Analysis of ETSU team sport game performances

Disclaimer: This analysis is not formal research, nor is it a claim of causation as their are many factors involved. It is merely a summary of observations from publicly available records on ETSU team sport games. Typical statistical processes were deemed inappropriate due to the nature of the information presented. This form of analysis may complement more typical measures of success such as performance testing, injury rates, etc.

GAME PERFORMANCES OF NCAA DIVISION I TEAMS WITH & WITHOUT INTEGRATED SPORT SCIENCE SUPPORT

H. S. Gray, J. A. Gentles, B. D. Johnston, K. C. Brown, S. Mizuguchi, M. W. Ramsey, W. A. Sands, K. Sato, M. E. Stone, and M. H. Stone.

Dept. of Exercise and Sport Sciences, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614

PURPOSE: To investigate the potential impact of integrated sport science support from the Sports Performance Enhancement Consortium (SPEC) on game performances. METHODS: Seven years of game results and scoring from an NCAA D-I institution were analyzed in reference to each individual team sport’s involvement with SPEC. Winning percentage (W%), Rating Percentage Index (RPI), and scoring differentials (scoring for vs. scoring against) for each period of play were the main variables. RESULTS: Baseball: W% and RPI improved while with SPEC, scoring differentials better in later innings. Softball: Marginally better W%, RPI, and scoring differentials with SPEC. Men’s Basketball: W% and RPI slightly better with SPEC, better 2nd half scoring differential but poorer in the 1st half. Women’s Basketball: No involvement with SPEC, better scoring differential in the 1st half vs. the 2nd half. Men’s Soccer: W% and RPI, along with 2nd half and overtime differentials improved with increased SPEC support. Women’s Soccer: Improvements in W%, RPI, and 2nd half differential since recent full SPEC integration. Women’s Volleyball: Long history with SPEC. Mixed W% & RPI, 5th set wins occurred more of late. CONCLUSIONS: While many other factors influenced observations, the signs are positive for SPEC. Overall, teams with integrated sport science support have had better W% and RPIs than teams without. Additionally, teams working with SPEC have performed well late in games.

Please view the full poster as a picture file (save to computer then zoom in and out):

Thank you ETSU

Yesterday was my first day of work at Florida State. One would think that that fact would signal the end of one thing (at ETSU), and the start of something new. What really brought it home, however, was the task of taking the team@sportscieneceed.com email account and the @sportscienceed twitter account off my computer, along with leaving the Center of Excellence media and ETSU men's soccer dropbox folders. This marked the end of a lot of work put into many different projects.

I was fortunate to get some recognition during my last week with the Center of Excellence. The Catapult announcement attracted a lot of attention from the local media, and during the Coaches College I was lucky enough to speak on monitoring and had plenty of mentions from other speakers re: integration of monitoring into the training process. This was very, very flattering!

While I must thank everyone for recognizing my work, there are so many other people at ETSU that are getting things done in the sport science field that I could only dream of. I can think of at least 10 people who could have spoken about on-field monitoring at the coaches college and nail it; the remaining men's soccer staff, women's soccer sport scientists, anyone from volleyball, along with the guys from the new ETSU club rugby team. Both tennis teams have also been looking to track the demands of training and competition in new and creative ways. I hope everyone, in time, gets the recognition they deserve for all the work they are putting in.

The PhD program and Center of Excellence continues to morph and develop and I am proud to have been part of it for the past 2.5 years. While there will always be a strength & power emphasis in the lab and in our work with athletes, I hope that people can see the breadth of knowledge and other valuable resources that are housed in the basement of the Minidome at ETSU. Every academic department has to do some research, but Meg & Doc's main goals are, and always have been, to improve the performance of the teams that they work with and educate young professionals to help do the same elsewhere in the country / world after they leave. They are succeeding.

Thank you ETSU / Center of Excellence / Lab / ETSU men's soccer!

This year's Coaches College looking to be the biggest ever

The 2012 Coaches College will be my last as a staff member and student at ETSU and the Center of Excellence so even more reason to make it a big one! Come join us for this event and a proper goodbye to Johnson City on Saturday night!

This is an update on our Coaches and Sport Sciences College that is taking place December 14-15 this year.

Our early registration for the event has been significantly higher than it has ever been before and we are really excited by everything that we have planned for our attendees.

So far we have strength and conditioning coaches & academic staff already signed up from institutions such as:

Appalachian State University

Boston University

East Stroudsburg University

Eastern Washington University

Georgia College & State University

University of Michigan

University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

Northern Kentucky University

University of Salford (UK)

University of South Carolina

Western Michigan University

Western State Colorado University

Strength and conditioning staff working in professional sport from the New York Mets and Northants County Cricket Club (UK) will be in attendance and several people are coming from the Department of Defense and the US Olympic Training Center at Lake Placid. 

Changes ahead

This past weekend marked the end of the ETSU men's soccer season, and so it seems that now is a good time to let people know that I have accepted a job as assistant strength and speed coach at Florida State University. I will becoming a Seminole in late December after we host the Coaches College.

Although I am ecstatic to be joining Jon Jost and his staff down in Tallahassee, I will miss the team here very much. The past 3 seasons have truly been the most enjoyable of my professional career - credit to the staff and players that I have shared so much with since 2010. Thank you to everyone who has been involved in the program and also all the good people that have helped support us.

ETSU men's soccer is left in good hands, with Matt Sams, Mark Chiang, and Scott Dishner working under Dr. Satoshi Mizuguchi's guidance. I know that they will carry on the good things we have done over the past years, but also refine and improve on many aspects as they bring new ideas and voices to the table.

With the move I will also no longer be working (formally) with the Center of Excellence, although I would like to keep some form of association with this outstanding organization from a distance.

Thank you ETSU men's soccer, everyone at the Center of Excellence for Sport Science and Coach Education, and all of my friends in the NE Tennessee area. I hope to see as many of you as possible before I head south!

Center of Excellence Calendar - November

A little late - the original post has been up since the beginning of the month! Check out www.sportscienceed.com for more from us.

From the Center of Excellence Calendar – November 2012

This is the second of a new series of blog posts outlining some of the events and projects that we are involved in each month at the Center of Excellence. While we cannot include every detail publically, we hope this will give some more information into some of the smaller things we do alongside large events and day to day teaching, coaching, and research.

Thursday, November 1st

To kick off the month we have a conference call with two other Olympic sports that have expressed interest in bringing their athletes to ETSU. The Olympic designation that we first garnered in April was such a big step forward because this gave the green light to the National Governing Bodies (NGBs) to discuss potential partnerships.

Friday, November 9^th

Meg Stone and the other members of the Athletic Task Force for 125 will meet (for the third time) regarding the development of athletics on campus as we plan towards ETSU’s 125-year anniversary.

Monday, November 12^th

Early registration begins for academic courses in the Department of Exercise and Sport Sciences. Other registration begins shortly after. Sign up early to avoid missing out on popular courses!

Center of Excellence Calendar - October

This is a reposting from the Center of Excellence for Sport Science and Coach Education website. Check out www.sportscienceed.com for more from the organization.

From the Center of Excellence Calendar – October 2012

This is the first of a new series of blog posts outlining some of the events and projects that we are involved in each month at the Center of Excellence. While we cannot include every detail publically, we hope this will give some more information into some of the smaller things we do alongside large events and day to day teaching, coaching, and research.

Thursday, October 4^th

PhD student Mike Israetel is presenting on sports nutrition in room E134 of the MSHA Athletic Center (minidome) at 3PM. It was originally set up for medical students looking to learn more about sport nutrition but it is open to anyone who wishes to attend. A seminar on this topic will be held each week and interested parties should contact Mike (misraetel@gmail.com) to find out the details of future talks (the day, time, and location may vary week to week).

Also on Thursday we are holding a conference Skype call with a leading international sports technology company that is interested in helping us integrate the latest monitoring tools into our teaching curriculum, research, and applied work with sports teams. 

Monday, October 8^th

We will be holding a meeting regarding the formation of an ETSU committee specifically for the Olympic Training Center that we now have here. This is the start of an exciting process that will help everyone at ETSU benefit from having the Olympic rings on campus.

UKSCA Reminder & Assessment Day Preparation

You may have read that the United Kingdom Strength and Conditioning Association (UKSCA) will be offering a Accredited Strength & Conditioning Coach (ASCC) assessment day at East Tennessee State University on December 16th of this year. This is the day after the Seventh Annual Coaches and Sport Science College ends at the Center of Excellence for Sport Science and Coach Education (CESSCE). This is a yearly event, and is the only place that the qualification is offered in the US.

There are numerous strength and conditioning qualifications and certifications out there. So many that it can be confusing to both practitioners and employers alike. I have been exposed to a number of them and have to say that the UKSCA ASCC certification was the most challenging to pass, and is the one that I am proud to have next to my name. Now while there can always be criticisms of any accreditation or certification, having the ASCC shows that you have a sound understanding of the scientific principles behind performance enhancement, as well as the ability to demonstrate and coach key lifts and plyometric, agility, and speed movements. Lastly, and possibly the most important of all, you have to successfully present how you designed, carried out, and evaluated a long-term strength and conditioning program. Along with my driving test and PhD qualifying exams, the night before my UKSCA was one of the few times that I have been truly nervous. Competitive games to one side!