Fair play off the field: Addressing the lack of objectivity in sports practitioner assessments

From experience to innovation: A personal quest for objectivity in a world of opinions

Navigating the ever-changing landscape of elite sports, where change is the only constant, has been a defining aspect of my journey through high-performance environments in top European football. This environment, characterized by frequent shifts in coaching or management teams, often places practitioners in a precarious position, compelling them to continually prove their worth to new stakeholders unfamiliar with their work. Such a cycle, which I and many of my colleagues have experienced, can be exhausting, diverting focus from our primary goal – enhancing performance and player well-being. My professional journey has also shown me time and again that highly skilled practitioners are sometimes overlooked, not due to performance issues, but because their drive for innovation and progress poses a threat to less effective colleagues who engage in political games. 

This reality has sparked a deep-seated desire in me to develop a comprehensive approach that addresses the core needs of our community. Drawing from my contributions to sport sciences, I’ve been inspired to broaden my scope to include areas traditionally overseen by human resources (HR): objective department and staff performance assessment. My recent research Beyond the Scoreboard: Redefining Performance Staff Assessment in Elite Sports Organizations published in November 2023 in Sports Performance & Science Reports ^[1] was the first step of my new mission. This initiative is not meant to replace or overshadow HR practices but to enhance and supplement them, ensuring that the unique demands of performance and medical departments in elite sports are met with precision and care. It’s about fostering a collaborative environment where HR expertise and sport-specific insights come together for the betterment of all stakeholders involved. 

The concept of objective performance evaluation, while potentially daunting at first, offers a promising solution to these problems, ensuring that decisions are based on actual merit and contribution, rather than on personal biases or political dynamics. It has the potential to benefit all involved parties, enhancing not only individual recognition and development but also the overall efficacy and harmony within elite sports organizations. This approach aligns with my quest for objectivity in a world often dominated by subjective opinions and political maneuvering ^[2], aiming to bring a fair, transparent, and effective system of assessment to the forefront of elite sports.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in the corporate world: A model for elite sports?

In the corporate world, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are fundamental for managers and department heads, serving as quantifiable measures that significantly influence decisions on compensation, staff retention, dismissals, and overall department health. These indicators are essential for assessing whether a department and its members effectively contribute to broader organizational goals. For practitioners, KPIs are more than tools for validation; they are catalysts for growth and development, offering a clear path for professional advancement and spotlighting areas for improvement. This objective approach is crucial in crafting professional development courses that genuinely align with practitioners’ needs, promoting individual growth and, consequently, enhancing team performance. This perspective was profoundly influenced by a pivotal discussion on the Training Science podcast (Episode 48th), where I conversed with my good Aussie friend Benjamin Boulnois, CEO of Acensi Cyber, an IT security company. Our dialogue about the significance of KPIs in the corporate sector was a driving force behind my subsequent research with Luca Schuster and Ryan King ^[1] . It provided that necessary spark, reinforcing my direction and commitment to this field. Ultimately, adopting this model in sports should introduce the same level of clarity and objectivity to the evaluation and development of sports practitioners, mirroring the proven success seen in the corporate sphere.

The risks of operating without adequate KPIs

Imagine navigating the complexities of elite sports without well-defined KPIs. It’s akin to driving a car without a dashboard – you’re moving but with little understanding of your speed, direction, or the warning signs along the way. Just as you can’t accurately gauge how much petrol remains after lending your car to a friend without a fuel gauge, in sports, the lack of KPIs leaves you without a quantitative measure of progress and a reliable gauge of performance.

This scenario is particularly evident in football. When a team is on a losing streak, the immediate, often simplistic reaction is to blame the most visible factors: “The players aren’t running enough,” or “The fitness coach isn’t doing their job,” or “We’re losing because of injuries, so the medical staff must be inadequate.” This kind of reasoning is like assuming a car is malfunctioning solely because the fuel tank is empty, ignoring other critical components like the engine, brakes, or transmission. However, the reality is often more complex. Without KPIs, there’s a risk of misdiagnosing issues, leading to unfair blame and missed opportunities for improvement. KPIs offer a comprehensive view, crucial for informed decision-making and fostering a culture of continuous improvement in the dynamic world of elite sports.

Challenges and complexities in evaluating staff performance in elite football

The world of elite sports such as football, with its unique blend of unpredictability and complexity, presents both challenges and opportunities in the potential implementation of objective evaluation strategies. Unlike the structured corporate world, the elite sports kingdom often lacks clear job descriptions, roles, responsibilities, and objectives for practitioners. This absence of clarity leads to professionals operating without a defined framework, making the establishment of objective evaluation a nuanced and intricate task. This complexity is further intensified by the nature of team sports, where quantifying support staff’s influence on team success and individual player well-being becomes increasingly challenging. This difficulty arises from a myriad of variables involved, encompassing not only players’ genetic and physiological attributes but also many tactical and contextual factors that are beyond the control of club staff, such as luck and unforeseen events in gameplay. These elements collectively contribute to the unpredictable nature of sports performance, adding layers of complexity to staff evaluation. Overall, this situation fails to recognize the individual merits and contributions of the support staff, overlooking the interconnectedness within performance support teams. Given these intricacies, the need for objective evaluation in elite sports becomes even more critical. It’s a challenging endeavor, certainly, but it’s precisely in such a complex and multifaceted environment that objective measures like evaluation grids and KPIs are most needed. 

The discrepancy in KPIs application between players and backroom staff

The complexity of defining KPIs in sports is further exacerbated when comparing player-specific KPIs ^[3,4], like achieving certain fitness benchmarks, with those needed for staff performance evaluation. There exists a notable gap in the application and understanding of KPIs suitable for staff performance in contrast to those used for athlete performance. The lack of correlation between physically derived KPIs ^[4] or sport sciences practices ^[5] and team sports success illustrates the necessity for a more nuanced approach to defining and applying KPIs in the sports context.This indicates that staff KPIs should align more with individual actions and contributions than just the outcomes they influence. It underscores the need for KPIs tailored to specific roles and responsibilities, acknowledging the indirect and multifaceted impact staff have on team success. Focusing on individual performance and development, rather than just outcomes, ensures a fairer and more precise evaluation of staff contributions in the intricate setting of elite sports.

A progressive approach to evaluation and KPIs in sports: Blending experience, HR expertise and insights from the ‘Beyond the Scoreboard’ research paper.

Drawing on my recent research ^[1,6,7], combined with 20 years of experience and insights from top HR managers in major corporations and football clubs, I have now crafted an approach to leverage clear, measurable, and sports-specific individual and department evaluations, that can after that be used to define specific KPIs. This approach integrates individual performance with team objectives, fostering adaptability, continuous feedback, and open communication. It combines hard and soft metrics for a comprehensive view of department and staff performance, acknowledging the significance of tangible results as well as interpersonal and cognitive skills. My experience has also taught me that effective KPIs, which are quantifiable and regularly assessed, are crucial for enhancing decision-making. Implementing a multi-level KPI system, which addresses organizational, departmental, and individual needs, ensures activities align with broader goals, paving the way for a system that is not only objective and fair but also deeply aligned with the organization’s overarching objectives ^[8].

Detailed findings and examples from the recent KPIs study ^[1]

Overall findings

In a comprehensive survey of 51 practitioners, a notable 87% reported setting objectives for their teams or departments. The primary motivation behind employing KPIs was to assess the impact of practitioners and departments, particularly the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT). The KPIs were predominantly customized for specific departments and staff. However, the implementation faced challenges, with 60% finding difficulty in defining KPIs and 26% citing a lack of support from senior management and key stakeholders. Interestingly, a significant 85% of practitioners preferred a process-oriented approach for staff performance evaluation, with a majority favoring a 70-80% rating for process-driven evaluations.

Communication and collaboration (Department KPI)

In terms of communication and collaboration, the KPIs that garnered the highest preference among practitioners were related to the overall collaboration process with coaching staff for player reintegration after injury and clearly established communication lines between all staff, rated as highly relevant by 75% and 71% of practitioners, respectively. These KPIs are co-owned by the MDT and technical staff, requiring joint efforts and alignment. Metrics for evaluation include the existence of specific processes, qualitative assessments of communication effectiveness, feedback from staff and players, and the frequency of successful collaborative projects. Regular evaluations, such as bi-monthly or quarterly, are recommended to ensure continuous effective communication and collaboration.

Player availability and return to play (Department KPI)

The second-highest preference for MDT KPIs was related to overall player availability, with 66% rating it as highly relevant. Ownership of this KPI is shared among the MDT, coaching staff, and players, each playing a crucial role in ensuring player availability and effective Return to Play (RTP). Metrics include player availability rates for training and matches, duration and success rate of RTP protocols, and player feedback on the RTP process. Ongoing monitoring with detailed reviews at key RTP milestones and the end of each playing season is recommended.

Holistic player management, individual development, and prevention plans (department KPI)

The importance of creating individual player profiles with practical information and offering individual injury prevention routines following screenings was stressed, with 60% and 58% relevance, respectively. The MDT primarily owns these KPIs, in collaboration with players who contribute personal insights and feedback. Metrics involve tracking progress in individual development plans, adherence to prevention and nutrition protocols, and assessments of physical, mental, and nutritional health. Regular check-ins, such as monthly or quarterly, are recommended, along with adjustments based on individual player circumstances.

Personal growth and interpersonal communication (staff KPI)

For personal traits KPIs, the highest preferences were for willingness to progress and grow personally, ability to provide and receive critical and productive feedback, strong interpersonal skills for building and maintaining relationships, and quality of global communication with colleagues in the same discipline. These KPIs are primarily owned by individual staff members, with support and monitoring from departmental heads. Metrics include self-assessment tools, feedback from peers and supervisors, and professional development milestones achieved. Evaluations are suggested to be conducted annually or semi-annually, aligned with personal development plans.

Implementing effective KPIs in elite sports clubs: Coordination and action

Through my learning journey, I’ve come to understand the nuanced dynamics of implementing effective KPIs in elite sports clubs. The saying “It’s impossible to read the label from the inside of the bottle” resonates deeply, highlighting the need for objectivity in assessing and setting KPIs, which can be achieved through external consultancy or a well-trained internal staff, especially when handling sensitive data like medical records. The coordinator’s role, internal or external, is multifaceted, encompassing the maintenance of objectivity, expertise in KPI development, data collection, and regular reporting to ensure transparency and continuous evaluation.

Moreover, the utilization of KPIs by club decision-makers is pivotal. They must harness the insights provided by the coordinator to make informed decisions, ensuring that KPIs offer actionable insights, fostering a feedback loop for adaptability, and making strategic adjustments based on a comprehensive understanding of the KPIs’ impact on club performance. This approach, often guided by the SMART process, ensures that KPIs are not just numbers but tools for tangible enhancement and strategic decision-making.

KPIs in action: Individual and department KPIs examples

Case study 1: Implementing KPIs for the personal development of physiotherapists

Table 1 shows the assessment of two physiotherapists with clear distinct profiles, and in both cases, evaluation metrics and KPIs serve as a roadmap for personal and professional growth, tailored to the individual needs of each of them. By focusing on specific areas of development, KPIs can help guide their learning journey, ensuring continuous improvement and adaptation to the evolving demands of elite sports physiotherapy.

	Physio A	Physio B
Profile	A recent graduate, Physio A is passionate about science and technology and keeps an eye on the scientific literature. However, he struggles to grasp the broader context of his role within the multi-disciplinary team and has underdeveloped interpersonal skills.	With 35 years of experience, Physio B is highly skilled in his job and possesses excellent people skills. However, he shows resistance to new methods or changes in his established practices.
Initial evaluation results (based on custom and specifically designed evaluation grids, aggregated scores as follows: 1-Poor, 5-Excellent)	1. Personal growth: 5/5 2. Interpersonal communication: 1/5 3. Ability to receive feedback: 3/5 4. Overall quality of Treatment offered (player & staff rating): 3/5	1. Personal growth: 1/5 2. Interpersonal communication: 5/5 3. Ability to receive feedback: 2/5 4. Overall quality of Treatment offered (player & staff rating): 3/5
Suggested CPD courses for Improvement based on the Initial Evaluation:	– Sports psychology and communication: To enhance understanding of players’ mindset and improve communication skills. – Team dynamics in sports: Focusing on the role of a physio within a team setting. – Workshops on emotional intelligence: To develop empathy and interpersonal skills.	– Emerging technologies in physiotherapy: To stay updated with the latest advancements in the field. – Advanced sports physiotherapy courses: Focusing on innovative treatment methods and research in sports physiotherapy.
Selection of implemented, persona-specific KPIs	– Number of CPD courses attended – Number of mentoring sessions attended	– Number of CPD courses attended – Number of presentations made to the staff about ‘new’ topics in physiotherapy – Frequency of use and  integration of technology in players’ assessment during RTP (with colleagues’ support at the start)

Physio A: The suggested courses would provide him with the necessary skills and knowledge to improve his understanding of the sports context and enhance his interpersonal skills, crucial for working effectively in a team environment.

Physio B: The courses would not only update his knowledge base but also equip him with the skills to adapt to and lead change, ensuring he remains a valuable asset to the multi-disciplinary team despite his years of experience.

Case study 2: Multidisciplinary team review and monitoring

Table 2, adapted from ^[8] represents the initial phase in developing a detailed assessment matrix for a Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) in elite football. It blends insights from our most recent research ^[1], with my extensive 20-year experience in the field, both as a full-time staff member and a consultant in many elite sporting organizations. Crafting this matrix and generating consistent reports is a substantial endeavor, encompassing the formulation of intricate evaluation metrics, statistics, KPIs definition with stakeholders, and comprehensive data aggregation and reporting mechanisms. Note that in presenting this matrix, I have chosen to include only a selection of the different evaluation metrics and KPIs. This decision is driven by several considerations. Firstly, every context is unique and requires a tailored approach to truly reflect its specific needs and dynamics. Secondly, the scope of this piece limits the extent to which we can delve into each aspect of the matrix. And lastly, while aiming to provide valuable insights, there is a need to maintain a certain level of confidentiality regarding my intellectual property. This careful balance ensures that the shared content is both informative and respectful of the proprietary nature of some elements of the framework, offering value without compromising the exclusivity of the methodology.

Areas of assessment	Sub areas	Ownership	Evaluation metrics	Frequency of assessment
Communication	Communication within MDT	100% MDT	Channels in place Processes Organization Feedback from staff and players Ratings by an independent person	Bi-monthly or quarterly
	Communication outside MDT	Shared with technical staff	Channels in place Processes Organization Feedback from staff and players Ratings by an independent person	Bi-monthly or quarterly
Player availability	Overall player availability (simple metrics)	Shared with technical staff and players	% available for training % available for match Number of players unavailable per match	Weekly
	Overall player availability (advanced metrics)	Shared with technical staff and players	Injury rate and burden /1000hrs of training and match exposures Ratings by an independent person	Annually
	Lay-off times and RTP durations	Shared with players	Days lost per injury, per context and mechanism of injury, per muscle group Actual vs projected lay-off times	Annually
	Re-injury rate	Shared with Technical staff and players	Rate per injury, per context and mechanism of injury, per muscle group	Annually
	RTP approach & content	100% (at least first phases)	Evidenced-informed structured documents for sharing and collaboration Clear benchmarks and milestones Ratings by an independent person Player feedback on their experience	Annually

Case study 3: SMART process around communication quality during the last phases of RTP

As a way to end with a practical demonstration of the process, here’s an example of a “SMART” process related to the KPI around the quality of communication between the MDT and coaches:

SMART steps	Actions
Specific	Improve communication between the MDT and coaches when a player returns to training with the group (partial and full sessions)
Measurable	There is a clear progression in locomotor load (i.e., GPS metrics) when the players get back to training with the group, with the players performing substantially less load than the rest of the group during the first couple of sessions (with the duration of this load management period being inversely related to the lay-off duration [7] ).
Attainable	Implement specific meetings involving at least the doctor, the lead physio, the lead conditioning coach, and a coach assistant. Develop tools to streamline internal communication processes (e.g., player-specific calendar and tailored reports).
Relevant	Enhanced communication will lead to fewer misunderstandings, better player load management, reduced (re)injuries, and improved overall payer availability – which should, ultimately improve team performance.
Time-bound	Achieve zero loading discrepancies (i.e., planned vs actual) within three months, with progress assessed each time a new player returns to play.

Forging self-directed KPIs for non-leadership roles in the absence of formal evaluation

In situations where proactive performance evaluation isn’t yet a top-down initiative, taking the lead in developing your own KPIs can be a powerful move. Start by crafting a clear job description if one doesn’t exist, pinpointing your role and responsibilities. Follow this with a candid self-assessment to identify your strengths and areas for growth, forming the basis for your KPIs. These should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Consolidate these elements into a well-structured proposal and initiate a constructive dialogue with HR and your supervisor, showcasing how your KPIs align with and contribute to the team’s objectives. Remember, this proactive approach not only demonstrates your commitment to personal and organizational development but also positions you as an innovator within your team. And as you navigate this process of self-driven performance enhancement, consider seeking guidance from external experts who can provide valuable insights and support.

Elevating performance evaluation in elite sports – A Personal mission

In my journey through the ever-shifting landscape of elite European football, I’ve been compelled to address the challenges practitioners face in constantly proving their worth amidst frequent management changes. This personal experience has driven me to develop a comprehensive approach to performance evaluation for elite sports organizations. This initiative is not intended to replace or overshadow HR practices but rather to supplement and support them, enhancing the overall effectiveness of performance assessments. By integrating objective evaluations and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), as highlighted in the research ^[1,6,7,8] , robust communication, transparent decision-making, progressive personal traits, and measurable metrics such as player availability are prioritized – which represents a clear shift away from the simplistic assessment of staff and department value based solely on weekend team results. This structured assessment framework aims to ensure that every practitioner’s contribution is acknowledged and valued, fostering an environment in elite sports where fairness, transparency, and individual development are held in the highest regard.

Acknowledgments

I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Clotilde Fourchet for her immeasurable support and invaluable contributions to this project and the development of this piece. Her expertise and dedication have been instrumental in bringing this work to fruition.