Bringing the Data to Every Sideline

“Bringing the Data to Every Sideline” centers on MIT PhD candidate Henry Wang, who is using data and technology to improve how soccer is played, analyzed, and officiated. With Boston as a host city for the FIFA World Cup, Wang has been working with FIFA and other organizations to develop systems aimed at helping referees make faster, more accurate decisions and to broaden access to performance analytics worldwide. A fourth-year student in social and engineering systems at MIT’s Institute for Data, Systems, and Society, he is preparing to defend his thesis later this year. Wang joined MIT nearly a decade ago and has been a competitive swimmer since age 7, though he began the sport after a doctor recommended swimming for childhood asthma. Earlier, a cold email connected him with MIT Sports Lab research and led to analytics work involving two-point conversion strategy for MIT football.