The Role of Databases in Sport Science: Current Practice and Future Potential

Databases with the tools for capture, storage, management, retrieval, integration, analysis, interpretation, reporting, and dissemination have the potential to be the single most powerful tools in sport science. Knowing how to collect, store, access, retrieve, and integrate information is critical to effective performance analysis and decision-making. Databases should form the underlying foundation of most other tools used in sport science as they provide the structure and access to the information that is the catalyst for most other applications. As the development of resources become more integrated, the value of databases increases and their role in system design becomes essential. This includes the ability to retrieve previous data for comparison with new performance and the use of data to highlight issues for deliberation. Databases are also useful as multimedia repositories of sports information. Sport involves human movement. This can be quantified with numerical data, graphics, and audio/video recordings. Multimedia resources in this context are exceptionally valuable, especially if the information can be accessed via creative interfaces that provide timely and efficient information that is tailored to each individual’s unique requirements. This paper discusses the nature of databases, the role of databases in sport science including design considerations, issues of integration, examples, and future potential. Understanding Databases A database, by definition, is an integrated collection of logically related records or files consolidated into a common pool that provides data for one or multiple uses. At the simplest level, creation of a spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel constitutes a database. At a more advanced level, databases can be complex and customized systems that capture, store, retrieve, interpret, report, and disseminate information. Databases form the underlying foundation of most other tools used in sport science as they provide structure and accessibility to data that is the catalyst for many other applications. This structure and access allows the user to retrieve previous data for comparison with new performance information or allows him or her to use data that highlights issues for deliberation. Sport involves human movement that can be quantified with numerical data, graphics, and audio/video recordings. Multimedia resources in this context are exceptionally valuable, especially, if the information is accessed through creative interfaces that provide timely and efficient information tailored to an individual’s unique requirements. As the development of these information resources becomes more integrated, the value of databases increase. A database is essentially a collection of interrelated data of different types. Databases for the International Journal of Computer Science in Sport – Volume 8/Edition 2 www.iacss.org 51 storage and retrieval of information have been very popular in the field of Epidemiology (the study of the factors that affect health and wellness in a population). An example of such a database is the Injury Surveillance System (ISS) that is maintained by the National Collegiate Athletic Association in the United States (NCAA) (Dick, Agel, & Marshall, 2007) and used for tracking of injury data in college sports. This database collects injury data from NCAA institutions in a wide variety of sports and has been in operation since 1982. The type of information collected and stored includes data such as injuries sustained by athletes, the school the athlete attends, and the sport in which they participate. By capturing this data year after year, decision makers use this information to look at information aggregated by institution, sport, or type of injury. It has been used in tracking injury rates in new sports, on different playing surfaces, and to follow the effects of rule changes in various sports.