Importance of a Plan When it Comes to Data Justin Butler, Sr. Director of Technology, Minnesota Timberwolves Justin Butler, Sr. Director of Technology, Minnesota Timberwolves Benjamin Franklin is often credited with coining the phrase, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!”. This especially rings true when dealing with data. Your favorite professional sports team, your collegiate alma mater, and even today some of your more sports focused prep schools are all focused on collecting as much data on players as possible. The amount of data can be over whelming to store, sort, and make available to staff. This data can often consist of statistical player and team data, video edits for coaching staff on their own team or their upcoming opponent, medical and training data on players, draft data on collegiate or foreign player, data on blue chip incoming freshman they are recruiting, or even at the pro levels tracking players from high school to college to the pros. The more in depth and robust the data you can collect over time, the more informed the decision-making process can be.