A new chapter is beginning for sports in Barbados, with the launch of a locally developed sports data analytics initiative, designed to change the way information is collected, analysed and used across the sporting sector.
The initiative is a partnership between the Ministry of Sport and Community Empowerment and Future Barbados.
Much of the information generated through sport locally has not always been collected, stored or analysed in a consistent manner.
Therefore, this initiative seeks to help close that gap by turning raw data into meaningful insights that can benefit athletes, coaches and sporting organisations.
It was officially launched recently, with the first cohort of participants receiving training that’s aimed at developing homegrown expertise in sports data analytics, while equipping national sporting organisations with the tools to make more informed, data-driven decisions.
A small-scale pilot of the programme was first tested during the Barbados Secondary Schools Under-14 Football League, providing an early look at how data can be used to better understand performance.
One of the brains behind the project, President of the Barbados Secondary Schools’ Football League and BFA Executive Board Member Wren Ramsay, explains how the initiative could change the way sport is approached in Barbados.
The Sport Data Analytics Initiative will be fully rolled out and utilised during this year’s Prime Minister’s Cup, providing teams and organisers with data-driven insights to help inform performance, strategy and decision-making.
