Waterville, Maine - Over the past twenty years, data analytics has become increasingly prevalent in the world of sports. Oftentimes when discussing sports analytics, the popular baseball film "Moneyball" comes to mind, a story of how General Manager Billy Beane took the Oakland Athletics to the playoffs in four straight seasons (2000-2003) with one of MLB's lowest payrolls by focusing on metrics like on-base percentage over batting average or home runs.  Once word got out, data analytics took professional sports by storm, and trickled down to NCAA Division I institutions.  Rarely does one see it at the Division III level… until Colby Athletics unveiled its Peak Performance program. 
 
"We spent time during the summer of 2019 to visit with top-end professionals in the industry," said Jacqui Schuman, the Senior Associate Athletic Director and overseer of Colby's Peak Performance Team.  "We visited the performance team of the Brooklyn Nets, and we spent a day with Trustee Eric DeCosta '93, the General Manager of the Baltimore Ravens, and his data analytics team.  Not only did we take away key structural components of how to create and operate a program of this caliber, but we were also introduced to Dr. Lloyd Beckett during our time with the Nets, who actually ended up following us north."
 
With expanded technology, data analysts at every level are able to collect data from players and teams, dissect it, and produce imminent insight that helps guide individual athletes, coaches, and full-team decisions. Within Colby's Peak Performance program, data analytics are used on a daily basis under the guidance of Dr. Beckett.
 
While the data collected varies depending on the team and the demands of their sport, one universal metric that is being collected is force plate jumps. Before each explosive weight room session, athletes take three jumps on a set of force plates equipped with sensors collecting hundreds of data points. The information is immediately sent to a screen monitored by Greg Cox, the Dawn Strout Head Strength and Conditioning Coach.  Cox is immediately made aware of the athlete's neuromuscular fatigue as measured by the Braking Rate of Force Development (Braking RFD). If the Braking RFD is lower than normal, Cox is alerted that the athlete is being overworked and the training program needs to be altered. The Peak Performance team decided on this metric in particular due to its accuracy, as well as the broad range of sports and positions that it encompasses.
 
Colby's Athletics Department has also acquired heart rate monitors for athletes to wear during practice and testing, which allows coaches the ability to monitor an athlete's peak heart rate and recovery time, which can give an indication of their health and well-being. Lyla Jones, a senior attacker on the Women's Lacrosse team reflected on her experience with the Peak Performance Program. She recalled, "We wore heart-rate monitors while running the yo-yo test this past fall. There was a team of analysts on the sideline who took us out of the test once our heart rate reached a certain BPM. It was really interesting to receive the data afterwards and be able to compare how I felt during the test to what the numbers showed.  I remember thinking, 'well, that makes sense'."
 
In addition, Colby athletes are prompted to fill out a daily wellness questionnaire on an app on their phone, with results being sent to the Peak Performance team for analysis over a stretch of time. Athletes are asked to report how much sleep they are getting, daily stress-level, and how hydrated they are. The report also has a body soreness map, where athletes can indicate where they might be feeling strained. Beckett notes "This [survey] helps us better understand some of the factors that may be contributing to their fluctuation in performance. We are also working on a protocol for testing different aspects of athleticism, which would help guide each athlete's strength and conditioning programming." 
 
With the information collected during these daily sessions, data analysts and the athletic training staff are helping athletes alter their daily activities to improve performance, as well as predetermine if athletes are starting to develop an injury or are at risk in the earliest stages. For example, the force plate test can also measure the percentage of power applied from each leg, helping analysts preemptively discern a developing injury if the athlete is jumping while too heavily favoring one leg.
 
Beckett and Cox are just two members of the team examining and interpreting the data. The Athletic Training staff is tied in to the system, as well as the coaches of each program, all working together to build a foundation around the athlete. Altogether, the group connects athlete by athlete to alter programming on a case-by-case basis.
 
Colby has also incorporated a student group to help grow the program.  The Data Analytics Club gets the hands-on experience of working with industry leaders as well as a head start in a vastly expanding field. Beckett notes that the Peak Performance program's growth would not have been possible without the education and development of its student club members. Cole Guerin '21, a member of the Data Analytics Club, says "Currently, the members of our club spend time in the weight room or at practice helping athletes with force plates or heart rate monitor software. In the background, we are sifting through data to give the coaches updates on the athletes who need attention based off their performance level."
 
Kristine Polpeka, one of the College's athletic trainers, noted how the program has enticed athletes to be far more in tune with their well-being and lifestyle habits. Cox adds, "The education is endless.  This developed interest has allowed me the opportunity to educate athletes on different energy system demands or conditioning modalities.  The more information we get, the more information our athletes get."
 
Though the program has only existed for a short time, its impact on the athletic department has been immense. As it continues to expand, we hope to see more and more Colby athletes and teams use this information to create a personal balance which allows them to excel both on and off the field.

CLICK HERE to visit the Peak Performance page on the Colby Athletics website.