How Evaluation Technology Can Help With Small Group Practices

Sports technologies are constantly evolving and the need for practical innovations is seen now more than ever before. With physical distance among teams, limited practice facility time, and the need for social distancing measures, evaluation software can ensure that athletes are staying communicated with and motivated. The data that is collected can continue to drive decisions, structure at-home training, and enable success for both coaches and athletes a very different times.

How does evaluation software help?

An athlete evaluation software has huge benefits for coaches, parents, and players alike. Coaches are able to work within regulations to provide small group training and the instantly uploaded results can allow head coaches to feel like they have seen all athletes.

How can this work for you?

1) Set Up an Event

Prior to any small group practice or training session, decide the metrics that you want other coaches or volunteers to score athletes on. As you will not personally be seeing all athletes, we suggest testing objective measurements such as speeds and velocities so that you can easily compare skills players after results have been collected. You can easily customize these for the sport that the athlete will be competing in. Since you and other coaches may be in different locations or be operating on different days, be sure to add links to videos or descriptive scoring mechanisms in order to streamline the setup process.

2) Score Athletes

Break off into whichever times, locations, or distances that is permitted in your local area. Have coaches open the evaluation app, and score athletes on the selected metrics. The app will allow for instant uploading of scores and remove all issues with the traditional pen-and-paper approach to athlete evaluations. By providing evaluators with a paperless solution, data is instantly uploaded and can be viewed in report format instantly. Coaches eliminate all data entry time and can focus on making the most of the limited time that they may have with athletes right now.

3) View Uploaded Data

After the coaches have submitted scores of the athletes, head coaches or team administrators can instantly see and sort through data. This can be used to create developmental groups for further small group practices, assign drills to work on skills at home, or even recommend training and development plans to ensure athletes are being challenged.

Coaches can also see notes, videos, and rankings across all the groups that data was collected for. If objective scores were taken, there is no need for coaches to compare athletes that are physically sided by side. Instead, they can feel confident with not only the online results but the safety of the entire group as well.

4) Communicate with Athletes

Now more than ever, athletes are seeking ways to compete and play the sport they love. The drive to get better has far gone away, and they know that their development is important for long-term success.

By turning to athlete evaluation software, coaches can provide immediate, professional reports as though there was an entire team practicing together. Players can see their strengths, and weaknesses and what to work on to better themselves for the future. This will allow them to feel like part of a team and community, even if it looks different at this time,

In addition, parents often have questions about evaluation results. Coaches can decide whether to share full reports or instead, reference reports that are instantly generated. Parents will leave the evaluation feeling confident in the results and the professional steps taken, and they can provide their young athletes with drills given by coaches to improve their scores.

Technological change is affecting all areas of our lives, and now more than ever people want to be connected. SkillShark allows groups to connect with each other by offering small-group, rule-abiding solutions.

(Note: Please check with local guidelines prior to running any sports activities)

Ready to connect? Schedule a demo with a member of our team to learn more about SkillShark today.