Case Study
At Iowa State Football, Align is being implemented to create a behavioral visibility and intelligence layer designed to give coaches, athletes and program leadership greater insights into the human factors that influence performance. Align provides Iowa State with a structured approach to bring that behavioral information into the performance environment, use that information in real-time to address issues and make it functional across the entire Cyclone’s program.
The Early Signal
Iowa State’s implementation demonstrates how behavioral intelligence can be introduced into a major collegiate football program without attempting to replace coaching judgment, relationships or existing performance systems.
The goal is to augment and act as a force multiplier for the coaching staff.
Coaches still coach. Performance staff still evaluate. Leaders still make decisions. Align provides an additional layer of visibility that helps them understand the people behind the performance data and ask better questions about development, communication, culture, leadership, team composition and support.
In an environment where small differences in athlete development, retention, communication and preparation can carry significant competitive consequences, greater Behavioral Visibility gives the program another tool for understanding and developing its people.
In Play
Understanding the individual athlete:
Players complete Align’s Behavioral Analytics, creating a behavioral profile that provides insight into a wide range of areas such as motivation, confidence, performance and development orientation, interpersonal style, learning preferences and productivity. The objective is to provide a clearer understanding of how that individual is likely to operate within a demanding collegiate performance environment.
Supporting better coaching:
The same athlete may respond very differently to direct feedback, autonomy, competition, structure or pressure. Align provides coaches with an additional source of information for determining how to communicate with and develop individual players. Instead of assuming that one coaching approach will work equally well across a position group or roster, coaches can better understand the behavioral differences that exist within the team.
Seeing the team, not just the player:
Individual behavioral data can also be examined collectively. Position groups, leadership groups and other units can be viewed through the lens of team composition, behavioral similarities and differences. Coaches can identify potential sources of friction and complementary strengths between both players and coaches. This allows the program to consider how individual characteristics interact within the larger performance ecosystem.
Identifying areas that deserve attention:
Behavioural Visibility can also help surface questions that may warrant deeper examination. Changes in engagement, role fit, confidence, communication or motivation can have consequences for both development and retention. Align provides another layer of information that coaches and administrators can use alongside observations, relationships, and traditional performance data to determine where additional support may be required.
The Real Gamechanger
The value of Align is not simply the completion of an assessment. Iowa State can use the underlying behavioral data as an ongoing performance resource. Through JAi and Align’s broader intelligence tools, behavioral information can be applied to real situations: preparing for an athlete conversation, considering how to deliver feedback, understanding a difficult coach-player dynamic, evaluating the composition of a position group, supporting leadership development or helping an athlete navigate pressure and adversity.
That changes the role of Align’s behavioral analytics. Instead of producing a report that is reviewed once and stored, the information becomes part of the program’s operating environment and can be revisited as situations, roles and performance demands change.