By Shandana Mufti

CCIS students don’t spend their years of college staring at screens – they figure out how their personal interests intersect with computer science, then follow the path that emerges. For Tejas Bala (BS computer science/mathematics ’19), that means pursuing sports analytics.

And after attending the 10^th MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in March, Tejas says he saw a pathway that would allow him to enter the sports analytics field as a career. Through a series of speakers, panels and workshops, the conference works to create a forum for industry professionals and fans to discuss the role of analytics in sports, according to the conference’s website. Among this year’s speakers were Mike Brown, former head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers; Mark Bechtel, Sports Illustrated NBA editor; and Jared Smith, president of Ticketmaster North America.

“I walked amongst ESPN sportswriters that I have been reading for years, coaches and athletes that I have idolized, and…the smartest minds…that are driving the future of sports analytics,” Tejas wrote in a thank you note to the alum who funded his ticket to the conference. “I attended panels run by current and former players and coaches that talked about how analytics are being used in the locker room [and] speakers that talked about how wearable technology is changing how trainers and medical staff are doing their jobs.”

The panel event that made the biggest impression on Tejas – titled Basketball Analytics: Hack-a-Stat – delved into how the NBA applies advanced statistics and analytics to figure out line-ups and game plans. That panel featured Mike Zarren, assistant general manager of the Boston Celtics; Tom Thibodeau, assistant coach of the US Basketball Men’s National Team; and Brian Scalabrine, a former NBA player and current NBA Analyst for Comcast SportsNet New England.

“It was the first time I really saw a tangible career path to something I just thought of as a pipe dream before,” Tejas says. “It helped me plan to live out a dream.”

Tejas’ conference travel was supported by the Wenzinger Fund.