Something I have heard over and over again is that players either get overwhelmed with data, or they seek more of it. There does not seem to be too much middle ground, perhaps because those players are getting just the right amount. Rather than continuing to listen to the complaining, I think there are some fairly simple solutions to this problem.
While there are other areas in which players may face the information overload vs. underload, the first two that come to mind are 1) practice setting data, and 2) advance reports.
Observe a practice at the college or pro level, and you are likely to find some form of technology being utilized, such as Blast Motion or Rapsodo Pitching. There are some players who crave it and look to the screen or ask for a metric after each rep, some who don't want the data but trust their coach to use it, and others who want no part of data in their development. I do not necessarily see any of these as "wrong," though I prefer some form of objective measurements. What I do see as wrong, is forcing something or not understanding a player's preferences when it comes to the data.
The same goes for advance reports. There's so much information available, how do we sift through what is important? What's important is finding what is important for each player.
Behold: Google forms. I think of this like walking into a deli and ordering a sandwich. You can have the onions, tomatoes, sweet peppers, lettuce, etc. if you want it, or you can just get a ham sandwich and still be just as happy as the customer who ordered everything. Below is an example of the advance report deli.
Some players just want to react, some players crave information prior to every situation. Obtaining this data at the college level could be difficult, but should be increasingly available as the level of play increases.
Ever seen a player doze off during a scouting report meeting? Or get overwhelmed by the metrics that Blast Motion spits out? Ask them what they want and deliver. Reports can be automated rather easily with these forms, and can then be distributed to players either electronically or by paper prior to a game. A similar form (or just an old fashioned conversation between player and coach) can be used for practice data desires.
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