In 2022 it’s never been easier to get non-athletes involved in school sports. Sports analytics gives coaches and athletic directors a new tool that can bring a student body together around sports. These analytics programs also don’t have to be expensive or intimidating, as applications like Athlogic make football stat tracking and analysis effortless. So do your football team and your student body a favor, start incorporating sports analytics into your program today.

We see the divide between athletes and non-athletes depicted endlessly in pop culture. Athletes get it done on the field while everyone else makes their mark in the classroom. This outdated dichotomy can severely affect a student body, fostering a divide between the two groups and deflating school spirit. However, this polarization isn’t a forgone conclusion. In fact, schools across the country are embracing a novel approach to bringing athletes and non-athletes together. No, these schools aren’t relying on pep rallies or spirit weeks; instead, they are turning to data science to unite their schools around sports.  

How professional sport teams use analytics and technology

For years, professional football organizations have embraced data analytics to maximize their team’s performance. After years of reluctance from coaches and athletes to incorporate statistical analysis into sport, the practice has become ubiquitous on the professional level. From wearable technology to monitor athletes’ during practice to tracking in-game player movements through camera systems, teams are constantly gathering relevant data to gain any possible competitive edge. This revolution in sports analytics has launched a multi-billion-dollar industry and fundamentally changed the way that college and pro football teams operate. As a result, many teams now have whole staffs dedicated to number crunching and finding new ways to enhance performance through math and science.

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Sports analytics is here to stay. In fact, it’s expanding to nearly every level. Increasingly, high school football programs are incorporating data science into their routines. As I outlined above, on the pro-level analytics is complex, expensive, and reliant on advanced technology. High schools don’t have the resources to hire a director of football analytics or other data gurus, so they turn to the students. Emphasis on STEM education has increased interest in data science and led students across the country to start sports analytics clubs and find other ways to apply data science to sports. Students then collaborate with the team to analyze their performance and help them better prepare for gameday.  

Sports Analytics: The ultimate teaching platform

But the benefits of big data and analytics aren’t confined to the playing field. In fact, by embracing analytics, a football team can help bring the entire school together. Getting students involved in sports analytics helps break down barriers between athletes and non-athletes by uniting students around the common goal of athletic success. Kids that would have previously felt disconnected from athletics now have the chance to contribute in a way that aligns with their skills and passions.   Sports analytics increases interactions between the two groups and creates opportunities for athletes and non-athletes to work together that wouldn’t exist otherwise. Furthermore, sports analytics can increase interest in STEM education and drive success in the classroom. For some students, data science can seem cold and unapproachable at first glance. By using students' passion for athletics, sports analytics can help boost their math and science skills while also giving them the chance to contribute to the athletic department in an unconventional way.

Using Athlogic for High School STEM education

In 2022 it’s never been easier to get non-athletes involved in school sports. Sports analytics gives coaches and athletic directors a new tool that can bring a student body together around sports. These analytics programs also don’t have to be expensive or intimidating, as applications like Athlogic make football stat tracking and analysis effortless. So do your football team and your student body a favor, start incorporating sports analytics into your program today.

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