555: Sports Analytics and 66 Days of Data with Ken Jee
Mar 8, 2022
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Data scientist and YouTuber Ken Jee discusses sports analytics, 66 Days of Data challenge, favorite software tools, and the impact of sports analytics on golf. He also shares insights on starting a data science journey and launching his podcast, Ken's Nearest Neighbors.
Sports analytics can transform sports like golf through data analysis.
The '66 Days of Data' challenge promotes consistent learning habits in data science.
Ken's Nearest Neighbors podcast facilitates meaningful conversations to share valuable insights and perspectives.
Deep dives
Ken G's Role in Sports Analytics
Ken G, the Head of Data Science at Scouts Consulting Group, specializes in sports analytics. He focuses on improving athletes' and teams' performance by analyzing data collected on them. Ken details his work with the US Ryder Cup team, where data analysis influences player selections, strategy decisions, and evaluating performance.
Learning in Data Science and YouTube Content Creation
Ken G emphasizes the importance of meta-learning in data science, understanding the field, and learning programming as initial steps. He encourages reviewing and expanding on others' projects before diving into independent projects. Ken's YouTube content creation reflects practical advice, project walkthroughs, and unique challenges to engage learners and improve understanding.
The Impact of 66 Days of Data and Learning Habits
Ken G introduced the '66 Days of Data' hashtag to promote consistent learning habits in data science. Inspired by James Clear's 'Atomic Habits', the concept focuses on habit-building over a 66-day period to create sustainable learning routines. By habitualizing learning, individuals can navigate the vast data science landscape with regular, manageable study patterns.
66 Days of Data Science Habit Formation
Creating habits in data science is emphasized through the '66 Days of Data Science' challenge. Participants commit to learning data science for at least five minutes each day for 66 days, followed by sharing their learnings on social platforms. This initiative fosters accountability within a community setting, motivates individuals by showcasing their progress over time, and aids in overcoming the fear of consistently posting and sharing, thereby building a strong track record of learning and growth.
Podcast Creation and Human Connection
The podcast 'Ken's Nearest Neighbors' is highlighted as a means of establishing human connections and meaningful conversations, facilitating a deeper understanding of personal and professional journeys. The podcast serves as a platform to engage in structured, insightful discussions with guests, offering listeners the opportunity to glean valuable insights and perspectives. Ken's motivation behind podcasting lies in the profound connections forged through meaningful dialogues and the ability to share these enriching experiences with a wider audience, creating a mutually beneficial platform for intellectual exchange and growth.
Data scientist and Youtuber Ken Jee joins Jon Krohn for a deep dive into the world of sports analytics and brings us behind the makings of his large, online data science community.
In this episode you will learn:
The inspiration behind Ken’s YouTube videos [18:03]
Ken’s four steps for getting started in data science [24:18]
How sports analytics is transforming sports like golf [33:32]
Ken’s favorite tools for software scripting as well as for production code development [41:10]
How the #66DaysofData hashtag can supercharge your capacity as a data scientist [42:51]
Ken’s data science podcast Ken’s Nearest Neighbors [54:11]
