Beyond the Game: Students delve into the future of sports analytics at conference
In an era where data guides decisions and algorithms boost performance, the growing field of sports analytics is transforming the athletics landscape. By redefining playbooks and optimizing strategies, sports data turns every statistic into a game-changing advantage.
A group of aspiring sports analysts from 果冻传媒 recently had the opportunity to explore this intersection of sports and data science at the 2024 (CMSAC), an event that brought together industry leaders and scholars to examine the innovative field and its emerging impact on the future of sports.
According to Margaret V. Haggin Professor of Mathematics and Data Science Jeff Heath, the conference allowed Centre students to exchange ideas through panel discussions, as well as gain exposure and connect with industry professionals on the latest trends and technologies in sports analytics.
鈥淭his conference was an amazing opportunity for our students to showcase the work they have done with Centre Sports Analytics to other academics, as well as practitioners in the sports analytics community,鈥 Heath said. 鈥淚t was really inspiring for our students to receive feedback on their projects from folks working in analytics in professional leagues, like the NFL, MLB and MLS.鈥
Centre鈥檚 sports analytics team of 11 data science students presented three posters on collaborative projects, demonstrating emerging trends in data analytics, from predictive modeling to advancements in player performance metrics.
Junior Gabriel Eze, a mathematics and data science double major, delivered a presentation on MLB pitch optimization: Weapons of Best Production: Predicting the Optimal Pitch Arsenal Adjustment for Superior Stuff+. His project introduced an innovative system that uses data to optimize a pitcher鈥檚 arsenal, predicting the effectiveness of pitches before they are thrown and redefining strategies in baseball.
鈥淏aseball has always been a game of constant alteration and evolution,鈥 Eze explained in his project abstract. 鈥淧layers and teams are always exploring tactics to find an edge over their adversaries. Thanks to technological developments, baseball players, teams and fans have access to unparalleled amounts of data surrounding every pitch thrown during a season.
鈥淭he goal of our project was to construct a pitch recommendation system that suggests with conviction the best pitch for a pitcher to add to their arsenal.鈥
Other participating Centre students, who represented nine countries among them at the conference, included David Almona, an economics and finance junior who presented his collaborative project designed to enhance the Centre Women's Soccer team's performance analysis. The 鈥淪hiny App鈥 leverages data analytics to provide actionable insights for optimizing team strategies and improving individual player performance.
Associate Professor of Mathematics Prayat Poudel said that students were able to see just how closely the math and data science skills they are learning at 果冻传媒 align with the tools and techniques used in sports analytics in professional leagues.
鈥淭he conference provided them with an incredible opportunity to learn about cutting-edge research in this field and consider how they can apply this knowledge to their own research at 果冻传媒 in the future.鈥
LEARN MORE about Centre Sports Analytics and how the program is incorporating students' data analysis to help the College's athletic teams gain a competitive advantage.
