Beginning in 2018, Syracuse University students enrolled in SAL 213-Sport Data Analysis gained exposure to the player health and performance sides of sport analytics to uncover valuable, yet-to-be-discovered data insights. EDGE10, a leading provider of athlete management software, working with Professor Rodney Paul, director of the Falk College sport analytics program, and sport analytics academic advisor, Francesco Riverso, launched an on-going collaboration with Falk College that continues this year.
“EDGE10 is a dream partner for our new sport analytics degree. The opportunity to work with real-life performance data on a scale that EDGE10 provides offers enormous advantages to our students and the feedback and interaction they will have with the experts will help them in all aspects in attaining their career goals,” says Professor Paul.
In the process of engaging students with advanced statistical analysis skills to bring innovative solutions to existing real-world scenarios, the partnership with EDGE10 prepares students for internships and employment in this area of sport analytics.
During the fall semester, students in Professor Paul’s SAL 213 class working in small groups have access to anonymized athlete performance and medical data samples provided by EDGE10. The company shared scenarios that detail the type of user in the athletic organization and what their goals are for the respective data sets. With a client roster that spans sport organizations in the English Premier League (EPL), National Basketball Association (NBA), and the National Football League (NFL) among other entities in sports and additional market segments, EDGE10 is a leader in helping professional sports teams manage player performance data.
“Teams and sports organizations are continually seeking to create or unveil a competitive advantage with regard to enhancing athlete performance, no matter the sport,” said Michael Veley, director and chair of the Department of Sport Management. “Creating a partnership with EDGE10, a cutting-edge analytical pioneer in athlete welfare and performance, will provide endless opportunities for our faculty and students to become further engaged with improving athlete performance and recovery.”
Jason Riddell, EDGE10 senior sports scientist, said, “we are extremely excited to be partnering with the first program of its kind here in the United States at Syracuse University’s Falk College. The opportunity to work with sport analytics students at such an early, formative stage has benefitted EDGE10 immensely by allowing us to help shape and develop the skill sets that we find so valuable in today’s world of elite sport. Dr. Paul and Francesco Riverso’s mission to provide as much real-world experience for their students aligns perfectly with type of analysts we aim to employ.”
Following the group presentations later this semester, five students will be selected to continue with an independent study in the spring to include a deeper exploration of the EDGE10 architecture. Working with Professor Paul, the comprehensive final project will include a data model and subsequent analysis, with suggestions for improvement using performance and tactical/match data.
Falk College’s bachelor of science in sport analytics provides students with an understanding of math, statistics, research methodology, sport economics, database management, finance, and computer programming. Upon graduation, students will be prepared to think conceptually and analytically while applying these principles to real issues in sport organizations. The degree incorporates a mandatory foreign language requirement to prepare students for the global sport in a variety of possible analytics career paths on the player evaluation side, business side, or both. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the job market for various data analyst disciplines is growing at 27 percent annually, far exceeding the national job growth average of 11 percent.
The award-winning EDGE10 Group provides a solution combining performance, analytics and digital medical records to 750+ teams across sport, armed forces and corporate wellness. The solution allows organizations to centralize, analyze and visualize data regardless of source, to gain valuable insights through the use of next-generation analytics. This leads to better informed decision-making, supporting high-performing teams and athletes to meet their ultimate goals. EDGE10 Group currently works with some of the world’s largest sports franchises across the NBA, Premier League, MLS, AFL, NFL, NCAA and EFL, in addition to carrying out six league-wide contracts to the MLB, ATP and CFL.
Falk College’s offering in sport analytics is the newest addition in its academic portfolio of programs in the Department of Sport Management that includes sport management (BS), and sport venue and event management (MS).