Five questions a hockey data catalog answers for your staff
What a data catalog is in plain words, and the everyday questions it answers for coaches, scouts and analysts.
The short answer
A data catalog is a simple list of all the data your club has. For each dataset it says where it comes from, how fresh it is, what it covers and what to watch out for, so staff know what they can trust.
Most clubs have more data than they think. League stats, video tags, tracking, physical tests and scouting notes. The trouble is that nobody has a full picture of what exists and what can be trusted.
A data catalog fixes that. It is a list of every dataset the club has, with a few facts about each one.
Here are five everyday questions it answers.
1. Do we have this data at all?
A scout asks if the club has zone entry numbers for a junior league. Without a catalog, someone has to ask around. With one, the answer takes a minute to find.
2. Where does this number come from?
Two reports show different numbers for the same player. The catalog shows which source each report used. Often the sources simply count things in different ways, and the catalog makes that visible.
3. How fresh is it?
Was this table updated last night or last month? The catalog shows when each dataset was last loaded. Staff stop making decisions on old data without knowing it.
4. What does it cover?
Which leagues, seasons and teams are included? Gaps are normal. The point is that everyone knows about them before they draw conclusions.
5. What should we be careful with?
Known issues go in the catalog too. For example, a few players not yet matched, or a season where a provider changed how it counts something.
What a catalog row looks like
Each dataset gets one row with a few short fields:
- Name of the dataset
- Source and how it is connected
- Last update
- Coverage, such as leagues and seasons
- Known issues
- Contact person at the club
That is enough to start. You do not need a big project.
Why it matters when people change
Analysts and coaches move on. Without a catalog, the knowledge of which file is the right one leaves with them. With a catalog, a new person can get up to speed in days instead of months.
Where The Hockey Brain fits
In The Hockey Brain the catalog is part of the club's own database and documentation. It lists every dataset we help maintain, and the club can export it like any other table. We are in early access and build this together with the first clubs.
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Frequently asked questions
Do we need special software for a catalog?
No. A catalog can start as a shared table. What matters is that it is kept up to date and that everyone knows where it is.
Who should own the catalog?
Someone at the club should own it, even if a partner helps keep it updated. It describes the club's data, so it belongs to the club.
Tired of reconciling exports?
We are building maintained connectors for hockey data sources. Early clubs decide what ships first.