THE DEBATE OF On the one hand, proponents of organizational control argue the justice of such a stance stems from practicality and fairness. The collecting bodies, often sport franchises or clubs, ATHLETE DATA are, in essence, the employers of athletes. This employer status identifies them as the OWNERSHIP appropriate owners of the data, enabling them to deliver optimized coaching and improving overall stakeholder experience. Emerging as an indispensable element of elite Financially, the collection and analysis of this data do not come devoid of considerable sports, data and technical analysis equip teams and investment, which is justified by generated income from commercial deals. Athletes, being athletes with an edge that significantly impacts their financially compensated from this income, are theorized to have then surrendered the performance. Not only does this transformation commercial rights to their performance data. render the competitive field more thrilling for fans, it also elevates engagement levels to Furthermore, legal codes ensure the protection of athletes when it comes to data. unprecedented highs. Intellectual property laws shield the collecting bodies’ rights and interests, balanced by data protection and privacy standards safeguarding the individuals’ rights. Importantly, Central to this equation is the ownership of the athletes have legal authority over who processes their personal data. collected data, which poses ethical, economic, legal and practical considerations. Should athlete data Nonetheless, it is crucial to distinguish between athletes' protection under data privacy remain the property of the organizations compiling regulations and ownership of commercial rights. The latter is critical for the independent it or should it belong to the athletes themselves? functioning of the sports economy. Finally, from a practical viewpoint, how can a manager organize team performance effectively without full access to all players’ data aggregated on one platform?