COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (June 19, 2018)
USA Shooting has promoted Events and Competitions Manager Alex Szablewski to Senior Manager of High Performance for the organization.
In this role, Szablewski (Perrysburg, Ohio) “will assess the current state of USA Shooting programs at all levels to ensure the best possible results, write and approve selection procedures for competitions ranging from World Cups to Olympic Team selection, implement Direct Athlete Support (DAS) allotments and ensure that all athletes are given the best possible chance to succeed.”
“I believe that me being an ‘outsider’ is actually an advantage as I do not have the preconceived notions of what a shooting competitor has to do to be successful,” said Szablewski, who’s been a high-level athlete, as well as worked for two years as a sport analyst for Krossover Intelligence, which provides coaches full-game film analysis and advanced analytics on their team and individual performances. “I will not be forcing any competitors to change a shooting specific item and will instead focus my time and efforts in the things surrounding the athlete, such as funding and training availability. I hope to meet with athletes at least once every other month to discuss what problems they are facing and work out potential solutions.”
Szablewski took on the new position on May 1, but has also continued serving as the Events & Competitions Manager until a suitable replacement can be hired, trained and transitioned into the role. Szablewski graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in Sports Industry Management and joined USA Shooting shortly after as the Competition/Events Coordinator. In January of 2017, he was promoted to Events & Competitions Manager. Szablewski accepted the new position to not only grow within USA Shooting, but to also bring a new approach to the shooting sports.
“Working with the U.S. Olympic Committee to use their advanced analytics, I look forward to bringing a new dimension of analyzing athlete and coach performances to the table,” Szablewski said. “I have always been fascinated with statistical analysis and I think it is lacking in our sport. I hope this will be used to help determine anything from peak times for athletes, to even what training plans do and do not work. I also look forward to comparing our program to successful organizations from around the world to see where we are strong, as well as where we are lacking.”
Szablewski noted that he’s currently in the process of analyzing the statistical data regarding our athletes and seeing how we can best use this information to our advantage in terms of managing limited budget and resources.
“We can track an individual’s performance at each international competition and compare it to any other international competitor in the world, scores compared to similarly-aged competitors, peak seasons using a particular training plan and more,” said Szablewski. “The goal at the end of the day would be to use this information to help set a goal/expectation for each individual competitor throughout their shooting career and help coaches determine what is lacking in a competitor’s game, and more importantly, formulate solutions to get them to the levels we know they’re capable of.”
Another focus of Szablewski’s will be to ensure the coaches have all the resources possible to help athletes succeed and developing benchmarks for success.
“We need to allow our coaching staff to have ownership of their discipline,” he said. “Coaches grow in skill and knowledge - just like athletes - so we have to ensure that the coaches have the opportunities to excel as well. Athletes and coaches will be held to a high standard of training.”
Szablewski looks forward to partnering with the USOC on the development of USA Shooting coaching programs with a comprehensive refresh of current systems to occur after the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Championship later this summer.
“Alex leads with his heart and with the enthusiasm and thought he’s put into how we can strengthen our athlete development programs, he’s shown he’s the right guy for this job,” said USA Shooting CEO Keith Enlow. “With his analytical eye and experience in utilizing the statistical information available via our partners at the USOC, I’m excited to see what Alex and our team can do with his fresh approach to athlete and coaching programs.”