Sports Analytics

A Guide for Coaches, Managers, and Other Decision Makers

Benjamin Alamar

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Hardback

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English

Columbia University Press
28 May 2024

Data analysis: general; Probability & statistics; Sports training & coaching

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.

By: Benjamin Alamar
Imprint: Columbia University Press
Country of Publication: United States
Edition: second edition
Dimensions: Height: 216mm, Width: 140mm,
ISBN: 9780231205207
ISBN 10: 0231205201
Pages: 184
Publication Date: 28 May 2024
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Foreword, by Jessica Gelman Acknowledgments 1. Introduction to Sports Analytics 2. Data and Data Management 3. Data and Information 4. Information Systems 5. Statistical Models and How to Use Them 6. Predictive Analytics in Action 7. Analytics in the Organization: Innovation and Implementation 8. Data and Decision Making 9. Analytics in the Organization: A Blueprint for Analytic Success Notes Index

Benjamin C. Alamar has been a leader in sports analytics for more than fifteen years, working with organizations including ESPN, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and StubHub. He has taught at universities including Rice, Columbia, and MIT. The founder of the Journal of Quantitative Analysis in Sports, Alamar has written for outlets such as ESPN, Analytics magazine, and the Wall Street Journal.

Reviews for Sports Analytics: A Guide for Coaches, Managers, and Other Decision Makers

Alamar expertly elucidates the importance and value—to leagues, teams, players—of a robust and thoughtful approach to data and analytics. It is hard to image an aspect of sports—from player health and safety and rule evolution, to scouting and game strategy, to marketing and fan engagement—that isn’t impacted and can’t be improved through insights gleaned from Alamar’s strategic approach to data. -- Julie Souza, Head of Sports, Global Professional Services, Amazon Web Services Sports teams that fail to capitalize on their data will be outcompeted. Alamar delineates a framework for executives to consider how analytics fit in their organization, and the tangible value improved decision-making brings. With a deft balance of the conceptual and the concrete, he explains the elements needed to launch an analytics group, the pitfalls to avoid, and the plans to both deliver short-term benefits and execute a long-term vision. All without unnecessary technical jargon. -- Keith Woolner, principal data scientist, baseball research and development, Cleveland Guardians Benjamin C. Alamar helped pioneer the sports analytics movement—there are few people more qualified than him to write this book, which provides actionable information for decision makers and analysts in the field. -- Keith Goldner, vice president of data science, FanDuel The second edition of Sports Analytics offers a comprehensive framework of the requirements for building successful analytics programs in sports organizations. The author’s expertise and experience provide for many insightful examples. -- Greg Strizek, president, Strategic Analytics, Inc.