INFORMS Open Forum

I listened to the episode "All things sports analytics at #INFORMS2022" featuring Brian Macdonald, a lecturer in the Department of Statistics and Data Science at Yale University. In this episode, recorded at the 2022 INFORMS Annual Meeting, Macdonald discussed the evolving role of player tracking data in sports analytics, highlighting its applications across different sports and its potential for improvement.

One of the most compelling aspects of this episode was Macdonald's insights into the unique challenges and opportunities of using tracking data in various sports. For instance, he explained that while basketball has been utilizing tracking data for some time, other sports, like hockey, are only now starting to adopt these technologies. The episode provided a fascinating look into how each sport's dynamics shape the use of analytics, and I found this differentiation between sports particularly engaging.

One area for improvement would be to include more technical details about the data processing methods used in sports analytics. For listeners with a data analytics background, understanding how raw data is transformed into actionable insights-such as the processes of data cleaning, model selection, or specific algorithms-could enhance the depth of the discussion.

This episode was especially relevant to my studies in data analytics, as it provided a real-world perspective on how data quality and data application challenges impact sports analytics. Hearing about the complexities of tracking data and the progression in analytics from a professional was both insightful and aligned well with the theoretical concepts I am learning in my coursework. Overall, the episode made clear how sports analytics is a rapidly growing field with much potential yet to be fully realized.