Analytic Methods In Sports

One of the greatest changes in the sports world in the past 20 years has been the use of mathematical methods to analyze performances, recognize trends and patterns, and predict results. Analytic Methods in Sports: Using Mathematics and Statistics to Understand Data from Baseball, Football, Basketball, and Other Sports, Second Edition provides a concise yet thorough introduction to the analytic and statistical methods that are useful in studying sports. The book gives you all the tools necessary to answer key questions in sports analysis. It explains how to apply the methods to sports data and interpret the results, demonstrating that the analysis of sports data is often different from standard statistical analyses. The book integrates a large number of motivating sports examples throughout and offers guidance on computation and suggestions for further reading in each chapter. Features Covers numerous statistical procedures for analyzing data based on sports results Presents fundamental methods for describing and summarizing data Describes aspects of probability theory and basic statistical concepts that are necessary to understand and deal with the randomness inherent in sports data Explains the statistical reasoning underlying the methods Illustrates the methods using real data drawn from a wide variety of sports Offers many of the datasets on the author’s website, enabling you to replicate the analyses or conduct related analyses New to the Second Edition R code included for all calculations A new chapter discussing several more advanced methods, such as binary response models, random effects, multilevel models, spline methods, and principal components analysis, and more Exercises added to the end of each chapter, to enable use for courses and self-study

"Analytic Methods in Sports: Using Mathematics and Statistics to Understand Data from Baseball, Football, Basketball, and Other Sports, 2nd Edition provides a concise yet thorough introduction to the analytic and statistical methods that are useful in studying sports. It explains how to apply the methods to sports data and interpret the results, demonstrating that the analysis of sports data is often different from standard statistical analyses. The book integrates a large number of motivating sports examples throughout and offers guidance on computation and suggestions for further reading in each chapter"--

The Most Useful Techniques for Analyzing Sports DataOne of the greatest changes in the sports world in the past 20 years has been the use of mathematical methods to analyze performances, recognize trends and patterns, and predict results. Analytic Methods in Sports: Using Mathematics and Statistics to Understand Data from Baseball, Football, Basket

In today’s sports world, decision makers, coaches, trainers, and athletes readily embrace sport performance analytics (SPA) and expect decisions to be based on such analyses. Organizations adept at collecting data, analyzing data, and applying findings enjoy a competitive advantage on the field—and a positive impact on the bottom line. For sport management students with a passion for sports and an aptitude for analytics, SPA presents an enticing career choice—one in high demand. Sport Performance Analytic Methods With HKPropel Access not only introduces students to the field of sport performance analytics but also walks them through the entire SPA process. This unparalleled approach equips students to employ SPA tools and techniques to make informed decisions affecting organization performance and success. The content of the book is driven by the SPA model, a seven-step process providing a guided pathway for conducting SPA analyses: Establish what you want to know Define the data you will collect Determine the data collection process and collect data Analyze the data Interpret the results Present the results Make data-based decisions The opening chapter emphasizes the importance of establishing the SPA objectives. The focus then shifts to understanding foundational data concepts, with discussions on quantitative and qualitative data, types and scale of variables, temporal aspects of data, process and product data, and validity and reliability of data. Methods and tools for collecting data are explored next, including technology-assisted data acquisition tools such as wearable devices and biometric sensing devices. Students will then examine quantitative statistical concepts that can be used to analyze data and even help make predictions about future player or team performance. Key concepts include descriptive statistics, data sets, inferential statistics, group comparisons, and linear regressions. The text also addresses techniques for collecting and analyzing qualitative data—including observation, content, narrative, discourse, thematic, and grounded theory analyses—ensuring that all forms of data are considered to produce successful outcomes. Finally, the text demonstrates how to present SPA data in a format useful to apply in decision making. Students learn how coaches and performance data analysts use data to inform pre- and postcompetition strategic and tactical plans, make in-game decisions, evaluate team and individual performance, and make decisions for teams, players, and organizations. Related online resources, delivered via HKPropel, provide students with hands-on learning tools. In addition to descriptions of the primary SPA software packages, included are nine learning modules that allow students to go through various statistical procedures step by step, checking results, and improving performance. With Sport Performance Analytic Methods, students will gain a solid understanding of the principles made famous by Moneyball, and they will learn to use sport analytics to improve sport performance outcomes. Note: A code for accessing HKPropel is not included with this ebook but may be purchased separately.

This is the eBook of the printed book and may not include any media, website access codes, or print supplements that may come packaged with the bound book. This up-to-the-minute reference will help you master all three facets of sports analytics — and use it to win! Sports Analytics and Data Science is the most accessible and practical guide to sports analytics for everyone who cares about winning and everyone who is interested in data science. You’ll discover how successful sports analytics blends business and sports savvy, modern information technology, and sophisticated modeling techniques. You’ll master the discipline through realistic sports vignettes and intuitive data visualizations–not complex math. Every chapter focuses on one key sports analytics application. Miller guides you through assessing players and teams, predicting scores and making game-day decisions, crafting brands and marketing messages, increasing revenue and profitability, and much more. Step by step, you’ll learn how analysts transform raw data and analytical models into wins: both on the field and in any sports business.

This book is a collection of applications of analytic techniques to a number of popular sports including baseball, basketball, hockey, Jai Alai, NFL football and horseracing. We focus on both the statistics of the sporting events and betting strategies on the events. The subject is fascinating as there are many twists and subtle complicated decisions.Sports analytics applies mathematical and statistical methods to important questions in the structure and performance of sporting activities using the same basic methods and approaches as data analysts in other disciplines.Sports games and events are a fruitful area for study and to evaluate betting strategies as there is extensive data and mean reversion. With prices changing continuously, risk arbitrage bets can be made. Moreover, little errors, like a penalty to a player or an error in a call by a referee, can change the score of a game and corresponding betting prices. The collection and analysis of in-game data can inform players, coaches and staff on effective decision making during sporting events.Novel features of the book include: an analysis of who were the greatest baseball batters; analyses of the players most important to team success (and they are not necessarily the best players) in basketball, NFL football and hockey; a tutorial on risk arbitrage and its applications to NFL football and NBA basketball; a discussion of many ad hoc decision rules by coaches and players and what was really optimal; in the racing section we discuss breeding, the analysis of various bets like the Rainbow and ordinary Pick 6, a discussion and betting on the most important races and a visit to the Breeders' Cup with Ed Thorp to demonstrate the place and show system in action.

Sports Analytics From A to Z is written for non-mathematicians who love sports, are interested in sports analytics, but do not have the time, or desire to learn complex algorithms or processes within the various statistical methods. Sports Analytics Expert and Consultant Victor Holman provides a range of sports analytics methods in a manner that the average reader can understand their concepts and more importantly, how the concepts have been applied and leveraged in the sports world by some of today's leading innovators in sports analytics. While the reader won't walk away from this book understanding how to execute or program these sports analytics methods, they will walk away with countless new ideas for how analytics can be leveraged to gather new insight into data. This sports analytics book is unique in that it identifies numerous sports analytics methods, it's alphabetically arranged, it outlines primary and secondary sports analytics methods applied in various research papers. Reading each of the research articles, and the sports analytics methods applied when performing the research will help the reader understand which statistical tool to use to approach their analytic challenges.About Victor HolmanVictor Holman is a sports analytics and performance expert, management consultant and author. His thought leadership in business performance, sports performance and process improvement has been demonstrated in several books, frameworks and products he has published over the last 15 years. Victor has served as a performance expert, data and enterprise systems project manager and management consultant to over 100 organizations, including Fortune 500 companies and Federal Agencies. He's been featured in major television, radio and print media outlets for his ability to help small businesses outperform their competition by applying strategies, frameworks and management tools. And Victor is applying these same concepts to sports management and sports analytics. Victor believes that like small businesses, less talented sports programs can level the playing field by applying sports analytics methods that transcends their analytics programs beyond management decision making and into quantitative results delivered by the players. He also believes that to make a team function at optimal performance, it's critical that game data is gathered, analyzed and translated into value that can be easily measured and delivered by its players. Victor helps teams figure out how to apply their data and existing analytics systems to help players measure value, increase IQ and create synergy using his Agile Sports Analytics Framework. Victor authored the Agile Sports Analytics Book, which outlines the step by step process for getting players to execute the coach's strategy through an award system that measures player's ability to adapt their games to the team strategy and measures their contribution to wins.Victor developed the Agile Sports Analytics application, which provides the tools and drives the processes of the Sports Analytics Framework.Victor was recently recognized by Feedspot as the #2 sports analytics blog. His blog provides the latest strategies to help coaches, analysts and management improve the IQ, team dynamics & execution of their players. His blog also provides insight into all of the various statistical methods applied in sports analytics along with the key innovators and researchers who continue to push the sports analytics envelope. His blog posts are the foundation of this book. Victor developed the Sports Analytics Maturity Model, which outlines five phases, seven key success areas, 26 best practices and 130 key processes for sports programs looking to gain a competitive edge across all aspects of the program. To learn more about how Victor Holman can help your team leverage analytics to gain a competitive advantage, contact him at [email protected] or (888) 861-8733.

Data and analytics have the potential to provide sports organizations with a competitive advantage both on and off the field. Yet even as the use of analytics in sports has become commonplace, teams regularly find themselves making big investments without significant payoff. This book is a practical, nontechnical guide to incorporating sports data into decision making, giving leaders the knowledge they need to maximize their organization’s investment in analytics. Benjamin C. Alamar—a leading expert who has built high-performing analytics groups—surveys the current state of the use of data in sports, including both specifics around the tools and how to deploy them most effectively. Sports Analytics offers a clear, easily digestible overview of data management, statistical models, and information systems and a detailed understanding of their vast possibilities. It walks readers through the essentials of understanding the value of different types of data and strategies for building and managing an analytics team. Throughout, Alamar illustrates the value of analytics with real-world examples and case studies from both the sports and business sides. Sports Analytics has guided a range of sports professionals to success since its original publication in 2013. This second edition adds examples and strategies that focus on using data on the business side of a sports organization, provides concrete strategies for incorporating different types of data into decision making, and updates all discussions for the rapid technological developments of the last decade.