Big Data Analytics in sports

In the last decades, quantitative thinking in sports has gained a rapidly growing interest. This is reflected by the scientific production on this theme and also by the publication of collections of statistical analyses applied to data from a wide range of sports, including football, basketball, volleyball, baseball, ice hockey and many others. This research project is designed to set up a unique collaboration of experts interested in sport analytics both from a scientific and a practical point of view. The goal is to create a network able to facilitate contacts and joint research initiatives. ‍ Specifically, the project’s members organise events, promotes special Issues in scientific journals, share ideas and data in order to publish scientific and non-scientific papers, collaborate with teams in various sports by supplying them analytics and apply for research grants. The data scientists’ expertise covers a wide range of quantitative tools in the fields of statistical modelling, multivariate data analysis, data mining, algorithmic modelling and machine learning. BDsports is committed to four channels: scientific research, application, teaching and dissemination. The four channels do not develop independently, but the specific activities are integrated and put in synergy with each other. For example, methods and models developed at the level of scientific research, published in international academic journals and often presented at conferences, are then implemented in practice and disseminated to non-professionals through channels different from those usual in the academic context. This integration is aimed at improving the contact between the different worlds interested in the theme of Sports Analytics. Particular attention is paid to young people who, through these issues, can approach the study of subjects normally considered challenging and difficult such as mathematics and statistics and may also find new opportunities for work placement in this area.