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The GB Men Volleyball Scout Answers My Questions | Craig Richardson
I got an interview with Matt Bianco, the GB Women Volleyball Scout and now I have an interview with Craig Richardson, the GB Men Volleyball Scout. I met Craig in January when I asked my friend Yassir Sliti, a GB player, who was the team’s scout. Since meeting him, he has helped me out a lot (he is providing me footage of the Volleyball Men’s Olympic Matches for my dissertation) and has answered many of my questions.
He was at the London 2012 Olympic Games and I wanted to find out what his experiences were like.
1) What was the overall experience at the Olympics like? It was an incredible, surreal and utterly intense experience. I won’t be forgetting that any time soon!
2) What was your workflow process prior to competition? We gather as much statistical data as possible, then create reports, videos and data visualisations, often highlighting patterns of behaviour in individual players and the opposing team. This package is given to each player to look over and to be used as a supplement to the various video meetings we host before the game. Each package would take roughly 1 – 2 weeks to complete.
3) What was your workflow during competition on match days and non-match days? Intense! On competition days I would analyse all games on that day, which resulted in roughly a 16 – 18 hour work day. On off days I would somehow get out of bed and host video meetings with the coaching staff, small groups and finally a team meeting to discuss the upcoming opponents.
4) What was your workflow after competition? I returned to my work in Oxford. I work with the team during the summer period.
5) Did you feel your work was utilised effectively by the coaches and players? Absolutely.
6) What would you have done differently in any of the workflows? I would consider focusing more on our own team tenancies and performance. We are a developing team, and would be great to provide more meaningful and visualised feedback from a statistical viewpoint.
7) If you had unlimited resources, what would you have done? I would upgrade my laptop, it’s taken a beating over the years! That and hire a butler.
8) What was the biggest thing you learnt during your time as a GB Scout so far? I would say an intuitive awareness and understanding of the game. After watching hundreds of games you can really pick up on a team’s or person’s behaviour.
9) What was the most surprising thing you learnt during your time as a GB Scout so far? How to make a mean ham sandwich.
10) What advice would you give to other volleyball scouts/ analysts? Get to know other scouts! Having a close network of contacts is key to getting videos, stats and tips for your own analysis. I’d also say don’t overload your players with information, visualise your statistics and give them only a few points to remember before a game.
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