How do I learn to use statistics for high school basketball?

[Miloslav]

I was recently made a manager of my high school's basketball team. I have been asked to look into creating a program that will allow statistics to be used in sports. I do not know much about sporting statistics, so I was wondering if anyone could help me figure out what direction to look in. Thanks!

 

[hsetennis]

I'm not familiar with sabermetrics and sports statistics, but minitab and SAS (and MS Excel's stats extension) are generally sufficient for most inferential statistics. A more sophisticated package would be better for hard core data mining. What kind of statistical tests do you want to run?

btw: the wikipedia page for apbrmetrics has some promising external links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/APBRmetrics

 

[Stephen Tashi]

Perhaps your main job will be to keep accurate records and retrieve data from them. (As opposed to making statistical predictions about the next game etc.) You'll need a database program. I suggest you ask for suggestions about what program to use in the sections of the forum that deal with computers since that isn't a "math question".

 

[chiro]

Hey Miloslav and welcome to the forums.

On top of Stephen Tashi's advice, I would look at simple statistics like the mean and simple probabilities of winning and losing with respect to certain conditions (like against a particular team or whether they have a home advantage).

These are very simple techniques and provide a lot of information for your audience.

 

[blue_raver22]

I understand the importance of using statistics in any field, including sports. To learn to use statistics for high school basketball, I would suggest starting by familiarizing yourself with the basic concepts and terminology of statistics. This could include understanding measures of central tendency, such as mean, median, and mode, as well as measures of variability, such as standard deviation.

Next, I would recommend researching the specific statistics commonly used in basketball, such as points per game, rebounds, assists, and shooting percentages. This will give you a better understanding of what data to collect and how to interpret it.

Additionally, you may want to look into statistical software programs that can help you organize and analyze the data. Some popular options include Microsoft Excel, R, and SPSS.

It may also be helpful to speak with coaches or other team managers to get their insights and advice on using statistics in basketball. They may have valuable tips and resources to share.

Overall, learning to use statistics for high school basketball will take time and practice, but with dedication and a willingness to learn, you can develop the skills needed to create a successful statistics program for your team.