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" 

Event: Networking and Relationship-building in Sports Business [3/1]

Tuesday 3/1 - 4:30 - Ives 105

On Tuesday, March 1st, our club is honored to host consultant and entrepreneur Eric Kutner. A 1995 graduate of Princeton (with a degree in Physics), he is a sports marketing expert who owned an operated world class tennis events, served on the USTA Eastern Board of Directors, WTA Tour Tournament Council, and Ivy Sports Symposium Planning Committee. However, this background gives an incomplete picture, as he is also a homeland security specialist, consultancy founder, and solar eclipse expedition team member.

Throughout these diverse experiences, his common thread has been social networks and relationship-building. How do these topics apply to the "inner-workings" of the sports industry? We are very much looking forward to his presentation and subsequent discussion on this topic, and we hope you will join us.

In the meantime, please show your support by attending this event on Facebook. See you all there!