In order to continue one of Ron Gordon’s most enduring Easter Road legacies, Hibs is delving even further into data and analytics. Additionally, thanks to their strengthened connection with Kitman Labs, coaches at all Hibs Academy levels, from the Development Squad to the under-9s, will have access to information that is typically only available to first-team squads.
The late chairman Gordon made significant investments to outfit his team’s scouting and sports science departments with cutting-edge technology. Kitman CEO and founder Stephen Smith was hailed as a trailblazer by the Evening News earlier this year. The club already use the sports science curriculum provided by the firm, whose footballing clientele include Liverpool, Chelsea and Bayer Leverkusen, across all levels at East Mains.
However, the expanded application of what Kitman refers to as the Coaching and Talent Development solution ought to provide academy coaches with an additional crucial instrument for identifying and developing players who have the potential to contribute to the first team.
Hibs academy director Gareth Evans welcomed the agreement, saying, “Utilising the Kitman Labs Intelligence Platform allows us to unify our data collection process, which is vital when monitoring the development of our young players.” Evans had just last week spoken to the Evening News about the physical leap required by young players looking to reach the senior game. Our young athletes at HTC will ultimately benefit from the infrastructure and data-driven insights that the Coaching and Talent Development Solution will give our coaches to create effective development models.
To put it simply, the goal is to be able to monitor results and use data to design individualised player development programs. The ultimate objective is still to produce players who can contribute to the first team in addition to playing for it.
Smith added, “We’re grateful for our continued and longstanding relationship with the Hibernian Football Club,” noting that the first squad at Hibs has already been employing sophisticated analytics. The club has been at the vanguard of adopting and leveraging data science to enhance the health and performance of its players for years. We look forward to working together to find and nurture the next wave of Hibernian players, and the increased use of iP symbolises the club’s and its leadership’s ongoing innovation and evolution.
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