SSAC Recap Day 2

For those of you that missed the 2014 MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, I wished to provide a recap. Last week, I covered Day 1's Panels.  Here are some shorthand notes from Day 2:

Panel #1: Getting in the Game: Launching a Career in Sports 

Panelists: Moderator Matt Sebal, Jennifer Cabalquinto, Robert Gallo, Debbie Knowlan, John Hollinger, and Russell Scibetti 

Cabalquinto: Newly Appointed CFO of Golden State Warriors- Accounting background at EY (Like Me), this is my dream job!

- CFO is more of a financial and management role, is faced with challenges of new arena decisions (how many seats, floor plan,etc.) and how to use analytics with this 

Hollinger: Analytics are used for salary cap maximization, much of what his job entitles, how players from other leagues (D league, europe) would translate in NBA 

Scibetti- You do not always have to start in sports, "No shame in calling yourself a salesman" 

NFL has seen in rise of analytics and strategy groups 

NBA uses it for player development positions- basketball skills are becoming more useful for this job

Cabalquinto: Warriors are currently hiring and looking for people for their business analytics team, marketing analytics, and Innovation Lab 

- you must learn of how to differentiate yourself from others, primarily with your skill sets, its not just "I wanna work in sports" 

- way to set yourself apart is to demonstrate and find a niche of the business that is not served- Example: Darren Rovell 

Final takeaways: networking is important, translating your skill sets, skills you develop before entering sports world, persistence, and finding a good mentor 

Panel #2: Risking It All: Why Championship Athletes Dope and What It Means For Sport

Panelists: Moderator Bonnie Ford, Tyler Hamilton, and Travis Tygart 

Marked the first unique time that the CEO of the Anti-Doping Agency (Tygart) discussed with Hamilton 

- The Anti-Doping Agency is a non-governmental private organization 

Tygart: "analytics are only as good as their foundation" 

Hamilton: when competing, I was "more worried about getting caught than winning races"