Sports Analytics Club Uses Raw Data to Analyze Athlete Performance
Sports are riddled with complex questions: Has Fernando Tatis played well enough to earn his contract? Is Lebron James or Michael Jordan the greatest of all time? Which team has the best odds to win the Super Bowl? Run by senior Ethan Storz, the Sports Analytics Club, a student-guided space where individuals interested in sports analyze raw data and look at sports through the lens of statistics, aims to answer these questions. According to faculty advisor Mr. Jeffrey Greenstein, “the club is primarily a place for students who are interested in sports and interested in analytics to learn from one another, to talk to one another about … sports analytics, to learn a little bit of some of the math behind the analytics that get used … and, in some cases, to work toward original research.”
This original research has come in many different forms throughout the club’s history. For example, one year, a student created a blog where different members wrote posts about sports events they were interested or involved in. Learning about and researching the different sports that each member participates in is common. Storz describes, “we take into account sports that people are into. So, even though I focus more on baseball, we have kids who are interested in soccer…[and] football. As much as [we have] an analytical approach, there is also a discussion aspect to it where we just talk about sports too.” The club fosters a space where sports fans can talk about, watch, and create a deeper understanding of a specific sport using math and statistics. Occasionally, students bring in their own statistics as members of Riverdale teams to analyze their own performances. However, the club has yet to analyze Riverdale teams on a formal level, despite discussing the idea previously. Both Storz and Mr. Greenstein think it would be an interesting task, requiring much collaboration between different teachers and coaches.
The pandemic drastically changed the statistics that the club analyzes. Storz explains that since many sports had their seasons cut in half, the statistics in the club’s research became skewed. Since there was inflation of both good and bad statistics, meaning having fewer data points resulted in the over exaggeration of information, the season produced less trustworthy statistics. This reality had to be taken into account during discussions, demonstrating the reality of change that many fields faced because of the pandemic. Mr. Greenstein emphasizes that analysis is an important part of all data. He views the Sports Analytics Club as a space where students can be introduced to statistics in a fun and engaging way, without their learning being dictated by the pressures associated with a formal math class. Since the students in the club guide its direction, Mr. Greenstein views his role as being a resource for any math or statistics questions. He uses his background as a math teacher and the instructor of the “Statistics in Sports” elective, saying, “a lot of the time the students know enough that I can be in the background and don’t need to use my math teaching background … [but when] a student says, ‘Hey Mr. Greenstein, can you give us a little bit of background on that,’ I can augment the conversation with that mathematical background.”
Now, both Storz and Mr. Greenstein are aware of the lack of non-male students in their club. Storz believes that “a big part of this is [caused by] a stigma around … sports [traditionally] being a male-dominated [space].” Since the club’s roster is comprised mostly of male students, Storz also understands that “it can be a little intimidating [for female students], which… [he] wish[es] it was not.” By analyzing both men’s and women’s sports, they try to foster an open community for all sports fans. The club hopes to gain more members of all genders at the activity fair by emphasizing the positive experience of their members.
Current members, like junior Matthew Diamond, cherish their time in the club. He views it as a forum to deepen his love for sports, saying, “I had a lot of different opinions about sports, but it is very interesting to see how analytics confirm or change your opinions on certain players, teams, [and] strategies.” He finds it “very interesting to look at these stats that tell a better story and a deeper story than what you usually look at.” Storz and Mr. Greenstein look forward to welcoming new members who can use the club to nurture or deepen their love for sports and data analysis.
