You have collected mounds of data. So you have numbers. You have complied the numbers into colorful and intricate graphs. But do you have information that I the coach can use? Numbers are one-dimensional and impersonal they are print on paper. Performance is three dimensional very human and personal. As a coach my challenge is to turn the numbers into action, into results. I have to admit I am not a big numbers guy. Perhaps it stems from my struggles with math in school. Despite that I can see the value in meaningful numbers. The key is determining what are meaningful numbers? Just because you can count or measure something does not mean that it really counts. I think this is where the whole performance team must collaborate. Look for patterns in the numbers. Don’t throwaway outliers in the data, today’s outlier may well be tomorrows direct performance indicator. Always strongly weigh the human element and correlate the numbers with direct observation. Beware of one off “data dumps” that gather volumes of data with no context or follow-up. Once again it must be a combination of art and science that gets the athlete into the competitive arena.
