Hoe database-ontwikkeling de KNSB en het schaatsen vooruit helpt

SPEED SKATING: BEIJING, CHINA: FEBRUARY 10: National Speed Skating Oval, Olympic Winter Games 2022, 5000m Women, Jeroen Fredriks (ETiming), (©International Skating Union (ISU) / Photo by Martin de Jong)

The Royal Dutch Skating Association (KNSB) is committed to strengthening and promoting the sport of skating and inline skating. Sport is emotion, sport is about people. Yet data also plays an indispensable role in the development of skating. How sport and IT come together? Jeroen Fredriks, ICT/ET coordinator at the KNSB tells more about the role of data in long track speed skating and the cooperation with Qualogy.

Jeroen Fredriks is ICT/ET coordinator at the KNSB (Royal Dutch Skating Association). From his position he is involved in enabling and registering the 1200 long track speed skating competitions held in the Netherlands each year. From ET (Electronic Timekeepers) or Omega he is also responsible for timekeeping at the long track speed skating competitions. Think of major championships both in the Netherlands and abroad, ISU competitions and the Olympic Games.

“For long track speed skating it really applies: time is everything”

Among other things, the KNSB facilitates timekeeping software to sixteen ice rinks in the Netherlands. On average, 1200 long track speed skating races are held and over 1.2 million times are registered each year. Jeroen: “As KNSB, we are naturally very interested in those times. The statisticians in my team collect all that information and then pour it into our database. We use the times for selection purposes, talent recognition and everything to do with that. Because long track speed skating is only interesting if times are run. For long track speed skating it really applies: time is everything.”

The data and data development level of long track speed skating is quite high in the Netherlands. The KNSB collaborates with various parties for this, such as the Thialf Innovation Lab and universities. “The challenge in sports is to keep developing so that you can get the most out of the sport. As KNSB, we facilitate that. We ensure that professional riders and coaches have the best tools at their disposal, in order to perform optimally. But also that the recreational rider has his times available,” Jeroen said.”

“All that data is gold. You just have to make sure you can continue to develop and provide that data.”

Data-driven coaching
Skating is a top sport in the Netherlands. Many fans are glued to the tube during a race. Jeroen: “But on TV you only see the end result. What the viewer doesn’t know is how much data is used in choices for team compositions, during training and testing moments. Ultimately, that data leads to that one moment. Right now, far from all available data is being used. So there is much more to be gained in that area.

An example: in an ice rink there is a measuring point every fifty meters. Twelve times per lap we then know how the skaters relate to each other. That is very valuable information for a coach. He can see exactly where a rider has missed a race. Did he start too fast? Did he not achieve the efficiency in the turns? It also allows you to create a speed profile of the skater. Overlay this with data from the conditions, such as air pressure, and you can predict what finishing time that skater will ride on a particular track under certain conditions. All that data is gold. We as KNSB just have to make sure that we can continue to develop and offer that data.”

Future-proof database
With that idea, a history database was set up ten years ago at the KNSB. The goal: to secure information for the future. In this database data of Dutch riders is secured, from rides at home and abroad. That way the rankings are always complete with all times ridden within a season. After nine years, the life cycle of that software came to an end. That was the beginning of the collaboration with Qualogy. A project of several years was started, with the first phase being to clean up the old database COVAS 1. At the same time, the new data model COVAS 2 was developed and the data mutated. The result is a renewed database that can be continuously improved and is future-proof.

“Continuous improvement and development is the common thread in the collaboration with Qualogy”

Agile & Scrum
And that’s just as well, because sports is always evolving. Jeroen: “Next year, the skating world could look completely different. Continuous improvement and development is therefore the common thread in the cooperation with Qualogy.” Agile and Scrum appear to be important methods in this. As a result, the KNSB is always aware of the work of the development team. This allows the association to steer the process step by step. Because of the short cycles of Agile, where desired, the business value can be adjusted quickly.”

Translating wishes
Jeroen continues, “Qualogy is truly a thinking partner. The members of the Qualogy team can not only deal with data, but they really understand skating. As a result, they give us new insights about the possibilities. And they translate our wishes into a technical solution without any problems. I find that very special.”

“Qualogy is truly a thinking partner”

Changing information needs
Jeroen: “Now that the COVAS 2 project has been completed, we can start opening up the data. For example, towards our website. This way we make our history available to everyone. We notice an increasing need for advance information. People want to know what to expect before a skating weekend. What does the top 20 look like? Which skaters will be at the start? Who will ride the European Championships and what are the season times? These are things we don’t do enough with at the moment. Furthermore, there are of course several channels that you could connect to the database and that could benefit from the data stored in it.”

The influence of social media
Young people are also showing more interest in skating and the whole world around it. This is mainly due to social media. For example, you can follow riders on Instagram. Jeroen: “Take Jutta Leerdam, for example. She has so many followers. This changes the way sport is experienced. It’s really about the person behind the sport. The current means in that make the connection with the supporters much closer. As a federation, we try to go along with that and facilitate what is needed for that. It is therefore important that we keep an eye on where the information needs are.”

Talent tracking
Another form of data application you see in many sports is talent tracking. This is also the case in speed skating. Jeroen says: “As KNSB we are also working on this, of course. Who can eventually become the new Sven Kramer or Ireen Wüst? That requires a lot of data. Of course about ride times, but also about mental aspects, training conditions, nutrition and material.

Talent tracking is the product with which Qualogy already came into the air at the KNSB. Now that the database is in order, this has its full focus. Combining all available data, of skating icons and young talent, from the COVAS database into a dashboard. This gives coaches and scouts insight into what the Netherlands has in terms of skating talent. And something to use in training. We can also quickly identify which target groups we need to pay more attention to in order to make progress in the future. With this dashboard the KNSB is ready for the future.”

“The ANWB feeling for skating must come from the KNSB”

Skating worldwide
The KNSB is there for the sport of skating. Jeroen: “We see it as our task to ensure that skating is and remains a top sport. In the Netherlands and the rest of the world. Therefore, the Olympic Games are an important focal point for us. Sponsor expectations are aligned with the number of medals we win. So how do we ensure that we win as many as possible? And how do we keep it as interesting as possible for all audiences? Data must ensure that we stay ahead of the competition. But also that the rest develops along with us. That is why the KNSB also shares data with other countries. This is how we keep the competition and the sport alive.”

Netherlands skating country
““Within the Netherlands it is important that skating also remains a broad-based sport,” Jeroen continues. “The Netherlands is a skating country. It is our origin. When there is natural ice, people buy skates en masse via Marktplaats. Everyone wants to skate then. That feeling has to stay alive. It is up to the KNSB to make sure it does. And to also provide those riders with information, for example about where the ice is strongest. People used to say ‘the ANWB feeling for skating must come from the KNSB’. But how do we do that in this changing landscape with changing needs?

I think that’s where the interface is between business and sports. And data plays an indispensable role in that. The good news is that we are just beginning to use it. So much more is possible. Qualogy helps us achieve that,” Jeroen concludes.