5 Key Benefits of Athlete Evaluation Software

Selecting the most well-rounded players for your team. That is the number one goal in the minds of coaches when conducting tryouts.

Players will be evaluated across a range of skills, scores will be analyzed, and drafting decisions will be made. But, without using athlete evaluation software, this process is far from straightforward.

When we consider the traditional pen-and-paper method, it introduces numerous challenges. How much time will it take to transfer the data from paper into spreadsheets? What if the information is entered incorrectly or misplaced? And, what is the most effective way to configure reports and analyze the data to build well-informed teams?

With an athlete evaluation app, the heavy-lifting is done for you and human error is significantly mitigated. Simply score players on any mobile device, access ready-made reports minutes after an evaluation, and draft teams.

This blog explores the 5 main benefits of why every coach should use athlete evaluation software for their next tryout. Let's dive in.

Why Utilize Athlete Evaluation Software?

1) Reduce Data Entry

No longer do your evaluators need to spend time locating players on a clipboard, writing down a score, and then rushing to write down comments (which may not be legible when it's read later).

Athlete evaluation software streamlines the scoring process. Evaluators can easily navigate between players in the app and use the slider to score each athlete and add feedback in the form of comments.

Once evaluations are done, data is securely stored on the backend and automatically transferred into ready-made reports. No need to transfer scores from clipboards to Excel or spend hours building reports from scratch. SkillShark takes care of the admin work for you!

Easy athlete scoring ability on SkillShark

2) Cut Down Evaluation Time

Before your evaluation begins, use an athlete evaluation software to upload your players, customize your template, and create an event in a matter of minutes. Then, score your athletes and access evaluation data on the same day.

1. Import players. Players can be imported from an Excel spreadsheet or a player management software such as TeamSnap, SportsEngine, or Linkt.

2. Create an evaluation template. A pre-filled evaluation template is readily available based on your sport. Use these pre-determined templates or customize your own!

3. Create an event. Add an event name, start date & time. Next, invite your evaluators, giving them each access to the evaluation template you have created.

4. Score your athletes. Use a slider button to score athletes, add any additional comments, and attach videos on any mobile device.

5. Access evaluation data. After an evaluation, scores are auto-compiled, and reports & rankings are instantly generated for you.
   

The process of athlete evaluations used to take us 2-3 hours. Now, it is done in under 20 minutes with SkillShark.

Tyler Stahl, Notre Dame Academy

3) Unlock Instant Player Insights

Let's go back to the paper-based system again. Once you have gathered the stacks of paper forms from your evaluators, how do you even begin analyzing the data? As most sports organizations don't have a data analyst on hand, extracting meaningful insights from the data becomes incredibly time-consuming.

However, if you're using player evaluation software, analysis is a piece of cake. Minutes after an evaluation is complete, you can have access to a range of pre-built reports (generated from the data collected during an evaluation). Access instant rankings, compare players, or create weighted reports to find the most well-rounded players for your team.

Score grid reports on SkillShark

4) Provide Athlete Feedback

Athlete development is essential for long-term success. As much as players want to win, they also want to become well-rounded athletes who are adept at many skills. However, if an athlete isn't told what to work on by their coaches, how will they know what skills to develop?

With SkillShark's player report cards, athletes can review their scores for each skill and access any accompanying comments or attached videos for added context. With this detailed level of feedback, athletes gain a clear understanding of their performance, identify areas for improvement, and receive actionable tips on how they can improve across certain areas.

The best part? Report cards are automatically generated in SkillShark based on the scores, comments, and videos collected during evaluations. Coaches just need to select the athlete(s) to share with, and the report is delivered directly to their inbox.

What we like best about SkillShark is being able to provide instant feedback. Before SkillShark we used the old-school method of pen and paper. Now using SkillShark we can view results right after the evaluation is complete. We wouldn't be without it.

Derek Bloski. Coach — SHA Hockey

5) Streamline Parent Communication

Parents will almost always have questions about how their child is progressing. Given the time, money, and effort parents invest in their child’s sports team, they want to make sure their child is getting the most out of the experience.

Instead of trying to decipher handwritten notes, coaches can share scores, comments, and video feedback with parents through individual reports. When sending a report to an athlete's inbox, coaches can also email a copy to the parents. This ensures parents receive the same level of feedback as their child, helping prevent any miscommunication & inconsistencies that often arise with in-person feedback.

Wrapping Up

These 5 benefits of an athlete evaluation software make this tool a "must-have." Coaches will be equipped to conduct thorough & seamless evaluations, athletes will be provided with a better sense of direction, and parents will be given the level of feedback they desire.

Transform the way you conduct player evaluations, make team decisions, and provide athlete feedback with SkillShark's athlete evaluation app.