The key facts
- NTangible, together with psychologist Dr. Ed Levine, created the Clutch Factor assessment (0–1000) based on the Thematic Apperception Test
- According to CEO Dan Connelly, athletes scoring above 750 are twice as likely to choose Division I schools
- A TechCrunch journalist demonstrated that dishonest answers can inflate the score from 584 to 802
The Clutch Test
Startup NTangible has introduced a psychological assessment called Clutch Factor, designed to quantitatively measure the mental aspects of sports — an athlete's ability to perform in high-pressure situations. Co-founder and CEO Dan Connelly, a former professional baseball player, developed the test together with psychologist Dr. Ed Levine, emeritus of the University of South Florida. The assessment is based on the Thematic Apperception Test: respondents are shown photographs of ambiguous situations and asked to describe what is happening, whom they see themselves as, and what will happen next. Keywords and semantic phrasing are evaluated according to a neurolinguistic guide created by psychologists and converted into a score from 0 to 1000.
Use in Recruiting
According to Connelly, an athlete scoring above 750 is twice as likely to choose a Division I school. He claims this metric can be used in rankings, leaderboards, recruiting, NIL, and scholarship negotiations — especially in the current collegiate sports environment, where, in his words, 'they're writing $4 million checks to quarterbacks.' Testing is currently available for nine sports.
Potential Vulnerability
A TechCrunch journalist discovered a potential flaw: athletes looking to impress coaches and recruiters may answer dishonestly to get a higher score. Taking the test honestly, the journalist scored below average — 584 points. On a second attempt, answering the way a cold-blooded top recruit might, he scored 802.
Training and Expansion
Connelly believes 'clutch' is a trainable skill. Although NTangible does not position itself as a training platform, the company, together with former MLB sports psychologist Howard Schwartz, has created a list of exercises for developing the mental game. The startup also plans to expand the test to the corporate segment: the NTerpret assessment allows HR departments to evaluate how employees respond to coaching and feedback. Connelly sees selling to sports organizations and companies, rather than individual athletes, as the most viable business model. The company will present its strategy at TechCrunch Disrupt, where it is among the top 20 Startup Battlefield finalists; the conference takes place October 13–15 in San Francisco.
