Standardized tests will capture player abilities for fair, objective, and valid evaluations
BALTIMORE, Aug. 13, 2024 --U.S.-based youth baseball players will now have access to standardized, efficient, and unbiased evaluations, known as the "CURVE Test," thanks to a new partnership announced today between Prometric®, a global leader of technology-enabled testing and assessment solutions, and Diamond Allegiance, a national partnership of elite-level travel baseball and player development organizations. Prometric participated as a development and delivery partner and an investor in the organization.
"We're incredibly excited about this new application of our science-based testing technology and capabilities," said Stuart Udell, Chief Executive Officer at Prometric. "This opportunity with Diamond Allegiance demonstrates the application of our resources beyond the core high-stakes testing industry into a new market where there is a clear need for validated assessments – youth sports."
Prometric's unparalleled testing capabilities have been paired with globally recognized expert coaches and cognitive scientists to deliver the new CURVE Test. CURVE Test Centers, currently being piloted in Georgia, will connect recruiting and scouting with player development by offering verifiable assessments that capture an athlete's performance across cognitive (Brain), physical (Body), and sport-specific (Ball) skills. The performance data is not only fair, objective, and valid, but also trusted by coaches to help accelerate athletic progress and trusted by college recruiters in the evaluation process for future recruitment.
"Baseball is a very hard sport to scout, and as a result, players, coaches, and parents struggle to have fact-based conversations about players' development and potential," said Chris Gagnon, CEO of CURVE Test Centers. "We are thrilled to partner with Prometric and Diamond Allegiance to bring consistent and unbiased test data to inform those conversations."
Originally formed in 2022, Diamond Allegiance's mission is to help its member clubs create a more accessible and affordable travel baseball ecosystem. They currently partner with a variety of the top travel baseball clubs in the United States, including Team Elite, Power Baseball, Canes, Indiana Bulls, Garciaparra Baseball Group, and California Baseball Academy.
"CURVE Test Centers represent a major step forward towards the goals of our Blueprint for Change," stated Sandy Ogg, founder of Diamond Allegiance. "Redistributing costs away from travel and allowing all players to get quality performance data makes baseball more accessible and inclusive for all.
The CURVE Test was rolled out for youth and high-school baseball players, with plans to expand to other sports, such as softball, in subsequent phases.
"CURVE Test Centers with a Prometric-validated CURVE Score are just what the baseball industry needs. Especially now that the college baseball landscape has drastically changed, reliable and trusted data has never been more important. CURVE Test Centers powered by Prometric couldn't have arrived at a better time," said Clemson University Head Baseball Coach, Erik Bakich.
To learn more about the benefits of this new partnership, please visit curvetestcenters.com.
About Prometric
Prometric is a leading provider of testing and assessment solutions, supporting over 25 million exam hours and serving more than eight million candidates every year. Using AI-powered development tools, robust assessment delivery capabilities, stringent security, and dedicated candidate support services, Prometric ensures the success of testing programs for leading organizations in over 180 countries. For more information, visit Prometric.com or follow us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/prometric/.
About Diamond Allegiance
The Diamond Allegiance is a national partnership of elite-level player development organizations committed to advancing the club baseball and softball ecosystem by creating better value for players, parents, coaches, and organizations. The Diamond Allegiance helps club diamond sports organizations run better businesses, augments their player development capabilities, provides more career opportunities for coaches, reduces the cost for families and players, and increases the participation of underrepresented communities. We drive this impact through a powerful mix of partnerships, services, technology, and philanthropy. For more information, visit https://www.diamondallegiance.com/.