News Summary

Park Tudor in Indianapolis is revolutionizing its track and field program by integrating data science under the guidance of Coach Ryan Ritz. With new requirements from the Indiana High School Athletic Association, students are analyzing meet results to create fair varsity standards. They’ve launched the ‘Track Insights’ Instagram account to share findings, connecting with coaches and enhancing opportunities for athletes. The initiative not only promotes engagement but also raises awareness of disparities in relay qualifications, paving the way for future enhancements in high school track competitions across Indiana.

Exciting Changes at Park Tudor: Data Science Meets Track and Field

Located in the bustling city of Indianapolis, Park Tudor has taken a giant leap into the modern age of sports with the innovative use of data science in track and field. For years, Ryan Ritz, the dedicated coach of the Park Tudor track team, aspired to establish fair varsity standards. Previously, this task was riddled with inconsistencies, stemming from the varying times and marks developed by Ritz and his fellow coaches. However, a new mandate from the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) in 2023 ignited a significant transformation.

A Fresh Start with Data

The IHSAA now requires coaches to publish meet results on a platform called DirectAthletics. This move has proved to be a game-changer for Ritz, particularly after his son, Cason, a junior, dove headfirst into analyzing these results. Cason took it upon himself to compare relay times with those from other schools across Indiana, leading to a pivotal moment for the Park Tudor program. Inspired by this newfound data, Ritz decided to apply it to set the 50th percentile for each event in sectionals. This effectively established them as the new varsity standards, creating a more equitable landscape for all athletes.

Bringing Students Onboard

In a move that beautifully blends education and sports, Ritz also found a way to incorporate this data analysis into his data science classes. By providing his students with real-world applications, he managed to engage them in the fascinating world of athletics. In a recent computer science seminar, his students used IHSAA data to conduct several analyses, leading to the creation of an Instagram account called Track Insights. This platform has allowed them to share their findings with a wider audience, making their work even more impactful.

Unpacking Key Questions

The students tackled critical questions that many track coaches often pondered. They investigated how recent changes to state meet scoring impacted the qualifications for smaller schools versus larger ones. To their surprise, their analysis revealed that over the past two seasons, no A or 2A schools managed to qualify for relays to state in girls track. They discovered a noticeable disparity in relay qualification rates, particularly highlighting Bishop Chatard, a 3A school that impressively sent ten relays to state—a striking anomaly among smaller schools.

Community Engagement and Connection

The addition of the Instagram account has not only facilitated audience engagement but has also resulted in requests for further analysis. The student group has been able to connect with several track coaches across Indiana, discussing the implications of their findings and sharing insights that could shape the future of track and field competitions.

Data Challenges and Discoveries

As they delved deeper into their analysis, the students encountered several challenges, particularly when it came to organizing the data. They faced issues with name conflicts related to SQL programming terms, which added an extra layer of complexity to their work. Despite these hurdles, they continued examining relay qualification statistics and scrutinizing the effectiveness of the current scoring system at the state meet.

A Vision for the Future

The findings from their analytical journey revealed that the new scoring potential showed minimal impact on the overall leaderboard but highlighted significant struggles faced by specific schools. Ritz envisions that this ongoing investigation could ultimately address various fairness issues raised by coaches and offer significant insights into how track competitions are conducted.

The data-driven understanding gained through this project has sparked a growing interest among Ritz’s students, many of whom now aspire to pursue careers in computer or data science. As part of their long-term project, the students are also working on an initiative to map Indiana high schools and automate the progression from sectionals to state.

An Open Door for Future Input

The IHSAA remains open to feedback from its member schools as this project continues to evolve. With a commitment to fairness and transparency in track and field, the future looks bright for athletes across the state of Indiana. As Park Tudor takes the lead in merging data science with athletics, other schools may soon follow this inspiring example.

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