Youth sports academies are increasingly using performance-tracking data to identify promising athletes earlier than traditional scouting methods allowed.
The shift has opened doors for players from smaller programs who might otherwise be overlooked by conventional scouting networks.
Coaches say the data helps but stress it still can't replace in-person evaluation of a young athlete's decision-making and coachability.
Several professional leagues have begun partnering directly with these academies to build longer-term development pipelines.
