Analytics has long been a staple in professional sports. While the mixing of analytics and athletics might have seemed foreign when Billy Beane pioneered the Moneyball approach as the General Manager of the Oakland A’s in the early 2000s, the use of data science is now engrained in nearly every professional league worldwide.
Early users of analytics and tech in sports
Today, coaches analyze plays in real-time using tablets on the sideline. Players don wearable technology to track their vital signs during practice, and complex camera systems capture and record athletes’ every move on the playing field. All these methods are a means to acquire valuable data that can create a competitive advantage. In recent years, we’ve seen teams with sophisticated data regimes rocket to the tops of their sports. Organizations like the Golden State Warriors and Philadelphia Eagles have ridden the analytics wave to world championships and changed their sports in the process.
Teams using analytics today are positioned to win
Despite the demonstrated impact that sports analytics can have on a team, some coaches are still hesitant to embrace the practice. We see this in the world of high school football, where old-school mentalities and common misconceptions have caused many coaches to dismiss the usefulness of data science to their teams. However, as new tech has made sports analytics more accessible, more high school coaches are embracing big data and winning big as a result.
How your team can use analytics
It’s now increasingly common to see high school coaches operating tablets like their counterparts in the NFL and NCAA. This technology allows coaches to track stats, analyze play results, and arm themselves with the information needed to optimize strategy. High school coaches also have the added advantage of utilizing technology that guides in-game decision-making, a practice that is off-limits in college, and the pros. This real-time strategy guidance can be a difference-maker for any team willing to embrace data science. New technology can provide insight to help coaches make decisions around going for it on 4th down, accepting or declining penalties, or attempting an onside kick. In addition to in-game benefits, data science can help with planning leading up to game day. Utilizing analytics allows coaches to track the effectiveness of play calls and individual players, providing actionable data that can enhance preparation for upcoming contests.
Sports Analytics doesn’t have to be expensive
In the world of high school sports, where coaching staffs are smaller and often have fewer resources, new technology can help replicate the impact of a top assistant. Speaking of resources, these new technologies don’t have to be expensive or hard to use. National powerhouses are using data science during practice and on game day to gain an advantage, but analytics aren’t just for the big dogs. Apps like Athlogic allow coaches to recreate analytics that the pro’s use… free of charge. Athlogic also utilizes simple data entry methods, so that anyone, whether they’re on the team, fan on the bleachers, or in the band, can use it.
This advantage won’t exist for long
The field of sports analytics is growing rapidly. Experts predict that sports-related jobs will increase by over 400% in the next eight years. New technology is also developing at a rapid pace to support the field. This growth will undoubtedly continue to spread into the high school football ranks. This means that coaches that continue to ignore analytics will increasingly put their teams at a disadvantage. Successful coaches are always looking for new ways to improve their teams. If you haven’t incorporated analytics into your program, there is no better time to start than now.
