Sports Video Analysis: Understand Coaching Needs and Focusing On Improvement Areas
Video analysts and coordinators are frequently invisible in sports organizations, but the work they do behind the scenes is critical to pre-match preparation, post-match assessment, and the refinement of on-field strategy. This article discusses two fundamental topics that all video analysts and coordinators should consider when developing effective procedures and workflows for their organization. If you're new to sports video analysis, this blog will help you adjust to the job and begin to develop new duties within your organization.
Understand coaching needs through video analysis
It is no secret that various clubs have varying working structures and resource levels. For video analysis to have a significant influence on your club, you must first get the support of the coaching staff and understand their major requirements and communication strategies.
Before you begin developing your analysis methods and workflows, you must first understand the coaching staff's expectations for sports video analysis.
Are they expecting pre- and post-match presentations?
What is their desired turnaround time for projects?
How much detail are they searching for?
How much involvement do they wish to have in the process?
Once you have answers to those questions, it will be easy to create a process that maximizes your time while still meeting the coaching staff's goals. Without this phase, you risk diminishing the effect of video analysis within the organization by establishing priorities that are not in line with the club's overall performance goals.
The second component of the puzzle is communication. By developing a thorough grasp of how coaches prefer to communicate, you can begin to modify your analysis in a way that best conveys your message and feeds into their areas of expertise.
If a coach has prior familiarity with video technologies, they may be willing to speak in more technical terms and perhaps participate actively in day-to-day analysis. If they are less technically inclined or new to performance analysis, simplify your delivery and provide insights from a simple tactical perspective.
Focus on the areas having greatest impact
Regardless of the type of organization you work for, managing upwards may be challenging and scary. However, for video analysts and coordinators, it is critical if you want others to have reasonable expectations of your job and to guarantee that you are making the most of your time. One of the most effective methods to accomplish this is to determine the areas in which you can have the largest impact on the organization. It is up to you to establish your goals and explicitly agree on them with the necessary stakeholders, however, you believe video analysis will benefit the club the most. Perhaps you believe your duty should be to train the coaches in sports video analysis and serve as a facilitator for them to contribute to the process. Alternatively, you may believe that the club requires more leadership in that area and that it is your responsibility to step into the breach and develop best practices. Whatever your conclusion is, make sure it is conveyed and agreed upon by all necessary parties.