Why Draft Youth Sports Teams Using an Evaluation App

Before the era of wearable technology, coaches used stopwatches to measure speed & reaction time and then used workout logs to enter this information manually.

The transition from traditional workout logs to fitness trackers is just one example of how sports technology is changing the game. Other well-known examples include smart equipment, VR training, and Esports streaming platforms.

However, did you know that sports technology also encompasses an athlete evaluation app? An app that coaches can use to score athletes on their mobile devices, gain access to real-time data, and draft youth sports teams accurately and quickly.

While this may be your first time hearing of an athlete evaluation app, we uncover the top 5 benefits of using an app for your youth sports team.

1. Eliminate the paperwork

With a typical pen-and-paper form, you are stuck manually entering each score from paper onto spreadsheets. A process that is not only time-consuming but also prone to error.

After entering scores, the next step is formatting scores into readable reports for player analysis. However, unless you are highly skilled in using Excel, this task causes more headaches and stress than anything.

With SkillShark, this time-consuming and error-prone evaluation process is eliminated:

• Enter scores with a slider button on your mobile device.

• Immediately after evaluations, navigate to the reports section to view player rankings or compare top athletes. *All reports are pre-generated; no formatting is required!

• Review data to make accurate drafting decisions.

2. Gain instant access to player data

All scores from each evaluator are safely stored in SkillShark right when they are entered.

When it comes time for team placement decisions, just select which report you want to run, choose the player(s) you want to assess, and the skill(s) to analyze.

Let’s use an example:

• The Bobcats use SkillShark for their evaluations. Each evaluator has the app downloaded on their mobile device.

• Evaluators enter scores during their winter tryouts.

• Once tryouts are complete, the head coaches access the SkillShark web app and navigate to the reports section.

• After choosing a report (i.e., player ranking grid in the image below), they are able to quickly identify the top player(s) for each position.

Player ranking grid in SkillShark

3. Cut down evaluation time

Without the hassle of pen-and-paper, you are saving hours of your time, not to mention administrative labor. See just how many hours you can save with our calculator below.

We have 1000 kids, 87 different sessions, and close to 100 hours of evaluations that take place. I wouldn’t even be able to calculate the time SkillShark has saved us. Evaluators find it easy, coaches are happy, and I now have concrete data that I can show a parent if questions come up. It’s a great program.

James Mays. Technical Director — PA Minor Hockey

Wrapping Up

Next time you think of sports technology, think of SkillShark. Just like any other sports tech that makes our lives easier, SkillShark’s athlete evaluation app is an all-in-one platform for any type of evaluation and for any sport.

Score your athletes, access real-time insights, and draft teams quickly & accurately. What can be better than saving time, reducing administrative overhead, and being confident with every player you draft?