Careers in Sports and Statistics

The most frequent questions addressed to SIS concern professional careers in sports statistics. While our Section's membership is ardent in their interest in sports statistics, most members reside in academia and industry and sports statistics is not their primary professional concern. In order to provide career guidance, the Section sent a questionnaire to several individuals involved professionally in the sports industry as statisticians. Their responses are provided below (slightly edited only to disguise their identities).

Another view of sports statistics as a profession is provided by Arthur Friedman in his book (with Joel H. Cohen) The World of Sports Statistics (New York: Atheneum, 1978). At the time of writing, Friedman was the official statistician for the New York Mets and New York Rangers. He had also served as statistician for the New York Knicks and New York Jets as well as Monday Night Football.

The views of the respondents vary somewhat with their positions in the sports industry. They all agree that the best way to get a start is to gain experience by performing a sports statistician's role on a voluntary or pro bono basis.

Sports statisticians for teams do not require the academic training of most professional statisticians in statistical theory, models, and applications. Their primary role is as collector/validator of data. Their secondary role is in identifying newsworthy items of statistical interest at the level of exploratory data analysis. Traditional academic training would be of greater value to consultants and data service analysts.

Analyst for Data Collection Service
Analyst responsible for editorial and research content in a data agency's publications and websites.

What are your professional duties as a sports statistician?

Responsible for all editorial material in our publications and on-line sites. Also serve as chief researcher and statistical analyst.

Is your position as a sports statistician a full-time or part-time position?

Full Time

What skills and academic training (e.g. college courses) are valuable to sports statisticians?

  • Math & Computer Courses
  • Statistics Courses
  • Writing Courses

Independent Statistical Consultant
Consultant contracted to produce detailed statistical reports for various teams.

What are your professional duties as a sports statistician?

I am a statistical consultant for three professional teams. In past years, I have worked for other teams in the same capacity. In this role, I produce statistical reports that contain detailed information about players. Some of these reports contain my written analysis of a team's players. The analysis is based largely on the players' stats.

Is your position as a sports statistician a full-time or part-time position?

Part Time

What skills and academic training (e.g. college courses) are valuable to sports statisticians?

Strong math skills and an unyielding interest and enthusiasm for sports.

Team Statistician
Statistician on the staff of a particular sports team.

What are your professional duties as a sports statistician?

The responsibilities of a statistical crew include:

  1. Recording statistics as events happen
  2. Auditing stats with play-by-play
  3. Preparation of final stats for league records
  4. Serves as official scorer for both teams
  5. Computer data entry
  6. Preparation of final and midgame summary reports for the media
  7. Keep up to date on changes in statistical scoring rules
  8. Involvement in resolution of disputed calls

Is your position as a sports statistician a full-time or part-time position?

All of us who compile sports statistics are part-time except possibly for a few persons who perform one or more statistical functions at the game, who work full-time for the team (e.g. computer specialist)

World Tour Statistician
Statistician who reports on and researches design of sports tournaments around the world.

What are your professional duties as a sports statistician?

  1. Enter results from the different tournaments around the world.
  2. Write and process computer programs.
  3. Present statistics to the press.
  4. Research projects to improve the quality of the game and keep the fans interested.

Is your position as a sports statistician a full-time or part-time position?

Fulltime (Work Sundays)

What skills and academic training (e.g. college courses) are valuable to sports statisticians?

  • A combination of knowledge of sports and computers and statistics.
  • Strong communications skills
  • Knowledge of languages
  • Ability to handle stress (work with deadlines)