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Introsports 2022
Welcome
Main schedule
Class policies
Required materials
Field assignments
Assignments and grades
1. Introductions
2. Professionalism
3. Statistics
4. Play-by-play
5. Gamer 1
6. Social media coverage
7. Live gamer
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3. Statistics

Introduction

If plays, players, and personalities are the shiny surface of sports, statistics are the structural steel. You need to be able to identify team and individual performances by the numbers to explain why games turned out the way they did. Oftentimes a game comes down to a single play or sequence of plays. Much like statistics, you need to be able to track play-by-play throughout the game because a play or a run or a rally may become significant only in retrospect. We’ll develop the skills to use both stats and PBP to determine key reasons why games came out the way they did.

Learning objectives: Students will...

Be introduced to fast-paced game coverage
Consider professional conduct in press boxes/press row
Learn to monitor statistics during live game coverage
Produce social media coverage that is fair and impartial without being boring
Analyze statistics and game on deadline
Consider career options in (written) journalism

Assignment specifics

Homework

Lecture 3_1:
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Readings 3_1:
Gisondi chapters 1 and 2
Sections on baseball, basketball, softball
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Blank basketball stat sheet
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(print out several copies of this for class and future homework)
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Quiz 3_1
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Activity 3_1
Watch an NBA game and keep stats on a sheet like the one above. Post a picture of your stat sheet to the 03stats_1 channel for your instructor. In a comment on that picture, explain the key stat that you think determined the outcome of the game.
Compose at least two tweets during the game noting important stats. Hashtag #introsports22 and tag your instructor:
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@ajohnstonsports
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@dorlandoled
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@welchsuggs
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(if you type “#introsports22 @welchsuggs,” your tweet shows up in the Team Suggs Twitter channel on Slack. Same for Team Led and Team Johnston.)
Your tweets MUST have those tags to count for the assignment.
For the news quiz: review current news events, AP style notes for basketball, and comma usage (including the Oxford comma).
Lecture 3_2:
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Activity 3_2: Infographics
Part 1: Looking at
the UGA men’s basketball team’s stats
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, come up with a package of stats for the team as a whole or a particular individual and use Canva to build an infographic around it. Photos can be found on
UGA's smugmug site
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. Post your graphic to the 03stats2 channel for your instructor by Jan. 31.
Part 2: Post a comment comparing your graphic to one of your classmates’ on his or her graphic by Feb. 1.

Field assignment

Prep: Create a Google document with the following information:
Who are the statistical leaders for each team?
Look at the stat leaders and their positions. What are each team’s strengths and weaknesses?
What stat or performance do you think will be key to the outcome?
Share this via DM the night before the game with your instructor.
In-game
Keep stats (2pt, 3pt, Reb, FT, Fouls) on basketball stat sheets and turn in by taking pictures at game’s end.
Social media: Minimum of two stat-focused tweets per half. Hashtag #introsports22 and tag your instructor in one phrase, e.g. #introsports22 @DOrlandoLED
Postgame
At the conclusion of the game, fill out the
stats summary form
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and submit pictures of your stat sheets.
Then, write a short story (300 words) describing the stat that determined the game outcome. Submit it as a Google doc to your instructor by Slack DM within 60 minutes of game ending.
Create an infographic that uses key stats that tell a story from the game. Save as .jpg or get an online link and send by Slack DM to your instructor within 24 hours of the game ending.
Stats module schedule
7
Day
Date
Time
Type
Description
Module
1
Monday
1/24/2022
11:59 PM
Homework
Readings 3_1, Lecture 3_1, Quiz 3_1
Statistics
2
Tuesday
1/25/2022
Normal class time
Class
Statistics 1
Statistics
3
Wednesday
1/26/2022
11:59 PM
Homework
Activity 3_1
Statistics
4
Thursday
1/27/2022
Normal class time
Class
Statistics 2: in-class practice + news quiz 1
Statistics
5
Monday
1/31/2022
11:59 PM
Homework
Lecture 3_2, Activity 3_2 (part 1)
Statistics
6
Tuesday
2/1/2022
Normal class time
Class
Statistics 3: Infographics
Statistics
7
Wednesday
2/2/2022
11:59 PM
Homework
Activity 3_2 (part 2)
Statistics
8
Thursday
2/3/2022
Normal class time
Class
Statistics 4: Review and prep
Statistics
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