The Data Literacy Imperative: Why Sports Organisations Must Invest in People

After two decades in sports technology, I’ve witnessed the same pattern repeat countless times: organisations rush to implement cutting-edge analytics platforms, only to watch them gather digital dust. The missing ingredient? Data literacy – the human capability to read, understand, create, and communicate data as information.

Dr. Kieran Collins of Technological University Dublin, whose research group has extensively studied data use and user experience in sport, puts it perfectly: “It’s just a tool. It’s how you utilise it. It can stay in your toolbox,
you may never use it, but it requires a skill set to use it.” His work with Microsoft on GPS and AI projects, and Google on digital transformation initiatives, has revealed a fundamental truth: technology doesn’t replace
human expertise – it amplifies it when properly understood. The sports landscape has fundamentally shifted. Collins’ research highlights how “kids don’t attend events the same way that their parents have done. They consume it very differently – through TikTok, short video clips, and creating sharing communities on Reddit or other platforms.” This behavioral evolution demands organisations develop sophisticated data
literacy to understand, predict, and respond to these changing consumption patterns.

Yet the challenge isn’t just external. Internal stakeholders – from coaches to executives – often struggle to bridge the gap between raw data and actionable insights. Collins’ approach of “McGyvering solutions” – finding creative ways to solve real-world problems by bringing together siloed information, creating more efficient processes, and ensuring technology serves human needs – exemplifies what effective data literacy looks like in practice.

At Colata, we embody this philosophy through our mission to empower sports organisations to harness data and AI, transforming possibilities into progress. Our vision of powering possibility in sport with people and data in mind recognises that sustainable success requires human-centered data literacy, not just technological sophistication.

The research from Collins’ team underscores three critical components of sports data literacy:

Contextual Understanding: Data without context is noise. Sports professionals must develop the ability to interpret metrics within the broader ecosystem of performance, fan behavior, and organisational objectives. This means understanding not just what the numbers say, but what they mean for specific decisions.

Critical Thinking: Collins emphasises that success with AI isn’t about the latest models but about the “last mile” of implementation within organisations. This requires professionals who can critically evaluate data sources, question assumptions, and identify when technology recommendations align with real-world constraints.

Communication Skills: The most sophisticated analysis means nothing if stakeholders can’t understand or act on it. Data literacy includes the ability to translate complex insights into compelling narratives that drive organisational change.

The path forward requires deliberate investment in human capital alongside technological infrastructure. Organisations must create learning cultures where data literacy is viewed as a core competency, not an optional add-on. This means providing ongoing education, encouraging experimentation, and celebrating both successes and intelligent failures. As Collins notes, technology provides “additional information to make
better decisions” – but only when people possess the literacy skills to unlock its potential. In our rapidly evolving sports ecosystem, data literacy isn’t just a competitive advantage; it’s an organisational imperative.
The future belongs to sports organisations that recognise data literacy as the bridge between human intuition and technological capability. At Colata, we’re committed to building that bridge, ensuring that every possibility powered by data ultimately serves the people who make sport extraordinary.