Player Development Growth - Data
Player development growth was what I wrote about in my last blog. As I completed the blog, I realized that numerical data would help quantify the growth that I’ve seen in the player development space since 2016. Well, the data is here and my observations were correct, the numbers were greater than I expected.
Before I get started I want to thank Aaron Feazelle for the help he gave me during this study.
This study is data used from the 2016 and 2021 season and is based off of media guides and program websites for FBS football programs.
There were 3 things that stuck out the most:
1. 96% Increase in Player Development Professionals
The increase from the 2016 season to the 2021 season was MASSIVE. Based on the study there were 54 player development professionals in 2016 and the number increased to 103 player development professionals this past season. Seeing this was very encouraging. I knew the number of professionals increased, but this one blew me away. This is a great sign for those who are interested in having a career in player development.
2. Increase of Player Development Staff Members Per Programs (2 or more professionals)
There was a 166% increase in programs that have multiple player development professionals on their staff. In 2016 there were 6 programs that had multiple player development professionals, this number increased to 16 in 2021. In that 16, 5 programs had a staff of 3+ working in player development. I haven’t had the pleasure of having a full time player development professional to help me in the role. This stat is a sign that things are changing. I will be too excited when I am able to lead a player development staff.
3. Every Conference Saw an Increase In Player Development Staff
Across the board every one of the Power 5 and Group of 5 conferences had a significant increase in player development staff. The average percentage of increase across the conferences was 26%. The conference with the biggest increase was the PAC 12 which saw a 48% increase in their programs creating player development departments. The SEC is the only conference that currently has a director of player development at each of its institutions. In college football the SEC leads the way in how other conferences go about their business. With this in mind, it won’t be long before all the Power 5 conferences will have player development at all their institutions.
Here are the numbers to back up the observation that I had about player development’s immense growth. These numbers are encouraging to me to see as I can see the focus that is being placed on this space. For all of those who are looking to get in this space, continue to have hope and faith as you prepare yourself for your opportunity to impact the lives of student-athletes.
I may discuss this in greater detail later with some non numerical observations I have about this growth. Maybe I should do a podcast or something. We’ll see.
DISCLAIMER: I am not a statistician and could only go off the information provided in media guides and websites. If there is a number that is skewed, I apologize, but I believe Aaron and myself did a thorough job digging for the professionals in this 3 week study.
Hope you enjoyed the blog. For more blogs and information on player development, click this link: https://www.btfprogram.com/playerdevelopment-blog
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God bless and go CREATE GENERATIONAL IMPACT TODAY!