The role of the analyst: comparative analysis of applied performance analyst job advertisements in the UK and Ireland (2021-2022)

Figures & data

Table 1. Summary of specific role titles within APA advertisements.

Specific Role Title Area	Academy	First-Team	Overall
Assistant	1	15	16
Data		3	3
FDP	1		1
FDP & YDP	11		11
General Academy	1		1
Head	5	7	12
Lead	21	22	43
Opposition		2	2
PDP	7		7
Pre-Match		2	2
Recruitment		8	8
Research	1	1	2
Set-Piece		1	1
Technical		1	1
Training		1	1
U17-U21	1		1
U18	4		4
U23	6		6
Video & Data		2	2
YDP	5		5
YDP & PDP	1		1
Overall	65	65	130

Figure 1. Word cloud summarising the frequencies of sporting organisations advertising APA roles (the larger the text, the higher the frequency count).

Table 2. Summary of general observations within APA advertisements.

Sport	Performance Level	Number of Roles	Tasks or Responsibilities	Essential Criteria	Desirable Criteria
Cricket	Academy	0 (0.00%)	0.00	0.00	0.00
	First Team	3 (2.31%)	13.00 ± 2.65	13.00 ± 5.20	1.67 ± 1.53
Football	Academy	59 (45.38%)	11.05 ± 4.96	10.17 ± 4.71	3.28 ± 2.44
	First Team	56 (43.08%)	9.34 ± 3.87	8.82 ± 4.03	2.09 ± 2.13
Netball	Academy	1 (0.77%)	13.00	16.00	7.00
	First Team	2 (1.54%)	10.5 ± 2.12	14.50 ± 4.95	5.5 ± 2.12
Rugby Union	Academy	5 (3.85%)	13.00 ± 5.70	8.8 ± 3.56	1.6 ± 1.34
	First Team	4 (3.08%)	10.25 ± 2.99	10.00 ± 6.32	1.5 ± 3.00
Overall	Academy	65	12.05 ± 4.94	10.16 ± 4.65	3.20 ± 2.44
	First Team	65	9.60 ± 3.77	9.26 ± 4.33	2.14 ± 2.21

Figure 2. Areas of expertise underpinning APA against role level.

Figure 3. Sub-areas of expertise (a: ‘building relationships, b: “PA & sport expertise” and c: “technical expertise”) underpinning APA against role level.

Figure 4. Sub-areas of expertise (“professional behaviours”) underpinning APA against role level.

Figure 5. Components of APA practice (a) and sub-components of APA practice (b: “analysis” and c: “data collection and reliability checking”) against role level.

Figure 6. Sub-components of APA practice (a: “data management”, b: “establishing relationships and define role” and c: “facilitation of feedback”) against role level.

Figure 7. Sub-components of APA practice (a: “needs analysis and service planning”, b: “reporting to key stakeholders”, c: “service review and evaluation” and d: “system design”) against role level.

Table 3. Recommendations and guiding principles for organisations, applicants and employers when designing job advertisements.

	Organisations should:	Applicants will be able to:	Educational Providers can:
Employer familiarity information	Clearly outline the goals and values of the organisation. Provide information about the in infrastructure, staffing and philosophy of the SPA departments. Provide an insight for the reason behind the advertisement and the post.	Acquire insights into the organisation’s aspirations are and understand how they would work and contribute to the environment.	Offer support to APAs creating their individual SPA philosophy and equip them with knowledge and skills to understand and navigate an organisation effectively.
Description of job-related tasks and personal specification	Job-specific tasks and the essential and desirable skills and experiences are tailored to align with the organisation’s values and perceptions of SPA underpinned by an APA framework. Clearly out the specific levels of academic and/or coaching knowledge required for demonstrating technical/tactical knowledge and the capacity to think critically and comprehend wider sports science processes. Detail whether specific or broad software competencies are necessary for capturing, collecting data, analysing information, and feeding back insight are required. Specify the need for evidence-informed awareness and understanding of processes related to collecting meaningful and accurate information. Additionally, emphasise the importance of knowing how to provide feedback these insights using a variety of appropriate learning strategies for the specific audience.	Attain a clear understanding of the potential tasks and responsibilities associate with the role they might undertake (role clarity). Comprehend the key aspects to discuss in their covering letter and curriculum vitae, and effectively draw attention to the positive impact they have made on others through their past experiences, emphasising how their academic and/or applied experiences have assisted their development and delivery of SPA to a range of audiences, aiding in learning and informing future decision-making processes. Identify areas for personal and professional development if they aspire to advance into similar roles in the future.	Understand the advancements in the disciplines and assess existing materials to determine alignment or the need for revision, considering the evolving roles, responsibilities, and skills of an APA. Develop specific content for First-team and Academy positions to ensure the curriculum covers the spectrum of APA roles. Assist APAs in refining their cover letter and curriculum vitae to effectively showcase their value and worth to prospective organisations. Support the creation of individual development plans based on the APA’s career ambitions, strengths and areas of development.
Salary and remuneration	The salary bands, including specific details about increments and rewards, are presented clearly, indicating both the upper and lower limits.	Obtain an objective, tangible insight into the “value” of the job role perceived by the organisation, including insights into the indicators for going above and beyond and any potential associated rewards. Explore compensatory decision-making strategies and consider the intangible intrinsic work values and benefits associated with the role.	Facilitate APAs in effectively showcasing their value, negotiating based on the contributions they/could make to the role, and offer guidance on how to approach salary discussions during interviews and appraisals.
Opportunity for advancement	Comprehensive information about career progression opportunities within the SPA department and the wider organisation, including specific examples of CPD activities available to help develop the person in addition to the process.	Make informed decisions about their future with the organisation, considering their long-term career aspirations, and determining whether a short or long-term commitment aligns better with their long-term career aspirations.	Provide a comprehensive overview of potential career paths within the SPA discipline, whilst also highlighting transferable skills that can be utilised not only within various areas of sport bur also outside of the sports industry.

Table

Primary Code	Secondary Code	Description
Buildingrelationships	General Relationships	The connections, associations and interactions between individuals, groups, or entities with no specific acknowledgement of whom they require to interact with., such as “Ability to develop and maintain professional working relationships”
	Sports Setting Staff	The connections, associations, and interactions between specific individuals within the organisation, such as “the ability to build meaningful, strong strategic relationships with Club staff”.
	MDT	A Multidisciplinary Team (MDT), is a group of professional from different disciplines who collaborate and work together to provide support, such as “Able to work as part of a multidisciplinary team and develop intra/inter-departmental relationships”
	MDT+External	In addition to the MDT personnel, forming relationships with external individuals, groups or entities, such as “able to build relationships internally with key staff and externally with a network of contacts”.
	Spa-Dyad	Relationship between the coach and the APA, such as “Experience of Analyst – Coach relationships”.
	SPA-Triad+Parents	Relationship between the coach, the APA, the player and parents, such as “the ability to build relationships with players, parents and coaches both internally and externally”.
PA & Sport Expertise	Academic Qualifications	The specific educational credentials and achievements attained through formal education such as a BSc, BA, MSc, MA, PhD or equivalent qualification., such as “Related Master’s Degree in Performance Analysis”.
	Academic/Coaching Qualifications	The specific educational credentials and achievements attained through formal education BSc, BA, MSc, MA, PhD or equivalent qualification or hold a coaching qualification, such a “Industry recognised qualifications in Performance Analysis or Coaching”.
	Accreditation	Be accredited by the International Society of Performance Analysis in Sport, British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences or equivalent, such as “Professional membership or performance Analysis accreditation”.
	Coaching Qualifications	Hold a coaching qualification, such as “Holds Intermediate Level Football Coaching Qualifications” or “FA Level 2 Award in Coaching Football or equivalent”.
	General Analysis Experience	The applicant has previously obtained knowledge, skills, understanding and insights through direct participation or exposure to activities, such as “Experience of working in a high-performance rugby environment” but no specific reference to role, skills or duration of the various activities, events or situations.
	Role Specific Analysis Experience	The knowledge, skills and expertise acquired through practical involvement and specific responsibility, such as “Experience of working within the schoolboys phase”.
	Skill Specific Analysis Experience	The knowledge, skills and expertise acquired through practical involvement and specific responsibility, such as “Experience of linking to a recruitment analysis provision”.
	Year Specific Analysis Experience	The specific duration of the knowledge, skills and expertise acquired through practical involvement and specific responsibility is mentioned, for example “Minimum of 2 years’ experience of working as a performance analyst”
	Wider Sporting Knowledge And Experience	The breath of understanding and practical involvement in various sports disciplines and related activities, such as “Excellent football knowledge, can understand advanced tactical principles”.
Technical Expertise	Data Reporting And Visualisation Skills	The ability to effectively present and communicate data findings through clear and visually appealing formats, such as “Experience in the manipulation of performance data sets and visualisations”.
	IT Software Skills	The proficiency in using specific software applications and tools to effectively navigate, operate and utilise programmes to perform tasks, such as “An understanding of Excel and other Mac/Microsoft products”
	PA Software Skills	The proficiency to use SPA software to perform key tasks, such as “Knowledge and expertise of industry standard Performance Analysis software”.
	PA Hardware	The physical components and devices that are used by APA to capture information, such as “Experience with filming equipment, including capturing, converting, and processing video”.
	PA Software And Hardware	The ability to use various applications and tools, and have knowledge of the components, and equipment, such as “Experience in working with performance analysis hardware and software”
Professional Behaviours	Adaptability/Problem-Solving	The ability to adjust and thrive in changing circumstances, environments, or situations to find effective solutions to challenges or obstacles, such as “Flexible and adaptable to the working patterns of elite sports environments”
	Communication	The ability to convey information ideas and thoughts to others effectively through various modes, such as “Must be able to communicate, interact and engage with colleagues”.
	Equality/Diversity	The ability to promote fairness, inclusion and respect for individuals, regardless of their differences, such as “Committed to equality and diversity initiatives, and antidiscriminatory practice”.
	General Inter-Personal Skills	The ability to effectively interact and communicate with others, but do not make specific reference to a particular skill, such as “Excellent soft skills, with an ability to excel in a modern footballing environment”.
	Leadership/Management	The ability to guide and oversee individuals and resources to help the organisation or team achieve a goal, such as “Experience of managing other analysts and to help other develop as professionals within the department”
	Proactive/Driven	Taking initiative and responsibility of own actions, actively addressing situations and challenges to ensure goals are achieved, such as “Forward thinking and proactive towards personal and departmental development”
	Professional/Confidentiality	The ability to maintain certain standards of conduct, such as, “Be able to work in a professional and responsible manner”
	Teamwork	Ability to collaborate with others, leveraging skills, knowledge and perspective of team members to achieve a goal, such as “Possess the ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team”
	Time Management/Organisational Skills	The ability to effectively manage tasks, prioritise responsibility and utilise time effectively to achieve goals, such as “Ability to plan and organise work effectively”.

Table

Primary code	Secondary Code	Description
Establish relationships and define roles	Background Research	Find out about the context, culture and environment of the organisation and people
	Build Relationships	Meet and build rapport with the key stakeholders and managers in the organisation
		Meet and build rapport with the coaching staff and multi- disciplinary team
	Define Roles	define and agree the role of the analyst and establish reporting relationships
Needs analysis	Audit Available Resources	determine available resources
		analyst capacity and expertise to deliver
		time demands of competition schedule
		available budget, hardware, software, and internet connectivity
	Evaluate Current Knowledge Of Sport	Evaluate the current body of knowledge in the sport
	Capture Stakeholder Needs	Design a strategy to capture needs of key stakeholders
		Capture the ideas, needs and preferences of the coach and coaching team
		Collaborate with the coaching team or other key stakeholders to defined the performance question or issue
		Consider if a research project should be conducted
	Agree Service Plan	Consider the impact of the coach’s philosophy and leadership style on the service delivery plan
		Negotiate and agree aims and a plan for performance analysis service
System Design	Explore System Requirements	Establish what to measure and test valid operational definitions for the variables
		Research all potential technical solutions;
		Agree system parameters
		Seek ethical approval and consent if a research project is incorporated in the work
	System Design And Testing	Test and select most appropriate tools
		Collaborate with coaches/multi- disciplinary team to design and pilot test the system, considering the athlete experience
		Collaborate with coaches to agree strategy for reporting and feedback
		Devise data management strategy and related infrastructure
Data management	Build Infrastructure	Build integrated performance databases
		Develop/use consistent operating procedures for data handling and archiving
	Manage Access To Data	Manage access to and sharing of data
		Protect sensitive data
		Store and archive data
Data collection and reliability	Preparation Phase	Undergo system training, upskill and prepare coaches/others to collect data if required
		Create a protocol for data collection and video capture including: obtaining permission to film/share data
		briefing athletes where required
		Prepare equipment
		Adapt to context and logistics “on location”
	Execution Phase	Engage with external analysis providers or mine public data sources to obtain data
		Systematically observe and judge what data to record
		Operate data collection technology, equipment and systems
	Reliability Phase	Systematically check and recode data, applying appropriate statistical tests if required
		Interpret and evaluate reliability results in the context of performance
Analysis	Prepare Data And Processes	Formulate standard operating protocol for the analysis workflow
		Import, tidy, transform, sort and organise data from multiple sources
		Mine and filter own and third party databases to extract and compare data
	Interrogation Of Data	Interrogate data to identify trends, selecting appropriate statistical techniques where appropriate
	Profiles And Visualisations	Create performance profiles, considering the stability of the data
		Create effective data visualisations and reports using simple or complex tools to illustrate trends
	Manage Timelines	Manage timelines for the delivery of analysis outputs
Reporting to key stakeholders	Data Translation	interpret and translate data into performance insights, and narrative if requested
		Facilitate delivery of live data and insight to coaching team
		Filter and prepare content for analysis by stakeholders, distilling data to manageable volumes
		Ensure understanding of the data provided, teach to use analysis tools where appropriate
		Prioritise and facilitate a coach review meeting to reflect, discuss and co- analyse data
		Ensure access to larger databases which can be referred to answer specific queries
		Consider when, where and how to challenge assumptions and biases
	Strategy Planning	Assist coaching team to build and articulate game and training strategy
		Agree strategy and content for the facilitation of feedback to athletes
Facilitation of feedback	Contextual Assessment	Consider best practice in the athlete experience of feedback: volume, timing, frequency, accessibility, empowerment, criticism
		Build trust and rapport with athletes through presence and small deeds
		Consider social and emotional needs of each athlete, impact of results and schedule on levels of mental fatigue individually and collectively;
		Consider the coach’s leadership style and philosophy of feedback, & the socio-emotional and micro-political needs of the coaching staff
		Observe and identify the power dynamics within the athlete group and how they relate to the coaching staff
		Consider the balance and timing of briefing versus debriefing, collaborate with performance psychologist if available
	Planning Feedback Strategy	Collaborate with coach/athletes to decide on key feedback aims, messages, content, tone, timing and mode of delivery
		Advocate for bespoke feedback design promoting discussion, athlete reflection, empowerment and ownership of analysis
		Ensure athletes are informed and can contribute to decisions about how feedback will proceed
	Preparation	Assist coaching team to design scaffolding materials to provide athlete learning opportunities through reflection
		meetings, questions, self-analysis or peer analysis, teaching coaches to use feedback technology where required
		Refine data visualisation – statistics for athletes; Edit feedback clips for athletes to ensure an appropriate volume
	Delivery	Facilitate and manage timely athlete access to appropriate feedback, during practice interventions, meetings or online
		Design a way to capture feedback of the athlete experience and outcomes to allow evaluation of the learning opportunities provided
		Be available to engage with athletes and staff informally and on an ad-hoc, casual basis
	Before A Team Meeting	Collaborate with coaching team to establish/plan their desired learning outcomes, content, and tone for the meeting
		Prepare required meeting content and brief for coaching team if required
		Assist coaching team to formulate appropriate questions based on content to achieve desired outcomes
		Prepare meeting room logistics, technology and environment in advance if possible
	During A Team Meeting	Support and ensure coach/athlete competence with video technology delivery, deliver feedback, or facilitate meeting if required
		Keep track of meeting duration, acting as timekeeper if agreed
	After A Team Meeting	Note if the meeting met the desired outcomes and capture any additional actions
Service review and evaluation	Review	Capture formal/informal feedback on PA support from key stakeholders
		Review engagement data and performance data in line with original project aims to evaluate if learning opportunities were appropriate
	Evaluate	Reflect on, and evaluate your role in delivery, strengths and weaknesses
		Based on collated evidence, debrief original service plan with relevant staff, evaluating if aims were achieved
	Share	Collate evaluation findings into a report for the organisation
		Consider if, and/or how, lessons from the work could be disseminated