Words & Photos from Liam E.
Our cohort was very excited to be united, and continue to build off our work of learning how to apply analytics and stats to increase performance. During our previous Expedition days we had the opportunity to being to develop skills in excel and gain an overview of data analysis in sport, and we knew that on this day we would have the opportunity to meet with experts in the field to see how they use these in a professional setting.
We began the day breaking down stats from the 2012 NCAA Volleyball Finals, which helped us learn about how hard statistic taking is without the help of technology. We Then used these statistics to try to make intriguing infographics that all viewers can use to their advantage from fan to manager to coach. This same style of analysis could be then applied to any sport, as well as having applications beyond sports data analysis.
In the afternoon we headed out to lunch at Romeo’s and then entered the Save on Food Memorial Stadium, to meet with J.F. Best, assistant coach of the Victoria Royals. He first gave us a quick tour of how elite athletes perform and stay healthy at the level they play at. Then, we went into the conference room and learned how the statisticians for the Royals sorted and used technology and statistics to their best advantage. We then used some tools that the Royals use to analyze game tape and did some of it ourselves. This was a highlight of the day, as we not only learned some skills we can take away and use in our cohort for the year, but gained insight at how this data is used at the top level in sport by coaches, players and staff, in an effort to help the team’s performance.
Overall, we had a fun day and are excited to further implement our knowledge into the next expedition day.