Practical Guide - Talent ID

0. General information

The Talent Identification and Development (TID) module of Hylyght enables clubs and other organisations to efficiently measure key indicators for sporting success, to assess the results according to the most recent scientific standards, and to guide their athletes towards their highest potential.

The Hylyght Growth Tracker is included in this module and can be used to take biological age into account when assessing the skill level of youth athletes. Follow the links to learn more about the importance of tracking growth and maturity, and about how to use the Growth tracker.

0.1 Set up your account and log in

When you start using the Hylyght platform for the first time, We will set up an account for your organisation and we will add the contact person(s) as admin(s). Instructions on how to log in for the first time will be sent to the e-mail address you gave up when subscribing. If you did not get the login yet, but you want to start testing soon, contact

Log into the platform via https://app.hylyght.com, and use your temporary password to log in. You will be asked to create a new password immediately.

0.2. The main tabs in the platform

When using the TID module there are 4 main actions in the platform (in the black ribbon on the left): plan/manage sessions, add/manage athletes, view results, and view results of the Growth Tracker.

A Session in the Hylyght platform is a testing moment. A session could include one or multiple athletes, and could include various tests.

In the tab Athletes you can view, edit, and add athletes to the platform. You need to create an athlete before you can add data (see next session).

In the tab Results you can compare the test results from athletes within one group.

The tab Growth Tracker will show the growth and maturity results of the measurements per team. Here you can select the metrics you want to analyse, sort the athletes, and export pdf summaries for the coaches and/or athletes.

On the bottom left, you will also find a tab Help & Support. Use these if you have any questions for which you cannot find the answer in this guide. Finally, under Settings you can manage your organisation, its users, your benchmarks, your Test sets, and your data.

1. Manage

1.1 Organisations and users

To manage general settings of your organisation, go to the tab 'Settings' and click on 'Global settings'. Here you can edit the name, default language, logo, and main contact person of your organisation.

If you wish to create sub-organisations, click on 'Organisations' and choose '+ Add organisation'. Sub-organisations can be used if you collaborate with multiple organisations who each collect data under your supervision, but should not have access to each others' data. Users who have access to a sub-organisation can only operate within that suborganisation. Users who have access to the 'parent' organisation have access to all sub-organisations.

To add more users to your organisation, go to ‘settings’, ‘Users’, and click on ‘+ Add user’. The moment you add this user, he/she will receive an email notification to login on the Hylyght platform. So make sure to inform these users before you add them.

We have two different user roles. Keep in mind that all users have full access to your organization's data and athletes, as well as all underlying sub-organization's data and athletes.

• Manage users (= Account admin)
• Subadmin

Every user has access to all data and can do everything with the athletes in your organization (depending on your subscription): sessions, medical, exercises etc.

An account admin (manage users) has a few extra options via the 'settings' menu:

• Users: add new users, edit, remove, reset passwords
• Your organization: add and edit details (logo, address, name ...)
• Sub-organizations: add, edit and remove sub-organizations (depending on your subscription)
• Benchmark: view, add, edit your your organization's benchmarks
• Test sets: view, add, edit your your organization's test sets

1.2. Athletes

Before you can start testing, you need to add athletes to the Hylyght platform and organise them in groups. You can add athletes one by one or import a list from an excel file.

1.2.1. Add a single athlete

To add a single athlete, go to Athletes⁽¹⁾, click on the athletes⁽²⁾ tab, and on + Create athlete⁽³⁾. Fill in the required information (marked with *) and save. Other information is optional. The athlete will be added to the list.

1.2.2. Add a list of athletes

To import a list of athletes, click on the 3 dots (= meatballs⁽³⁾) next to + Create athlete and select Import athletes from a spreadsheet⁽⁴⁾.

Download the Excel template, and fill in or copy-paste the information to this file. Do not change the columns of the file! If you are copy-pasting the information from another file, make sure all data is in the correct column and format (e.g. ‘Male’ or ‘Female’ in English only). Add groups to your athletes. We recommend make groups that indicate the season and the team. For example: U13 Season 2025-2026. Add email addresses of athletes or parents as contact information if available (optional).

If you are adding multiple groups in one Excel, you can immediately organise them in the tab ‘groups’. If the group already exists in the platform, the athletes will be added to it. Pay attention that name of the group has to be exactly the same. If the group does not exist in the platform yet, it will be created and the new athletes will be automatically added to it. We recommend to make groups that indicate the season/year and the team/class.

Height of both biological parents is only necessary for the Khamis-Roche method to estimate adult height. It can be added either via this Excel template, or later via a custom test session (see 'Add height of the parents manually').

Hint: If your original Excel file has names and birth dates in a single cell, you can easily separate these into separate columns using the ‘Text to Columns’ function (in the tab ‘data’). Alternatively, assuming that your date is in column A, you can also use the formulae “=DAY(A1)”, “=MONTH(A1)”, and “=YEAR(A1)” in columns B, C, and D. Furthermore, if you have a list with sex in your own language, you can replace all of them by the English term using the ‘replace all’ functionality (ctrl + f and choose 'replace').

Upload the Excel-file, and review the imported information. When you refresh, the athletes will be added. If used, the new groups will also be created according to the Excel-file. Note that you might need to wait a couple of minutes and/or reload the page before all athletes and groups are completely uploaded to the platform. The names of athletes are case sensitive, so if you would add an existing athlete but without capital letters, he/she will be added as a new athlete.

1.2.3. Organise athletes in groups

Analyses and reports are generated per group. If the athletes were added in bulk by uploading the Excel template, athletes should be assigned to a group already. To create a new group manually : go to the tab ‘Athletes’ ⁽¹⁾, click on ‘Groups’ ⁽²⁾, and select ‘Create group’ ⁽³⁾. Give your new group a name.

Add athletes to the group:

• Go to ‘Athletes’ ⁽¹⁾ & Select the athlete(s) you want to add to a group (checkbox appears when mouse hovers over the blue square next to the athlete’s name), or ‘select all’ ⁽²⁾
• Click on the ‘meatballs’ ⁽³⁾
• Click on ‘Add selected athletes to a group’ ⁽⁴⁾ & Select the required group
• Check in ‘groups’ if the athletes are added to the corresponding group

To move an athlete to another group:

• Go to ‘groups’ and select the group from which you want to move athletes ⁽¹⁾
• Select the athlete(s) in this group that you want to move ⁽²⁾
• Click on ‘move athletes to another group in the meatballs menu ⁽³⁾
• Select the group to which you want to move these athletes

Note: when you remove an athlete from a group, or remove a whole group, these athletes and their data will still be in the platform, just not connected to this group anymore. You can also move an athlete to another group.

1.2.4. Edit athletes

If you wish to edit the general information of an athlete:

• Select your athlete ⁽¹⁾
• In the right panel, select the tab ‘Global’ ⁽²⁾
• Click on the ‘edit’ icon ⁽³⁾
• You can now add or edit the information of this athlete.

1.3. Test sets

A test set is a number of tests that are usually conducted together. The Hylyght platform allows its users to construct their own test sets for physical performance. To create a new test set, go to 'Settings', 'Test sets', and click on '+ Add test set'. In the pop-up screen:

• Choose a name that reflects the test set well (e.g. 'yearly preseason fitness test')
• Choose the type 'Custom'
• Choose the adequate benchmark. If you do not have custom benchmarks for the test set, select 'Generic' or leave blank
• If applicable, add some additional information about this test set You now created your new test set and can add the required tests.
• Select your newly created test, click on the 'meatballs' (upper right corner), and select 'Edit test set tests'
• Select the tests you want to include in the test set
• For each test, on the right is an indication of how long it takes to carry out this test for 1 athlete. Click on 'View' to find out more about this test
• Once you selected all tests you want to include, scroll down and click 'Save' Your test set is now added and will appear in the list of test sets you can choose when creating a new test session.

Note, you might not be able to edit Test sets which your organisation inherited from a parent organisation, or in case you do not have the admin rights to do so.

1.4. Benchmarks

To create new benchmarks, go to 'Settings', 'Benchmarks', and select '+ Add benchmarks'. In the pop-up screen:

• Choose a name that reflects the new benchmark well
• As benchmark type select 'Age' if the age groups are based on chronological age, choose 'Biological age' if you took into account maturity when calculating the benchmarks.
• Add a description of how the benchmarks were calculated: sample size, type of athletes, test conditions, ... Your benchmark is now created as a draft, and you can start adding the actual benchmarks.
• Go to 'Settings', 'benchmarks', and select your newly created benchmark
• Select the test for which you want to add benchmarks, and click on the 'meatballs' (upper right corner)
• Here you can choose between 'Create benchmark data' and 'Import benchmark data'. With 'Create benchmark data' you fill in the values manually in the Hylyght platform, with 'Import benchmark data' you can upload excel or csv files to import benchmarks from a template.

Create benchmarks manually in the Hylyght platform

The Hylyght platform works with two types of benchmarks: 'Standard Deviation' or 'Range benchmark'.

When you use benchmarks that are based on Standard Deviation (SD), the individual result of an athlete will be compared to the average and SD of a comparable age- and sex-specific sample. These values are then used to estimate a percentile score. The result is therefore a score between 0 and 100, and the colour of the result will be determined by the obtained percentile score:

• 0 - 10 Red
• 10 - 30 Orange
• 30 - 70 Yellow
• 70 - 90 Light green
• 90 - 100 Dark green This type of benchmark is used when you want to compare an individual result to a reference population. As a result you first need the results of this reference population before you can set up these benchmarks.

When Range benchmarks are used, the athletes' score is compared to fixed cut-off points. Tis way, you divide the results in categories: Red, Orange, Yellow, Light green, and Dark green. However, the interpretation of these categories is dependent of the cut-off points you chose.

If you are unsure what type of benchmarks you want to use, contact Hylyght for advice.

To manually add benchmarks, first fill in the age ranges for which you want to add benchmarks (two most left columns) If your benchmarks are calculated per year this could be for example:

• First row: Min = 7, Max = 8
• Second row: Min = 8, Max = 9
• Third row: Min = 9, Max = 10
• etcetera In case your age groups are smaller, for example per quarter, adjust Min and Max ages accordingly (e.g. Min = 7.00, Max = 7.25; Min = 7.25, Max = 7.50; etc.). In case you only test adults and do not categorise them according to their age, you can set the age group as Min = 18 and Max = 50. All athletes within this age range will then be compared to the same benchmark.

For Standard Deviation Benchmarks, fill in the relevant average in column 'Av', and the Standard Deviation under 'SD'. For Range Benchmarks, fill in the cut-off values per colour. In case you only have reference values for males or females, leave the other cells blank.

Save, and repeat for each test you want to add benchmarks for.

Import benchmarks from a template

Download the template (or ask your Hylyght contact to provide it) and fill in all the benchmarks in the Excel file, similarly as described above for the manual input. Upload the Excel file with benchmarks to the appropriate test. In case you have issues, contact your Hylyght contact.

Once all your benchmarks are set, don't forget publish your draft version. As long as it is not published an orange tag with 'draft' will be visible next to the name of your benchmark, and it will not be available yet to choose in a new session. To publish your new benchmarks, select your newly created benchmark, click on the meatballs, and select 'publish benchmark'

2. Measure

2.1. Test instructions

It is important that tests are always carried out in a standardised manner. Check the protocol in the Hylyght platform and in case of doubt, contact your Hylyght contact.

2.2. Plan a new test session

To collect new data from a test session of your athletes, you need to define a test set (what tests will I conduct), add the athletes (who will I test), and set a date (when will I test them). This combination of tests, athletes and a date is what we call a test session.

• Go to the ‘Sessions’ screen, and select ‘+ New Session’ You will get a pop-up in which you can add the details of the new test session. If you have the choice between ‘custom’ or ‘prevention’, click on ‘custom’ (‘prevention’ is for clients who also use the rehab module in Hylyght)
• As ‘session name’, choose a clear name to recognise what and who was tested, for example '25-26 U13 Females January'.
• Indicate when the test will take place
• Choose the appropriate test set type (if your test set is not created do so first)
• Choose the benchmarks that go with the target group and test set (or choose 'generic' if there are no benchmarks yet)
• Click ‘save’

Your session is now created. However, don’t forget to add athletes to this session before you start testing (see next section).

2.3. Add athletes to a session

• Go to ‘Sessions’⁽¹⁾ and select the session for which you want to add athletes ⁽²⁾

• If no athletes were added yet, or new athletes need to be added:

  • Go to the tab ‘athletes’ ⁽⁴⁾, and click on the ‘meatballs’⁽⁴⁾
  • Select ‘+ Add athletes’

• A pop-up appears showing in the first tab the groups that are available, and in a second tab all the athletes that are available

• Select group or athletes that you want to add to this session

Now your test session should be ready to start: A session has been created, and the athletes that need to be tested were added to this session.

2.4 Collect data via the test app

• In ‘Sessions’, select the session you want to start ⁽¹⁾
• On the right screen you will see ‘Start session’ or ‘Continue session’
• Clicking on ‘Start session’ ⁽²⁾ will open a new tab with the test app opened in your browser (See next section for more information on the test app).
• However, the test app is designed to be used on a smartphone instead of on a laptop. To send the test app to your phone (or to other test leaders who will be collecting the data), click on the little arrow next to ‘start session’ and select ‘copy URL’ ⁽³⁾. Copy the URL in the pop-up and send it to the test leaders, via WhatsApp, email, Messenger, or any other communication app that all test leaders use. Alternatively, make a QR-code of this URL to be scanned later.

Using the test app

The ‘Hylyght test app’ is designed to be used on a phone or tablet and allows multiple test leaders to simultaneously gather data. If one test leader is measuring height and another is testing weight, they can therefore use the same test app to simultaneously write down the results, which are then automatically saved on the online platform.

As the test app is also designed to be used for physical fitness tests, the test leaders can see the progress of the test session (which athletes were tested on which tests). A brief description of the test and a stopwatch is integrated for timed tests. Furthermore, the test app also allows only certain minimum or maximum values to avoid input errors.

Although it is called a ‘test app’ it runs on a browser and therefore does not require you to download an app or any software. It works on both iPhone and android phones (and on laptops and tablets), and works on most browsers (preferably use Firefox, Chrome, or Safari).

To share the test app with other test leaders, the coordinator needs to copy the url (see previous section) and send it to the test leaders. Opening this link will open the test app, which is unique for the session that has been made. The test leaders do not get access to the platform or any other data, only to the test app for this specific test session. The test leaders can see which tests have been completed by which athletes, but cannot see the results. They cannot delete any results, but they can overwrite older results if they administer the test again.

Opening the test app url will open a new page on your browser (see screenshots below). You can choose to view per athlete how many tests were already completed ⁽¹⁾, or select the second tab ‘tests’ ⁽²⁾ to see per test how many athletes completed it already. In both tabs you can see the number of athletes/tests that have already been tested. These squares ⁽³⁾ remains blue as long as 0 athletes/tests have been completed, turns orange when some are completed, and will be green when all tests/athletes are finished. Note that this will be updated throughout the testing session. When one test leader finishes his/her test, other test leaders will see this in their test app too. Hint: while navigating in the test app, only use the arrows and buttons in the app. Avoid using the system buttons to ‘return’ ⁽⁴⁾. This will result in the app refreshing and will take much more time than using the in-app arrows/buttons.

When clicking on a name (e.g. Athlete B), you will see which tests this athlete already completed. When in the ‘tests’ tab, clicking on a test (e.g. Height) will show which athletes already completed this test.

When an athlete and a test is selected, the app will open a new tab for this measurement ⁽¹⁾. The app will show name, gender, and age of the athlete ⁽²⁾, and a short explanation of the test protocol can be found below ⁽³⁾. Klicking ‘Start test’ will open a new screen in which the test value can be entered ⁽⁴⁾. For timed tests (not applicable for Growth Tracker), starting the test will immediately trigger a 3-2-1 countdown ⁽⁵⁾, and start the timer for this test. So make sure the athlete is ready before you click ‘Start test’ ! The timer will be specific for each test, so it will count down 30 seconds for knee push-ups, but only 15 seconds for jumping sideways. Note that you can ‘skip’ ⁽⁶⁾ the timer if necessary (e.g. the athlete did the test before and you only need to enter the score still).

When the test result is entered, click on the blue arrow ⁽⁷⁾. Click on ‘Save & close’ to save the measurement. This will close the measurement tab ⁽¹⁾, and return to the start screen of the app. You will see that the measurement has been recorded as the number has increased for this participant/test, and if you check this measurement, a green V-icon will be shown.

Notes and remarks when using the test app

When you open a measurement session, it is possible to click on ‘session’ in the upper tab ⁽¹⁾. This way you return to the start screen, but be aware that the tab with the measurement session is still open ⁽²⁾. When you or another test leader will try to open the same measurement session, a warning will appear that the athlete is already selected for this test ⁽³⁾. This is because as long as the measurement tab is open, the app sees this measurement as ‘in progress’. To close this measurement tab without entering a result, click on the ‘x’ ⁽⁴⁾. A warning will appear to indicate that you will close this test without saving the result.

In some cases it might be convenient to use multiple measurement tabs at once. For tests where multiple trials are necessary (e.g. eye-hand coordination), some participants prefer to take a short break between two trials. In this case, a second ‘tab’ ⁽¹⁾ can be opened to test another athlete during the first athlete’s pause. Always check if all data was saved, and no tabs are open after completing the measurements.

On some phones it might be difficult to select the bottom name or test, as it appears to be ‘behind’ a system button. Use the sorting function ⁽²⁾ to move this test/name to the top of the screen.

2.5. Enter data via the platform

Instead of using the test app, you can also enter and change data directly in the online platform.

• Go to ‘session’⁽¹⁾ and select the session for which you want to add data⁽²⁾
• Click on ‘Athletes’⁽³⁾, and select the athlete for which you want to add results⁽⁴⁾
• Go to ‘Data’⁽⁵⁾, where you can see which tests have been completed
• Click on the ‘edit icon’⁽⁶⁾
• You can now enter the test results for this child
• Don’t forget to click ‘Save’ and ‘Finish’ before closing the screen or selecting another child !

3. Assess

3.1. Individual results

When you want to assess the results of an individual athlete, go to the tab 'Athletes', and select the name you want to inspect. Depending on the modules that are activated in your account, you will also see the following tabs in the right panel:

• Sessions shows the list with test sessions this athlete has joined
• Medical shows injuries, illnesses, and issues that have been recorded
• Programs shows the programs that have been prescribed for this athlete
• Groups shows what groups this athlete is part of
• Documents shows the documents uploaded to the profile of this athlete
• Global shows general information such as name, date of birth and e-mail address
• Data shows a list with data that has been collected for this athlete

In the tab 'Sessions' select a session in which the test you want to assess was tested. The report shows all test results from this session and, if available, results will be visualised according to the benchmark. In case the athlete already conducted the test multiple times, you can see the progress by clicking on the 'graph' icon. An overview of these results can also be downloaded as a pdf file by clicking on the 'meatballs' and selecting 'Download individual report'.

3.2. Group results

Results can be assessed per group as well. This way a coach can compare players within a team more easily. Click on the tab 'Results' an select the group you want to assess. The page will show an interactive result page in which you can select and compare athletes based on different tests, benchmarks, or sessions.

3.3. Growth tracker

For the assessment of Growth Tracker data see the Practical guide for Growth tracker

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