following key development areas into our practice:

• Infrastructure – our hardware and software systems allow ease of video capture, analysis, content production and content distribution.

• Education – the production of learning resources is vital to aid staff, teachers and pupils in optimising the use of hardware and software.

• Services – clarity in service provision enables analysis to be prioritised based on current and future demands.

• Coaching – analysis will be utilised by our coaching group to support coach education, reflection and development.

By enhancing our infrastructure, education, services and coach development solutions we are committing to optimising the use of video and statistical analysis across Millfield sport. As one of the only schools in UK to have a full time sports analysis programme, our aim is to integrate fully with our pupils, coaches and teachers to optimise the use of analysis at every interaction and ride the volcano of analytics in our multisport programme. How do you optimise analytics in a multisport environment?