Eric Choi, COL & SEAS ’24, Hoover, AL
This summer, I had the opportunity to work as a research assistant for the Wharton Analytics Sports Research Lab under the guidance of Professor Adi Wyner and doctoral mentor Ryan Brill. Throughout this program, I conducted research within the sport of soccer, attempting to recreate an expected goals (xG) model, and served as a teaching assistant for both Moneyball Training Camp and Moneyball Academy. With the help of Career Services funding, I was able to explore sports data sets as well as further statistical understandings and what it means to be an applied statistician/data analyst.
The summer research facet of my program was centered around an immersive exploration of soccer data, generously provided by both the MLS and the Philadelphia Union. This repository spanned an impressive 2 terabytes, encompassing thousands of rows and columns, which demanded cleaning and thorough analysis. I was tasked with the reconstruction of an xG goals model, employing advanced machine learning techniques taught by my doctoral mentor. The initial phase was marked by data cleansing, a process that unraveled the subtleties and meanings embedded within the data, not as immediately apparent as anticipated. Subsequently, I used logistic regression, drawing upon an array of provided variables alongside those I created, including metrics like distance-to-goal and angle. The methods used also featured the application of a random forest model, which was the optimal contender for the xG model.
Engaging in the program’s second half provided me with the invaluable opportunity to be a teaching assistant. In this role, my focus was on guiding high school students, whose curiosity was drawn to the intersection of data analytics and sports. As their TA, I undertook the responsibility of helping with coding lectures/homework, overseeing assignments, and providing steadfast support as they navigated their final projects—a promising chance for their work to be published in the Wharton Sports Research Journal.
This immersive experience also allowed me to see a more panoramic view of diverse careers within the sports realm. This was made possible through engaging talks by guest speakers from a spectrum of sporting disciplines, spanning soccer, gambling, and even horse betting. The research lab also took me to prominent sports facilities in the Philadelphia vicinity, including the 76ers’ training center and the Phillies’ baseball field, which not only fascinated me but also revealed the existence of careers in sports that I was unaware of.
Overall, I am so grateful to have gotten to participate in this research lab with the best mentors and team. It was only through Career Services funding that I was able to learn more about this field of research. Into the school year I will continue my research under the guidance of my mentors, and I hope to continue using the knowledge I attained from this summer to further my career in this field.
This is part of a series of posts by recipients of the 2023 Career Services Summer Funding Grant. We’ve asked funding recipients to reflect on their summer experiences and talk about the industries in which they spent their summer. You can read the entire series here
