Sports Media Report
Kitman Labs, the sports technology and analytics company setting the industry standard for how elite sports organisations use data, today announced a new partnership with the Premier League.
The partnership will provide all Premier League club academies with a centralised, fully integrated ‘Football Intelligence Platform’ designed to aggregate and mobilise player and staff data across coaching, medical, sports science, operations, player care and education.
Data for academy players will be centralised in one platform – providing participants and coaching staff with a comprehensive, unified and real-time view of players’ medical, performance, training and development profiles.
The platform gives academies data accuracy and the ability to conduct advanced analytics at a league, club, or player level. Staff will manage player pathways through performance benchmarking and personalised development plans, in addition to providing tools, reporting, insights and actionable data to achieve specific operating and performance outcomes.
The goal of the Premier League’s Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) is to not only enhance the pipeline of homegrown talent for the professional game but also to ensure academies provide life-enriching experiences for all players, empowering them to fulfill their potential on and off the pitch. The Football Intelligence Platform will also provide clubs with the ability to track and support players’ progress in their social, educational and cognitive development and will help serve as a holistic record for each player.
The platform will be supported by dedicated staff and a player app (iOS and Android), to support the need for frequent and instant access to player data on the pitch, in the training room and on the go.
Stephen Smith, Kitman Labs Founder & CEO, said: “Data’s value can only be realised when it’s consistent, accurate, pervasive and directly aligned with the fundamental operating and performance objectives of the league or club.
“The Football Intelligence Platform has been developed to aggregate and leverage all data sources in a single platform to ultimately drive collaboration across the organisation(s), eliminate information silos and provide actionable intelligence. That intelligence will be used specifically to systemise talent development and player pathways as well as support and validate data-led decision-making related to coaching methodology, best practices and policies.”
Tony Scholes, Chief Football Officer at the Premier League, said: “The EPPP aims to create unrivalled development environments where every young person is supported to maximise their potential on and off the pitch. Innovation and insights are key elements of this work, to ensure we are informed and evidence-led in our decision making.”
“This partnership represents a significant development in how clubs and the Premier League can use data to support elite player development and personal growth across all club academies. Through this first-of-its-kind strategic partnership, we and our clubs will have access to world-leading technology and support, equipping us with the tools and knowledge to help the development of players.”
Kitman Labs has an established track record of working with top governing bodies, leagues, teams and athletes across a variety of sports, including soccer/global football, basketball, rugby, and American football. The company’s technology has been used by leagues and teams in some of the world’s most elite sports organisations and universities including the NFL, NBA, MLS, NWSL and NCAA.
This partnership with the Premier League follows other recent business strategy moves Kitman Labs has undertaken including the successful acquisition of The Sports Office (TSO) and Presagia Sports, both made in the last two years. The combined companies represent the industry’s largest network of elite and youth organisations (1000+) and created the industry’s largest dataset of talent, performance, and medical data for all stages of the athlete lifecycle.
For more information on Kitman Labs, visit www.kitmanlabs.com.
