Six questions to the head of the Department of physical and mathematical disciplines and information technologies of the Volga state Academy of physical culture, sports and tourism Marat Galyautdinov about the new profile of training "Sports Analytics".
HOW TO PROCEED IN THE DIRECTION OF SPORTS ANALYTICS?
For the first time this year the Academy will take a set of master's degree in the profile of "sports Analytics". Seven lucky ones will be able to study on budget places. Those wishing to get a new demanded specialty are waiting for entrance tests in the form of testing and subsequent interviews. Among the potential entrants are graduates of the Academy itself and other universities. The main thing that the entrant had analytical abilities, and also knowledge in the field of the theory of sports and information technologies. Also important is a good level of English.
WHY IS THE DIRECTION SPORTS ANALYST TODAY RELEVANT?
Sports Analytics is one of the leading areas of professional sports. Everyone needs statistics. New processing technologies allow to use the accumulated data to optimize solutions in the training process, financial planning and other tasks.
A number of foreign universities have bachelor's and master's degree programs in this field. The Ministry of sports of Russia is currently developing a professional standard "Sports analyst". We will be the first Russian sports University to discover this training profile. Students also have an interest in this direction. So, I think there will be no shortage of potential applicants.
WHERE POPULAR SPORTS ANALYST?
Leading sports clubs around the world have long been actively using sports Analytics in their activities. They either use the services of analytical agencies, or have a staff of trainers, concurrently engaged in Analytics. Data collection and processing tools are also actively used by the staff of complex scientific groups on sports.
WHO ELSE TRAINS SPECIALISTS IN THIS DIRECTION?
I think such programs will soon appear in Russian sports universities. Now training in data analysis, in one form or another, exists in a number of leading universities in Russia. For example, MIPT and HSE are implementing master's programmes in the application of data analysis in business, economy and society.
The first to keep detailed statistics on each player began the American professional League NBA, NHL, NFL. Now it is already huge layers of information which demands modern methods of processing and the analysis. For this purpose, a number of new technologies are used, which help clubs to plan their sports results, to develop an economic strategy, to promote themselves. In Europe, football clubs show the greatest interest in sports Analytics. The average Danish or Dutch club can have a whole Department of analysts who help to effectively conduct the work of scouting and promotion of young players.


Bachelor's degree in the profile of "sports Analytics" exists, for example, in Syracuse University, but mostly analysts are trained at the stage of master's degree. A large number of educational programs in sports Analytics operate in the UK. There are additional internships and training programs.
The impetus for the development of Analytics gave the emergence of artificial intelligence, which is being implemented in different spheres of society. In Russia, too, there were startups that provide services in the field of data analysis in sports. One of the leaders in the market of such companies today Opta Sports.
WHERE STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO PRACTICE?
The bases of practices should be professional sports clubs interested in future staff. Now we are negotiating and in the future we plan to cooperate with the flagships of Tatarstan sports: hockey "AK Bars", football "Rubin", volleyball club "Zenit-Kazan" and basketball UNICS. The exchange of knowledge employees as teachers of special subjects help students to quickly master the practical experience, the clubs in preparation to select the strongest among future professionals-graduates.
WHO WILL TEACH SPORTS ANALYTICS?
The main load will be taken by teachers of the Department of physical and mathematical disciplines and information technology, as well as a number of candidates and doctors of science from other departments of the Academy. There will also be invited teachers-practitioners with experience in the field of sports Analytics. In addition, our teachers have yet to undergo an international internship in the relevant educational program this year. This is also a new experience for us.
The Academy has been cooperating with the University of Georgia (USA) and the University of Central Lancashire (UK) for several years. We also have partner universities in Spain, France, Poland and Serbia. We will expand the boundaries of cooperation with these universities in the training of sports analysts. So the prospects are interesting.
Materials sport.business-gazeta.ru