Sensei Nick Theodorou – Owner & Founder, Theodorou Academy Deepak Malhotra – Professor, Harvard Business School When it comes to excellence and superior performance in the martial arts, sports, business or any other endeavor, how does one exceed the limits of science and truly become an “artist”? Are experts simply outstanding practitioners of their sport, or do they go beyond “practice” and develop their own philosophies? What are the limits of exceptional technique, and how do you go farther by mastering underlying principles? In a dynamic and wide-ranging conversation on the essence of mastery, Sensei Nick Theodorou (a 35-year practitioner of the martial arts and 6th degree black belt in Jiu Jitsu) and Professor Deepak Malhotra (a Negotiations Professor of 17 years at Harvard Business School and an advisor on deals and conflicts around the world) will discuss what accounts for greatness in the martial arts, in the worlds of negotiation and diplomacy, and in everything from sports to the performing arts to leadership. Come learn as well as participate in a conversation that will enhance your own game, whatever skill or domain you are trying to master.

SSAC

From the Martial Arts to the Art of Negotiation – Sport, Science, Art, or Philosophy?

Mike Leach – Head Football Coach, Washington State UniversityMichael Lewis – Author & Journalist Coach; Author; Innovator; Eccentric; Brilliant; Unconventional. All these and more have been used to describe Mike Leach, who will sit down with bestselling author Michael Lewis for a one-on-one conversation on being arguably the most innovative coach in football history and how he has changed the way the game is played. Coming off an 11-2 season at the helm of the Washington State Cougars football program, Leach will take a moment to reflect on where he’s been, where he’s going, and why he might be the most misunderstood man in college football.

Michael Lewis – Going Deep with Mike Leach – The Most Innovative Mind in Football

Tom Garfinkel – President & CEO, Miami DolphinsAmy Latimer – President, TD GardenBrian Mirakian – Senior Principal & Populous Activate Director, PopulousPete Giorgio – Leader, US Sports Consulting, DeloitteAngela Ruggiero (Moderator) – CEO & Co-Founder, Sports Innovation Lab With increasing options for when, where, and how fans are able to watch their favorite teams play, legacy venues are trying to accommodate newer technologies and comforts to encourage fans to come to live games and engage with their team. Creating a new venue experience offers organizations the opportunity to incorporate state-of-the-art technology, local and gourmet food and beverage options, and more ways for fans to interact with each other and the game itself. But, it is also a long and expensive process. On this panel, executives will discuss how they are redefining the “street to seat” experience to fill their seats and create an unparalleled experience for longtime and new fans alike.

Competing with the Couch: Improving the Venue Experience

Darcy Norman – Performance Coach, US Men’s National Soccer TeamSue Bird – Point Guard, Seattle StormJason Robins – Founder & CEO, DraftKingsPablo Torre – Host, ESPNMike Zarren – Assistant GM & Team Counsel – Boston CelticsMike Maughan – Head of Global Insights, QualtricsStephen J. Dubner (Moderator) – Author & JournalistJason Concepcion (Moderator) – Senior Creative, The Ringer In the age of camera phones and social media, athletes and league officials can hardly do anything without it being captured and reported on. But what about the stories that have been passed along from generation to generation or unnamed source to blogger about people doing seemingly impossible or improbable things? Our panelists will run the numbers to prove or disprove the possibility of a number of famous sports myths and legends that have stuck around despite lack of evidence or unwillingness of participants to discuss. The veracity of those same myths though? That part is up to you. In this panel, Stephen Dubner of Freakonomics and Jason Concepcion from The Ringer will co-host, posing questions that help us separate fact from fiction.

Sports Mythbusting

Sue Bird – Point Guard, Seattle StormSteve Magness – Performance Coach/Author, University of HoustonGeorge Karl – Former NBA Head CoachMatt Mayberry – Chief Operating Officer, Boundless MindTom Haberstroh (Moderator) – NBA Insider, NBC Sports Every league has, at least to some degree, embraced social media outlets like Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook as critical channels to connect fans more closely to the sports they watch. Players view these communities as opportunities to engage with fans, build their personal brands, and control their stories. However, these benefits to the teams and players come with costs. While phones have become inescapable to many of us, this growing obsession could be particularly detrimental in the context of a professional sports team. This panel will discuss the impact social media and phone dependence may have on team performance, ways ill effects can be mitigated, and whether these networks ultimately bring more harm than good.

It’s Complicated: Athlete Relationships with Social Media

Adam Grow – COO, KORE SoftwareScott Tilton – Co-Founder & CEO, HookitJoe Ruggiero – VP, Strategy & Business DevelopmentRahul Kadavakolu – Executive Director of Global Branding & Marketing, RakutenIan Fitzpatrick – Head of Global Content & Digital MarketingWarren Zola (Moderator) – Executive Director, Boston College Chief Executives Club With most aspects of our daily lives featuring advertising or sponsorships of some kind, it is increasingly difficult for brands to quantify and attribute the value that they get out of specific sponsorships. Traditional metrics like sales and clicks have become complicated by both improved technology and bad actors, and the time it takes to see meaningful results can vary widely. With more organizations focusing on data to drive strategic decisions, sports organizations seeking partners need to provide more than simply anecdotal evidence of what brands can stand to gain. This panel will feature discussion of what outcomes matter most to brands, how sports organizations value partnerships, and how more robust data can help inform decisions on both sides of the table regarding who they choose to partner with and in what way.

Scoring Sponsorships: Metrics to Maximize Brand Value (Presented by Hookit)

Zach Lowe – Senior Writer & NBA Columnist, ESPNMike Zarren – Assistant General Manager & Team Counsel, Boston CelticsPaul Pierce – NBA Analyst, ESPNBob Myers – GM & President of Basketball Operations, Golden State WarriorsHoward Beck (Moderator) – Senior Writer, Bleacher Report The game of basketball changes quickly – so in an era of three-point shooting, floor spacing, and versatility, it’s natural to wonder what the next iteration of the game will look like. Forecasting the relative value of future player types will be of the utmost significance for any franchise looking for that one special player to take the next step in their evolution. This panel will examine the ways in which teams are leveraging analytics to answer these questions and address other top-of-mind issues such as lineup optimization, “position-less basketball”, as well as finding and exploiting inefficiencies in an increasingly intelligent NBA.

Basketball Analytics: Hunting for Unicorns

Brian Bilello – President, New England RevolutionKristine Lilly – Former United States Women’s National Soccer Team MemberBen Mackriell – Head of OptaProIsaac Guerrero – Technical Director, FC Barcelona Football SchoolGrant Wahl (Moderator) – Senior Writer, Sports Illustrated As the beautiful game continues to adapt to the rise of analytics, player positions are evolving in accordance with these changes. With the rise of data collection at the back of this impending revolution, new methods of evaluating player value, contracts, and incentives are coming to the forefront. While the game moves away from formal positional roles, teams uncover what skillsets were previously under- or overvalued. As the sport sits at the precipice of thrilling analytical revolution, every element of the sport from training to game strategy stands to change. This panel brings together perspectives from across the sport to discuss the state of the game today and where soccer goes from here.

Soccer Analytics: Shaping the Future of the Game (Presented by OptaPro)

Maryann Turcke – COO, NFLAmy Howe – President of Ticketmaster, North AmericaJessica Gelman – CEO, Kraft Analytics GroupMike Zarren – Assistant GM & Team Counsel, Boston CelticsMichele Steele (Moderator) – Studio Anchor & Reporter, ESPN Traditional management principles need to be revised—data is shaping the way in which best-in-class organizations build teams, drive strategy, maximize revenue, and create culture. What are the challenges in acquiring and analyzing data in sports? How can organizations be best structured to ensure consistency of data across the organization and the ability sift through endless quantities of information to define impactful insights about their businesses? This panel brings together industry leaders who have led, are leading, and are at the forefront of redefining how data can be the heart of decision-making and innovation.

Data is the New Black: Building Data-Driven Organizations

David Epstein – Science Writer & Investigative ReporterMalcolm Gladwell - Author Authors Malcolm Gladwell and David Epstein meet again, five years since their initial 10,000 Hours vs. The Sports Gene talk, to resurface the important and long-standing question of whether nature or nurture determines one’s athletic success. In this one-on-one discussion, Gladwell and Epstein sit down to evaluate what has changed, including Epstein’s latest argument that contrary to popular belief, generalists are the ones who actually succeed in a specialized world.

Making the Modern Athlete: A Conversation with David Epstein and Malcolm Gladwell

Kat Frederick – CMO, TicketmasterJohn Forese – Chief Product & Data Officer, Rakuten IntelligencePortia Archer – VP of Direct to Consumer Services, NBC SportsJennifer Ferron – Chief Marketing Officer, Kraft Sports & EntertainmentCarolyn Tisch Blodgett – Senior VP & Head of Global Brand Marketing, PelotonKristen Bernert (Moderator) – SVP Business Operations, MSG Sports The ability to create and view content on-the-go has changed how fans engage with their favorite teams on game days and beyond. With closer access and more real-time insights, the amount of data available to personalize and customize the fan experience has evolved as quickly as the emerging technologies giving teams, media companies, partners, and brands unparalleled consumer insights. Learn how companies are broadening their content offerings and define how best to engage an audience accustomed to microtargeted suggestions and on-demand experiences. This panel will explore how companies are differentiating themselves through their content offerings, fostering customer loyalty, and using a growing fan desire to be continuously engaged to generate revenue, subscriptions, and sales.

Direct-to-Consumer: Disrupting & Engaging Today’s Sports Fans (Presented by Rakuten)

Kevin Demoff – COO & EVP of Football Operations, Los Angeles RamsWarren Sharp – Founder, Sharp Football Analysis & Sharp Football StatsKarim Kassam – Analytics Coordinator, Pittsburgh SteelersMina Kimes (Moderator) – Senior Writer & Columnist, ESPN Football is rapidly shedding its reputation for being slow in the uptake and application of advanced analytics, as today’s teams are more readily harnessing the power of data to inform their decision making. Hear from some of the brightest minds in the game as they tackle today’s most pressing topics, including how newly available league-wide tracking data is shaping in-game strategy and team building, what mechanisms are being put in place by teams to handle today’s onslaught of information flow, and of course debate over which stats matter most for player evaluation in the modern game.

Metrics are the Mike: Football Analytics

Nicole Pike – Global Managing Director, Nielsen EsportsSebastian Park – Vice President of Esports, Clutch GamingDoug Watson – Head of Esports Insights, Riot GamesKasra Jafroodi – Senior Business Analyst, Strategy & Analytics, Activision BlizzardEd Chang – Director of Business Strategy, EARyan Garfat (Moderator) – Senior Editor – Esports, ESPN A multitude of esports leagues and tournaments are thriving globally across various blockbuster games. With the start of another exciting year for the esports industry, sponsorship, marketing, and activation agreements with the leading games continue to grow. Getting visibility into the performance and ROI of these partnerships isn’t always simple. Esports leagues and teams navigate performance metrics in unique ways in the online digital space – coming up with creative, but fair methods of measuring value and league health. In this panel, industry thought leaders will shine a light on how esports league work with sponsorship partners to generate insights, establish trust, and help brands find the best opportunities to engage with fans.

Achievement Unlocked: Esports Analytics

Larry Fitzgerald – Wide Receiver, Arizona CardinalsJeanie Buss – Owner, Los Angeles LakersAdam Hansmann – Founder, The AthleticKatie Nolan – Host, ESPNJack McCallum (Moderator) – Special Contributor, Sports Illustrated Until recently, athletes were completely reliant on journalists to communicate with fans, and consequently their stories were told through someone else’s lens. Today, the media landscape has fundamentally shifted. Athletes own and curate their image, leading to many channels of direct interaction and unprecedented proximity to fans. A number of athletes have clearly reaped the benefits, making their personalities and the work they do on and off the field more visible than ever. However, it is not just the good side that has become more visible, and the absence of the media’s filter has led to regretful mistakes and miscommunication. While athletes today have more ways to tell their own stories, does that replace the role of traditional sports media? This panel brings together the pioneers of this movement and those that leverage the new paradigm to its fullest.

Do Athletes Need the Media?

Patrick Lucey – Vice President of Artificial Intelligence, STATSKirk Goldsberry – NBA Analyst, ESPNRachel Marty Pyke – Data Scientist, Noah BasketballChris Capuano – Former MLB PitcherShira Springer (Moderator) – Sports and Society Reporter, NPR & WBUR Player tracking technologies in the past decade have provided information that was once unattainable—the distance and speed a player runs in a game, effectiveness against certain defenders, the game situations which are most likely to produce a fast break, and so much more. As the technologies behind player tracking improve, much more information can now be captured: the skeleton of every player in every frame; tracking data for every college or high-school game; or data from historical games (e.g. comparing the performance of Jordan, Gretzky or Maradonna against the current greats). What does this evolving category of information mean for sports? How can teams, leagues, media and fans benefit from the next generation and scale of data being captured? This panel brings together thought leaders across sports and the tracking-data space to discuss these questions and explore the implications of this rapidly expanding industry.

Unlocking Potential: The Next Generation of Tracking Data (Presented by STATS)

The official podcast channel of the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference

hubhopper

SSAC

hubhopper