Moneyball Academy: Training Camp FLEX
Developed by Wharton Professor Adi Wyner and the Wharton Sports Analytics and Business Initiative, Moneyball Academy: Training Camp FLEX is a five-week, online introduction to statistics and coding. Designed with busy students in mind, the virtual platform includes flexible, asynchronous learning modules that allow students to progress through the course content on their own schedule, while live interactions with instructors, guest speakers, and Teaching Assistants allow students to build connections to peers and across industry.
Overview
Developed by Wharton Professor Adi Wyner and the Wharton Sports Analytics and Business Initiative, Moneyball Academy: Training Camp FLEX is a four-week online program which introduces statistics and coding through a sports lens. The program serves as an entrée into the sports statistics world as it is not heavily focused on computing, but the fundamental principles of sports statistics.
The program welcomes talented students intrigued by statistics, though no formal background in statistics is required. However, applicants should have strong math skills and an interest in sports.
By the end of the program, students will better understand sports analyses in articles they may read and will create their own sports analysis project. Students will also learn basics in how to read and write code in R, the advanced statistical programming language used by professional statisticians.
Students participating in this program will have:
- Live contact with Professor Wyner
- Access to Teaching Assistants and office hours with Penn undergraduates
- Optional live guest lectures in conjunction with Moneyball Academy and Moneyball Academy: Training Camp
- An opportunity for select students to publish in the Sports Analytics Student Research Journal
Following the completion of the Moneyball Academy: Training Camp FLEX, students may go on to apply for the next session of the three-week Moneyball Academy for a deeper dive into sports analytics.
All participants who successfully complete the program will earn a Wharton Global Youth Certificate of Completion.
Schedule
Each day is going to look a little different. There will be frequent live checkpoints on the weekends, while the weekdays will be self-paced with suggested timelines to complete learning modules. Students are encouraged to complete several modules per week. Each module is over an hour long and coding can take extra time for practice. Students must complete all learning modules and quizzes, as well as participate in small group meetings to contribute towards their final project and ultimately earn the certificate of completion.
The preliminary schedule below may be used for planning purposes, though may be subject to change. All live events will be recorded and made available to participants through their Canvas course site.
Live Meeting Schedule (Time Zone: EST)
Week 1: Sunday, June 23 – Saturday, June 29, 2024
Sunday, June 23
12:30pm – 2:30pm
- REQUIRED Meeting:
Program Welcome, Canvas Orientation, and Meet Your TA
4:00pm – 6:00pm
- OPTIONAL Office Hours/TA Check-ins
Tuesday, June 25
1:30pm – 2:30pm
- OPTIONAL Guest Speaker (TC)
6:00pm – 8:00pm
- OPTIONAL Office Hours
Wednesday, June 26
1:30pm – 2:30pm
- OPTIONAL Guest Speaker (TC)
Thursday, June 27
1:30pm – 2:30pm
- OPTIONAL Guest Speaker (TC)
6:00pm – 8:00pm
- OPTIONAL Office Hours
Week 2: Sunday, June 30 – Saturday, July 6, 2024
Please note that the students have no responsibilities/check ins due to Independence Day but are welcome to move along in the program.
Week 3: Sunday, July 7 – Saturday, July 13, 2024
Sunday, July 7
4:00pm – 6:00pm
- OPTIONAL Weekly TA Check-ins
Monday, July 8
6:00pm – 8:00pm
- OPTIONAL Meet with TA
Tuesday, July 9
1:30pm – 2:30pm
- OPTIONAL Guest Speaker (MBA)
6:00pm – 8:00pm
- OPTIONAL Office Hours
Wednesday, July 10
1:30pm – 2:30pm
- OPTIONAL Guest Speaker (MBA)
Thursday, July 11
1:30pm – 2:30pm
- OPTIONAL Guest Speaker (MBA)
7:00pm – 8:00pm
- OPTIONAL Creating Hypothesis Example Projects
Friday, July 12
6:00pm – 8:00pm
- OPTIONAL Office Hours
Week 4: Sunday, July 14 – Saturday, July 20, 2024
Sunday, July 14
4:00pm – 6:00pm
- OPTIONAL Weekly TA Check-ins
Monday, July 15
1:30pm – 2:30pm
- OPTIONAL Guest Speaker (MBA)
Tuesday, July 16
1:30pm – 2:30pm
- OPTIONAL Guest Speaker (MBA)
6:00pm – 8:00pm
- OPTIONAL Office Hours
Wednesday, July 17
1:30pm – 2:30pm
- OPTIONAL Guest Speaker (MBA)
Thursday, July 18
7:00pm – 8:00pm
- OPTIONAL BUT HIGHLY ENCOURAGED Creating a hypothesis and open Discussion with Adi
Friday, July 19
1:30pm – 2:30pm
- OPTIONAL Guest Speaker (MBA)
6:00pm – 8:00pm
- OPTIONAL Office Hours
Week 5: Sunday, July 21 – Saturday, July 28, 2024
Sunday, July 21
4:00pm – 6:00pm
- OPTIONAL Weekly TA Check-ins
Monday, July 22
1:30pm – 2:30pm
- OPTIONAL Guest Speaker (MBA)
Tuesday, July 23
1:30pm – 2:30pm
- OPTIONAL Guest Speaker (MBA)
6:00pm – 8:00pm
- OPTIONAL Office Hours
Wednesday, July 24
1:30pm – 2:30pm
- OPTIONAL Guest Speaker (MBA)
Thursday, July 25
6:00pm – 8:00pm
- OPTIONAL Office Hours
Saturday, July 27
6:00pm – 8:00pm
- OPTIONAL Office Hours
Sunday, July 28
3:00pm – 5:00pm
- REQUIRED Final Project Presentations / Wrap Up
*Office Hours are subject to change.
All programming originates from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (Eastern Daylight Time)
Requirements
Technical Requirements
In order to fully participate in this course, you will need a computer that meets minimum system requirements for both Canvas LMS and Zoom Videoconferencing. Refer to the following links:
Eligibility
High school students currently enrolled in grades 9–12 with strong math skills and an interest in sports. International applicants are welcome.
Admission
Admission to Moneyball Training Camp FLEX is selective. Selections are based on a record of academic excellence and a genuine interest in statistics and coding.
Please note that participation in Wharton's Moneyball Training Camp FLEX does not guarantee admission into Penn.
Time Commitment
Self-directed (with TA support)
-
- Statistics Modules: 8½ hours (lecture videos, text description and glossary, quizzes, data applications)
- R Coding Platform: 6½ hours
- Coding videos: 1½ hour
- Coding problem sets: 5 hours (coding text book, lecture videos, text description and glossary, quizzes, coding assignments and solutions)
Live full classes sessions (fixed times)
-
- Live sessions with Prof. Wyner: 4 hours
- Guest lecturers / industry expert: 3 hours
Project Team Live meetings (flexibly scheduled)
-
- Team projects: 5-10 hours
Total expected time: 22-30 hours
Instructional Team
Faculty Leader: Adi Wyner
Professor Wyner received his Bachelors degrees in Mathematics from Yale University, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude with distinction in his major. He was the recipient of the Stanley Prize for excellence in Mathematics. His PhD in Statistics is from Stanford University, where he won a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship, the Abrams Prize and the Herz Foundation fellowship. After graduating from Stanford, he received the NSF post-graduate fellowship and a visiting Professorship at the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Wyner has been a Professor of Statistics at the Wharton School of Business for the last 11 years. He is a tenured Professor and the Chair of the Undergraduate Program in Statistics and Data Science for the University of Pennsylvania.
Teaching Assistants
Teaching Assistants consist of both undergraduate and graduate students from the University of Pennsylvania. TAs facilitate small-group discussions, ensure student understanding, assist with final project development, and hold office hours to answer student questions and share their Penn and Wharton experiences.
FAQs
What is the difference between Moneyball Training Camp and Moneyball Training Camp FLEX?
Moneyball Training Camp is a one-week, synchronous, online program hosted over the summer, while the Moneyball Training Camp FLEX program is a flexible online program that allows students to work asynchronously at their own pace. Students in Flex are learning the same material as the live summer program just over a longer time frame. Although the FLEX program is not live, it does incorporate live check-ins to ensure students are on track to complete the program.
I heard that Moneyball is known for amazing guest speakers from the best teams in sports. Is this true?
Moneyball has amazing guest speakers that are experts in Sports Analytics. FLEX may feature live sessions with industry leaders and will provide access to previously recorded content from Moneyball programs.
What does the daily schedule look like?
Each day is going to look a little different. There will be frequent live checkpoints on the weekends, while the weekdays will be self-paced with suggested timelines to complete learning modules. Students are expected to complete several modules per week. Each module is over an hour long and coding can take extra time for practice. See a detailed schedule in the Schedule tab.
Will i have the chance to meet other students with interests similar to mine?
Yes! Program participants will be broken into small groups with students who have similar interests to collaborate on a sports data project. Participants are encouraged to meet with their group members throughout the program. There will also be mandatory meetings as a team with an assigned Teaching Assistant.
Dates
- Jun 23 - Jul 28, 2024
Location
Online
Application Deadlines
Final deadline:
June 1, 2024
Additional Info
Contact
For more information, please contact whartonyouth@wharton.upenn.edu or call +1.516.414.5555.