Sports recruiters easily measure concrete physical stats like sprint speed and throwing velocity. However, mental toughness remains a mystery. NTangible wants to change that. Co-founder and CEO Dan Connerty believes his sports-tech startup, NTangible, can accurately predict how athletes will perform under intense pressure with a Clutch Factor test.
How the NTangible Clutch Factor Test Works
Connerty partnered with Dr. Ed Levine, a psychologist and University of South Florida professor emeritus. Together, they created the Clutch Factor assessment. The test draws heavy inspiration from the Thematic Apperception Test. Users look at photos of ambiguous situations and describe the scene. Next, the system analyzes their semantic phrasing. It scores their specific word choices against a neurolinguistic guide.
Finally, the system generates a score between 0 and 1,000. According to Connerty, athletes scoring above 750 are twice as likely to commit to a Division I school. Consequently, recruiters could soon use this data for NIL deals, rankings, and scholarship conversations.
Promising Tech With a Glaring Vulnerability
The technology certainly sounds promising. Nevertheless, hands-on testing reveals a clear flaw. Users can easily manipulate the system. A TechCrunch reporter proved this exact vulnerability. First, she took the test honestly and received a below-average score of 584. Then, she retook the quiz while deliberately pretending to be a level-headed, highly recruited athlete. Unsurprisingly, her score skyrocketed to 802. Clearly, athletes wanting to impress coaches can simply fake their answers to achieve a higher score.
Despite this easily manipulated metric, the platform offers other potential benefits. Coaches can use the Nterpret assessment to identify mental weaknesses. Furthermore, Connerty insists that athletes can actively train their “clutch” skills. He even collaborated with former MLB sports psychologist Howie Schwartz to develop targeted mental exercises.
NTangible’s Corporate Expansion
Currently, NTangible supports testing for nine different sports. Soon, the company plans to expand into the corporate world. They want to help HR departments evaluate how employees process feedback and handle high-pressure workplace situations. Today, NTangible is pitching this B2B business model directly to investors. The startup currently sits among the top 20 companies competing at the TechCrunch Disrupt Startup Battlefield in San Francisco.