Approximately a dozen AP Statistics students will be participating in an unprecedented extra-credit project merging the Mathematics and Athletics departments.

Students will chart the various plays made throughout the course of each Varsity football game in order to better understand the team’s tendencies, strengths, and weaknesses. By recording information such as how many yards were gained, or whether the ball was run or passed, students can help the football team expand its scope of strategy.

“Coach Forbes and I have often spoken about the interdependence of academic and extracurricular activities,” AP Statistics teacher Troy Thiele said. “This project is really a result of many informal conversations over the years that we have known each other.”

Students can decide the amount of time they are willing to invest for the project, contingent upon their levels of interest in both football and data. As the first official collaboration between the statistics program and a sports team, much of the project is relatively open-ended.

Former football player Allen Huang (12) will be taking part in the project this school year.

“Since I’m not playing I guess I wanted to help the team anyway I could,” Allen said. “It gives a glimpse into professions dealing with sports because I know there are football analysts who use statistics to deal with football and it’s kind of cool to do those things myself”

Data collection is a major component of the assignment. The statistics teachers hope that students will gain critical insight as to how difficult data collection can become.

“Poorly collected data is worthless, so this will be a major learning experience,” Thiele said.

After a sample of data is collected, students will have the opportunity to delve into the actual process of statistics – they will help uncover the football players’ inclinations in an effort to make the team’s plays more unpredictable against opposing schools.

This piece was originally published in the pages of the Winged Post on August 29, 2014.