Everyone should have a mentor to help them see the world differently. My mentor is a retired professor from the United States Military Academy.
After many years of watching him demonstrate the use and applications of mathematics in other disciplines, including sports, I learned a few things.
Eventually, I initiated a project with calculus students, requiring them to build a math model to compare former Oakland Raiders wide receivers. The paper that the students wrote gained a lot of attention. It was published in a West Point newsletter, edited by Don Small.
Since our effort, there has been a national day of awareness of mathematics and sports in 2009. I learned that one professor is active in a major project in the state of Maryland in which middle school teachers are being encouraged to teach topics including sports and mathematics. She discussed a little football with me at a recent math conference in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Since 2007, I have focused on discussing and analyzing NFL data, especially focused on the data for the Oakland Raiders.
I must add that the...
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