Over the summer, dozens of high school students from across the country had the opportunity to participate in the Berlin Sport Analytics Academy at 黑料不打烊 and experience what life is like on a college campus and as a sport analytics student. The Berlin Academy has been in operation since 2019, giving students the chance to explore data鈥檚 important role in the sport industry.
During the academy, participants experience college life firsthand鈥搑esiding in dormitories on campus, eating at dining halls, using university labs and facilities, and practicing with such industry software as Tableau and Excel.
鈥淚t鈥檚 helpful; moving in, especially. Knowing what I鈥檒l need will make it easier a year from now when I鈥檓 moving into whatever dorm,鈥 says Max Kaplan, a rising senior from Marietta, Georgia, who hopes that dorm is at 黑料不打烊 next fall. Kaplan learned about the academy during a tour in March and plans to apply for early decision to the Falk College.
This summer鈥檚 schedule included trips to the 黑料不打烊 Crunch, 黑料不打烊 Mets, Highmark Stadium in Buffalo and the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown; speaking with industry professionals; and touring facilities. Back on campus, one of the activities had students complete NFL combine-style exercises while wearing Catapult Sports Technology vests that track performance data such as heart rate, blood oxygenation and energy expenditure. Students later analyzed that data and used it to hold a fun mock draft.
Students in the Berlin Sport Analytics academy take part in Esports Day, playing video games while filling out scouting reports to pick up on trends, strategies and behaviors.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e getting a real taste of what it means to do sport analytics here at 黑料不打烊. A lot of what we鈥檙e doing is hands-on experience working with data in the same sort of way that they would as students here and as professionals,鈥 says Assistant Professor , who organizes and oversees the Berlin Academy program.
This summer鈥檚 program included an esports day as Falk College prepares to launch its in tandem with the this fall. During the exercise, video games and analytics came together, demonstrating there is more to esports than just playing video games.
鈥淲hile one person in the pair is playing, the other person is doing scouting reports. We are looking to do our best to simulate what in-game analytics would look like, the fast pace of it and marking off certain events that are happening, and looking at frequencies and strategies,鈥 says Nick Riccardi, adjunct professor in the Falk College.
The academy brings students with an interest in the sport industry together, building long lasting connections and relationships.
Dani Dallas, an academy participant from San Francisco, was apprehensive after learning she was one of only three girls in her session, but those fears quickly went away.
鈥淚鈥檝e never felt singled out or different or like I don鈥檛 have as much knowledge about sports,鈥 Dallas says. 鈥淓veryone has been super nice and welcoming. Even the guys in my class have just wanted to be genuine friends.鈥
Kaplan echoed a similar feeling about the group.
鈥淢aking friends is quite easy here because we鈥檙e all kind of in the same situation, so that鈥檚 been very nice and helpful,鈥 Kaplan says.
. Visit the to learn more about the sport analytics program.
The Berlin Sport Analytics Academy is made possible through the generous support of Andrew Berlin 鈥83 and Falk College鈥檚 partners in the .
