Charlie Logan has been passionate about sports for as long as he can remember. That’s why joining the University of Michigan School of Information has felt like a dream come true. At UMSI, Charlie has been able to fuse his love of sports and information into one field: sports analytics.
Through a partnership with Michigan Athletics and UMSI, Bachelor of Science in Information senior Charlie has taken advantage of unique opportunities to work with U-M’s basketball and baseball teams, helping them optimize their game play through data.
“The most powerful thing I’ve seen data do is provide context,” Charlie says. “We can watch a sport and analyze what happens on the field or on the court. And if we can go into the data, we can further explain what’s happening and see if we can replicate outcomes.”
Most recently, Charlie had the chance to compete in the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Hackathon, a weekend-long event that brings together industry professionals, lead researchers and students to discuss the increasing role of sports analytics in the global sports industry.
During the event, students are provided a data set and a challenge to solve with the help of industry professionals. This year, the 2022 hackathon was sponsored by ESPN and the National Hockey League.
“It was really cool,” Charlie says. “I didn’t expect to win. I just went in hoping to learn new things and meet new people.”
Charlie describes the event as “intense” and a culmination of everything he’s learned at UMSI through projects, classes and internships.
“I think my favorite thing about UMSI is that everybody has their own passions in different areas, but UMSI brings us all together with a way of thinking about and solving problems,” Charlie says.
Though he graduates in two months, Charlie is excited to continue exploring the world of sports analytics and testing his skills in new ways. He’s looking forward to beginning an internship with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
As his undergraduate experience ends, Charlie offers one piece of advice for current and future students.
‘“Try to get involved as much as you can,” he says. “What UMSI does best is exposing you to people and professors who are dedicated to their areas of research and are deeply passionate.”
Learn about the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference here.
