By Dr. Julia Donnelly 

Preseason is one of the most influential periods in the entire athletic calendar. It sets the tone, establishes expectations, and builds the foundation for performance across the season.

But too often, it relies on guesswork.

Without objective measurement, coaches repeat the same plans, athletes repeat the same patterns, and teams miss opportunities to improve where it matters most. We rely on subjective assessment on not only if the athlete has adapted to the load applied, but whether the coaches planning, periodisation and goal setting has been effective. This can be difficult to truly assess: athletes who may look fit may lack physical capacities, and historical weaknesses go untracked, unresolved and can culminate in larger problems down the line. Relying on visual assessment and athlete feedback can create blind spots, and can lead to a cycle of producing the same outcomes, and failing to push each individual to the appropriate level.

And in competitive environments, marginal gains, or missed gains, make the difference. If you don’t measure change, how do you track success?

Why Profile Athletes?

Performance profiling isn’t about adding complexity—it’s about creating clarity.

1. Clarity

Profiling provides a clear, objective picture of where athletes are right now. This is why at Athlete Focused we don’t use the term ‘profiling’. This implies a pass/fail, and sport is not as clear-cut as this. Having an athlete ‘profile’ shows a clear snapshot of their current physical and physiological training status, and works as part of a long-term development plan which is constantly changing to reflect adherence, adaptation, or fatigue.

Instead of guessing:

• Who is ready?
• Who needs support?
• Where the biggest performance gaps lie…

…you have answers.

2. Buy-In

Athletes engage more when they understand their own data.

When players see:

• Their sprint times
• Their strength outputs
• Their asymmetries

…it becomes personal.

Data turns abstract coaching instructions into tangible, meaningful goals which can be effectively tracked throughout not only a season, but an athlete’s career. Working with an Athlete Focused coach, this data turns into an individual plan to work on their specific goals, alongside general physical preseason preparation to be ready for an intense playing period.

3. Direction

Profiling doesn’t just identify “problems”—it prioritises them.

Coaches can:

• Individualise training where needed
• Adjust workloads across the squad
• Focus on what will deliver the biggest performance return

Without understanding a clear “starting” point, it is almost impossible to create a plan that pushes athletes to improve capacity, as we don’t know what this looks like. It ends up with runs being prescribed that aren’t at the appropriate intensity, and therefore may not be working the intended energy systems. This leads to a lack of sport-specific fitness; an athlete may be able to run 10km, but cannot perform repeated sprints intermittently within a football match and recover properly.

The Bigger Picture:
With the services Athlete Focused provide, profiling can often allow for a suitable referral to a wider performance support model – for example, having nutrition support to help improve fuelling strategies when focusing on aerobic capacity, or maximum strength.

Data Supports Coaching—It Doesn’t Replace It

One of the biggest misconceptions around profiling is that it removes the “art” of coaching. In reality, it enhances it.

Data should:

• Inform decisions (not make them)
• Highlight patterns (not dictate actions)
• Support intuition (not override it)

Great coaching is the combination of experience, understanding the context, observation, and now- objective evidence. Think of profiling as a lens. It sharpens what coaches already see. The best decisions happen when data and coaching intuition align. Often, profiling reports are integrated into coaching performance plans, to make sure each athlete has a well-rounded understanding of their development points and support plans for the season.

Sharing Accountability

Profiling once is useful.

But re-profiling is transformative. Progress becomes visible, and trackable across the season. Standards become real, and accountability is shared. This reinforces effort, builds confidence and creates a culture where everyone owns performance, and understands their role in the process.

Combining with powerful data visualisation to report progress back, we can highlight the impact an effective training plan can have:

The Bottom Line

Preseason without measurement is preparation based on assumptions. Preseason with profiling is preparation with purpose. By measuring performance, coaches gain clarity on where athletes stand, direction on what matters most and a clear, easy, and reliable way to track and prove progress, with a clear plan able to be put straight into action by a high-quality coach. Improvement becomes intentional.

At Athlete Focused, we help teams turn preseason into a performance advantage.

Through structured profiling, clear reporting, and practical insights, we give coaches the tools to:

• Identify what matters
• Track change
• And maximise every training block

Discover how Athlete Focused can support your preseason planning.