Impact case study database

Our DSPA research, through synchronous and asynchronous knowledge exchange, has:

Significantly improved DSPA practice and provision for individuals, teams, and national & international organisations

The project outlined above explored how SPA could be used within BWB’s world-class performance throughout the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Paralympic Games Cycle and beyond. The foundational development of a performance analysis template created significant advancement in the effective use of game data, providing unique objective insight into team and individual playing performance that has been used widely (a-e), allowing players and coaches “ to get more detail…It then helped us understand how effective that analysis could be” (d) . Francis worked within the sports science support team to raise awareness and understanding of how SPA could be used to enhance learning and understanding, resulting in notable improvements in SPA provision and practice (a-g) as the research “ allowed for conversations and debates regarding measuring performance that wouldn't have taken place that solved performance problems that were present that hadn't been identified yet” (c). The new template was used to provide objectivity and enhance provision across the men’s, women’s, and junior performance squads from 2015 to 2017: “ In particular, [the] research around offensive and defensive team performance metrics assisted in the playing style, offensive and defensive strategies and line-up decisions that were adopted” (f). Following dissemination at the BASES 2015 conference, analysts for Para-Football teams of the Football Association used the fundamental components of the template “ to ensure the data and information collected on a team and/or individual performance is meaningful and contains context through analysing sequences of events, for coaches and staff to understand the entire picture and develop performance plans based on objective information” (h). Various Para-Football performance teams have now embedded our DSPA provisions and online learning platforms to aid learning and understanding tailored to individuals’ learning needs (h). World Rugby has also incorporated aspects of the template into wheelchair rugby because of our research “ to ensure meaningful information can be collected by World Rugby analysts moving forward” (i).

Extensively used by elite disability sport coaches, sport-science support staff, teams, and athletes to enhance performance at the highest levels

The Team Performance Model (TPM) and the Field-Goal Shooting Model (FGSM) are comprehensive predictive models of wheelchair basketball performance and were the first in the world to include sequential analysis. BWB practitioners used the TPM to formulate strategic plans and adjust training sessions in the build-up and during major international competitions e.g., the model formulated optimal offensive and defensive line-ups at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympic Games and subsequent competitions in 2017 and 2018 across the entire BWB world class performance programmes (c-f).

The FGSM was developed to quantify and predict individual and team shooting success whilst incorporating the actions and behaviours of the opposition and helped players “ to adapt [their] game, increase awareness of [their] shooting action and encouraged debates around the current practice, training methods, tactics and game plan between teammates, coaches and support staff” (b). The overall work and models “ directly influenced and positively impacted the ascent of the Great Britain Teams on the world stage, leading to the attainment of three out of four World Champions titles (Great Britain Men, Great Britain U23 Men and Great Britain U25 Women) and a silver medal for the Great Britain Women” (g). The ability of the models to simulate and predict the likely outcome of various game situations added game-changing value to scientists at the England Institute of Sport and coaches within the named organisation (c-f). Coaches, practitioners, and athletes have since embedded the models into different settings in Germany, Spain, Italy, and Canada leading to significant improvements in individual and team performance (d, e, f).

Improved the quality, efficiency, and professional standing of DSPA across a range of disability sports at the highest-level influencing workforce planning in national disability sport world class programmes and international governing body strategy

Our research has been used by several national and international organisations, across an array of disability sports, to enhance the provision, quality, efficiency, and professional standing of DSPA. “ The changes to current practice based on research findings aided and improved the current methods adopted by staff and the performance team” (g). Our research “ influenced how British Wheelchair Basketball recruited staff for the start of the Tokyo Paralympic Games Cycle” and led to a full-time sport performance analyst being employed to lead the provision (g). The Football Association have employed two consultant sport performance analysts to lead the DSPA provisions for the Blind, Deaf Futsal, Deaf Football and Cerebral Palsy teams (h). “Based on a key finding within this work…the opportunity for staff to learn British Sign Language has been and will continue to be embedded within camps and away from camps” staff to ensure key performance advantages can be communicated effectively (h). World Rugby have subsequently appointed a Game Analyst Consultant to lead the wheelchair rugby provision (i).

Our research has resulted in the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) introducing “a new component within its Competition Strategy to ensure performance analysis provisions and facilities are available at all major competitions”, requiring the inclusion of DSPA provision as a key and fundamental element in all competition bids (g). This was first included at the 2018 World Wheelchair Basketball Championships and is included in the rearranged 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games. Furthermore, our research has contributed to the sport’s current classification philosophy, IWBF’s player classification system (g).