MSU
Sports Analytics Certificate

Resources

Program Voices, Tools, & Guidelines

Resources for MSU Sports Analytics Certificate students — data sources, organizations, mentoring, and program policies.

Data Resources Datasets, APIs & Packages for Sports Analytics

A curated starting point for finding sports data. Whether you’re building a class project or exploring a research question, these sources cover the major North American sports leagues and beyond.

Public Data & Reference Sites

Free, browser-accessible statistics and historical data — no API key required.

APIs & Data Providers

Programmatic access to sports data, ranging from free tiers to professional subscriptions.

  • Sportradar — official data partner for NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, and more; academic access available
  • StatsBomb — high-resolution soccer event data; free open data available for select competitions
  • Opta / Stats Perform — event-level data across soccer, American football, basketball, and cricket
  • SportsDataIO — multi-sport API with a free developer tier
  • The Sports DB — open, community-built sports database with a free API

R Packages

Install via install.packages().

  • nflfastR — play-by-play NFL data with expected points and win probability models
  • nflreadr — fast loading of nflverse data including rosters, contracts, and combine results
  • baseballr — scraping tools for Baseball Reference, FanGraphs, and Statcast (Baseball Savant)
  • hoopR — NBA and men’s college basketball play-by-play via ESPN and NBA Stats API
  • wehoop — WNBA and women’s college basketball data
  • worldfootballR — soccer data from FBref, Transfermarkt, and Understat
  • fastRhockey — NHL and PHF play-by-play data
  • sportyR (also available in Python) — draw scale versions of playing surfaces via ggplot2
  • MSUthemes (also available in Python) — The MSUthemes package provides colour palettes and themes for Michigan State University (MSU) and comprehensive colour support for all Big Ten Conference institutions

Python Packages

Install via pip install <package>.

General Data Repositories

Broader repositories that include sports datasets alongside other domains.

  • Kaggle Datasets — search “sports” for community-shared datasets across many sports
  • Harvard Dataverse — peer-reviewed research data deposits, including sports science studies
  • GitHub — many researchers publish cleaned datasets and scraping scripts publicly; search sports analytics data
Sports Analytics Organizations Communities & Conferences to Get Involved In

Getting involved in the sports analytics community accelerates career growth, keeps you current with the field, and builds the network that opens doors. These are the organizations and events worth knowing.

Professional Organizations

Flagship Conferences

Online Communities

  • Reddit: r/sportsanalytics — general discussion, project sharing, and career questions
  • Open Source Sports — GitHub organization aggregating open sports data projects
  • Slack & Discord communities — many sport-specific analytics communities (e.g., nflverse, StatsBomb) maintain active Slack or Discord servers for package users and contributors

Job Boards & Career Resources

  • TeamWork Online — the primary job board for sports industry positions, including analytics and data science roles
  • Sports Business Journal Jobs — broader sports industry postings with analytics roles
  • LinkedIn — follow team analytics departments and front-office staff directly; many positions are posted here before anywhere else
Code of Conduct Our Commitment to an Inclusive Community

The MSU Sports Analytics Certificate adopts the Contributor Covenant Code of Conduct v3.0 to ensure our learning environment supports all students regardless of background, identity, or experience level.

Our Pledge

We pledge to make our community welcoming, safe, and equitable for all.

We are committed to fostering an environment that respects and promotes the dignity, rights, and contributions of all individuals, regardless of characteristics including race, ethnicity, caste, color, age, physical characteristics, neurodiversity, disability, sex or gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, language, philosophy or religion, national or social origin, socio-economic position, level of education, or other status. The same privileges of participation are extended to everyone who participates in good faith and in accordance with this Covenant.

Encouraged Behaviors

While acknowledging differences in social norms, we all strive to meet our community’s expectations for positive behavior. We also understand that our words and actions may be interpreted differently than we intend based on culture, background, or native language.

With these considerations in mind, we agree to behave mindfully toward each other and act in ways that center our shared values, including:

  1. Respecting the purpose of our community, our activities, and our ways of gathering.
  2. Engaging kindly and honestly with others.
  3. Respecting different viewpoints and experiences.
  4. Taking responsibility for our actions and contributions.
  5. Gracefully giving and accepting constructive feedback.
  6. Committing to repairing harm when it occurs.
  7. Behaving in other ways that promote and sustain the well-being of our community.

Restricted Behaviors

We agree to restrict the following behaviors in our community. Instances, threats, and promotion of these behaviors are violations of this Code of Conduct.

  1. Harassment. Violating explicitly expressed boundaries or engaging in unnecessary personal attention after any clear request to stop.
  2. Character attacks. Making insulting, demeaning, or pejorative comments directed at a community member or group of people.
  3. Stereotyping or discrimination. Characterizing anyone’s personality or behavior on the basis of immutable identities or traits.
  4. Sexualization. Behaving in a way that would generally be considered inappropriately intimate in the context or purpose of the community.
  5. Violating confidentiality. Sharing or acting on someone’s personal or private information without their permission.
  6. Endangerment. Causing, encouraging, or threatening violence or other harm toward any person or group.
  7. Behaving in other ways that threaten the well-being of our community.

Other Restrictions

  1. Misleading identity. Impersonating someone else for any reason, or pretending to be someone else to evade enforcement actions.
  2. Failing to credit sources. Not properly crediting the sources of content you contribute.
  3. Promotional materials. Sharing marketing or other commercial content in a way that is outside the norms of the community.
  4. Irresponsible communication. Failing to responsibly present content which includes, links or describes any other restricted behaviors.

Reporting an Issue

Tensions can occur between community members even when they are trying their best to collaborate. Not every conflict represents a code of conduct violation, and this Code of Conduct reinforces encouraged behaviors and norms that can help avoid conflicts and minimize harm.

When an incident does occur, it is important to report it promptly. To report a possible violation, please contact Emilio Xavier Esposito.

Community Moderators take reports of violations seriously and will make every effort to respond in a timely manner. They will investigate all reports of code of conduct violations, reviewing messages, logs, and recordings, or interviewing witnesses and other participants. Community Moderators will keep investigation and enforcement actions as transparent as possible while prioritizing safety and confidentiality. In order to honor these values, enforcement actions are carried out in private with the involved parties, but communicating to the whole community may be part of a mutually agreed upon resolution.

Addressing and Repairing Harm

If an investigation by the Community Moderators finds that this Code of Conduct has been violated, the following enforcement ladder may be used to determine how best to repair harm, based on the incident’s impact on the individuals involved and the community as a whole. Depending on the severity of a violation, lower rungs on the ladder may be skipped. This process aligns with the MSU Student Rights and Responsibilities (SRR); serious or repeated violations may be referred to the MSU Office of Student Support & Accountability (OSSA) for formal university-level adjudication.

  1. Warning
    • Event: A violation involving a single incident or series of incidents.
    • Consequence: A private, written warning from the Community Moderators, expressing disapproval of the behavior and notifying the individual that it must not recur.
    • Repair: Examples of repair include a private written apology, acknowledgement of responsibility, and seeking clarification on expectations.
  2. Probation
    • Event: A repeated incidence of a violation that previously resulted in a warning, or the first incidence of a more serious violation.
    • Consequence: A written probationary notice establishing a defined observation period during which any additional violations may result in more severe action. The notice will specify the duration and any stipulations, which may include restitution, completion of an educational activity, or loss of specified program privileges. This aligns with the MSU SRR definition of Probation.
    • Repair: Examples of repair include fulfilling any stated stipulations, using the probationary period to reflect on actions and their impact, and demonstrating a return to good standing within the community.
  3. Suspension from the Program
    • Event: A pattern of repeated violations that Community Moderators have attempted to address through warnings or probation, or a single serious violation.
    • Consequence: Temporary removal from program activities, communications, and community spaces for a defined period, at the conclusion of which the individual is eligible to rejoin the program. The suspension may be conditional, requiring the individual to fulfill stated conditions before returning. Cases of this severity will be coordinated with the MSU Office of Student Support & Accountability (OSSA) in accordance with the MSU SRR.
    • Repair: Examples of repair include respecting the spirit of the suspension, meeting any specified conditions for return, and being thoughtful about how to reintegrate with the community when the suspension is lifted.
  4. Dismissal from the Program
    • Event: A pattern of repeated code of conduct violations that other steps on the ladder have failed to resolve, or a violation so serious that the Community Moderators determine there is no way to maintain community safety with this person as a member.
    • Consequence: Permanent removal from the MSU Sports Analytics Certificate program, including access to all program spaces, tools, and communication channels. Cases of this severity will be referred to the MSU Office of Student Support & Accountability (OSSA) for potential university-level action, which may include Dismissal from the University under the MSU SRR.
    • Repair: There is no possible repair in cases of this severity.

This enforcement ladder is intended as a guideline. It does not limit the ability of Community Moderators to use their discretion and judgment, in keeping with the best interests of our community.

Scope

This Code of Conduct applies within all community spaces, and also applies when an individual is officially representing the community in public or other spaces. Examples of representing our community include using an official email address, posting via an official social media account, or acting as an appointed representative at an online or offline event.

Attribution

This Code of Conduct is adapted from the Contributor Covenant, version 3.0, permanently available at https://www.contributor-covenant.org/version/3/0/.

Contributor Covenant is stewarded by the Organization for Ethical Source and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

For answers to common questions about Contributor Covenant, see the FAQ at https://www.contributor-covenant.org/faq. Translations are provided at https://www.contributor-covenant.org/translations. Additional enforcement and community guideline resources can be found at https://www.contributor-covenant.org/resources. The enforcement ladder was inspired by the work of Mozilla’s code of conduct team.

Questions about this code? Contact Emilio Xavier Esposito

Mentoring Guide How to Get the Most From Our Instructors

Adapted from “How I Like to be Mentored” by Emilio Xavier Esposito. Used with permission.

The most successful learning relationships aren’t just technically proficient — they’re built on foundations of mutual understanding and intentional mentorship. Misaligned expectations and communication styles create unnecessary friction in otherwise talented teams. This guide helps you address that up front.

By investing 30 minutes in structured self-reflection, you can prevent miscommunication and accelerate your growth in the program. There are no right or wrong answers. Use this as a starting point for conversation, not a form to submit.

Why This Matters to You

Everyone in the program should work through these questions to gain a deeper understanding of themselves. Even if you don’t share the results with others, the self-reflection helps you see how external events and interactions shape your experience. You may also find it easier to ask an instructor for help or explain your preferences when you’ve already thought them through.

How I Like to be Mentored

The questions below are grouped to make it easier to complete in stages, and to help instructors quickly reference specific aspects of your working relationship. The grouping is intentional:

  • Progressive depth — starts with big-picture goals, moves to personal attributes, then tactical preferences, and finally addresses more vulnerable topics
  • Logical grouping — related questions are together (e.g., all timing preferences in one place)
  • Psychological safety — more sensitive questions come after establishing context
  • Actionable structure — each section produces specific insights your instructor can act on

Foundation & Goals

Understanding our partnership and aspirations.

  1. I want our working relationship to be…
  2. Areas where I’m seeking growth and support include…
  3. My top five priorities in life are…
  4. I expect that this experience will affect my career goals by…
  5. I envision success for myself within the next 6 months to 1 year as…

Strengths & Growth Areas

Leveraging what works and developing what doesn’t.

  1. My top three strengths are…
  2. Areas where I’m actively working to improve include…
  3. I want to learn [these specific skills, soft and technical] from you, and here is why…
  4. I can help you learn more about…
  5. I am enthusiastic and get excited about this/these aspect(s) of analytics and the work I do…

Working Style & Preferences

Optimizing our collaboration patterns.

  1. I like to work in [this type of working environment], and this is why…
  2. How comfortable are you with ambiguity on a scale of 1–10?
  3. My preferred learning style is… (select all that apply: visual | hands-on | reading | discussion)
  4. My preferred communication mode is…
  5. I prefer to have one-on-one meetings during the (select all that apply: morning | after lunch | afternoon)
  6. I prefer to have group or technical meetings during the (select all that apply: morning | after lunch | afternoon)
  7. I prefer to perform administrative tasks during the (select all that apply: early morning | mid-morning | late morning | after lunch | afternoon | evening | night)
  8. I prefer to work on projects during the (select all that apply: early morning | mid-morning | late morning | after lunch | afternoon | evening | night)

Support & Communication

Building psychological safety and effective feedback loops.

  1. When receiving feedback, I prefer… (frequency, format, setting)
  2. When I need technical help, I usually…
  3. When I need emotional support, I usually…
  4. When I’m frustrated or facing challenges, I typically…
  5. When I am stressed, I usually…
  6. When approaching me about a concern, I want you to…
  7. The best way to approach me with a concern regarding my work is…
  8. The best way to approach me with a concern regarding my actions is…
  9. I tend to approach others with a concern in the following manner…

Additional Context

Anything else I think is important to share:

Credits: This guide is adapted from the How I Like to be Supervised framework originally created by Campus Inclusion and Community at Northwestern University (source), expanded by Emilio Xavier Esposito for analytics team contexts, and further adapted here for the MSU Sports Analytics Certificate program.

Questions about this guide? Contact Emilio Xavier Esposito