Chasing Better
Coach Cori Close has spent fifteen seasons building UCLA Women's Basketball into what it is today, and she's done it with character. She’s the kind of leader who pours into others, makes everyone around her better, and has built a culture that wins because the people a part of the program know they are valued. Our team at HDI just featured the Bruins in this month's newsletter, and reading what she had to say about our partnership meant a lot:
“What I value most is not just the depth of their data, but how thoughtfully they translate it into actionable insights our coaches and players can actually apply.”
I read that over a few times, and not because it’s about UCLA, HDI, or the impact I’m having as the primary on the account. It means a lot because it captures exactly what I believe the work should be. The goal of analytics, at least the way I see it, isn’t to flood the staff with more data. It’s about listening, understanding what truly matters to a program, and providing the tools that fit seamlessly into how they already operate.
When analytics makes the game feel clearer, not more complicated, that’s when we know we’re doing our job right; this has been a guiding principle for me, both in the work itself and in how I think about what analytics should be. Reports get long, numbers pile up, but none of that matters if a coach walks away feeling less prepared than before.
The best part about working alongside programs like UCLA is how collaborative the process has been. The integration goes beyond the deliverables and into the daily rhythms of the program; it’s the kind of trust that turns analytics into an extension of the staff, not just another service provider.
Grateful to be in this work, and to be part of a company that gets to support coaches and programs in an era where every edge matters.
