On Sunday, March 8th, the National High School Sports Analytics Association (NHSSAA) will host its second annual meeting in Boston from 1pm to 5:30pm. Following an impressive turn-out at the first event and a handful of well-attended video conferences, the second summit boasts an impressive list of guest speakers. Michael Lewis, the author of Moneyball, Daryl Morey, the president of basketball operations for the Philadelphia 76ers, and leaders of the sports analytics department for the New England Revolution will headline the event. Attendees can expect to learn about both the career paths of these people leading up to the event, and also how they use sports analytics in their everyday jobs.
I attended the conference last year, after my mom saw a promotional piece for the event online and suggested I go to learn more about a topic that has become very relevant over the past few years. Walking in with zero expectations, I walked out impressed with the variety of topics covered, and the amount of information I was able to take away even as someone with little knowledge of the subject. Talking with other people who also attended the conference, I was not alone with my opinion. “My favorite part of the event was definitely the guest speakers,” said attendee Chace Burns. “They were all very interesting and hearing about their different career paths was a useful experience.”
Another notable feature about the conference is its dependence on student involvement. The conference is organized and run by four high school students from Massachusetts, ranging in age from sophomore to senior. All these students work tirelessly, balancing sports, school, and the extensive preparation involved in ensuring that an event on such a large scale as this can happen. I spoke to John Choe, father of sophomore Ginny Choe who is one of the main student organizers for the NHSSAA, and asked him about how his daughter found this passion for sports analytics. “My daughter Ginny is crazy about baseball,” said Mr. Choe. “Ginny first read Moneyball while in 4th grade and was immediately hooked on baseball analytics. She has led multiple baseball analytics seminars at her public library in Jamaica Plain, MA.” Ginny additionally rows competitively for The Winsor School on top of all of her extracurricular activities, and she is just one example of the hardwork and dedication of the students involved in the conference. As if the conference was not already impressive enough, the contribution of these students is admirable.
No matter what you think your interests may be, I highly recommend you attend this summit to at least expose yourself to a field you may have never heard of before. As an athlete, the numbers game that goes on behind the scenes in all sports has been fascinating to me, and the range of topics covered at the conference serve something unique for everyone. The combined effort of the student organizers accompanied by the knowledgeable speakers will ensure this event to be one to remember without a doubt!
