Reflection 1
To learn more about my topic I have read SprawlBall by Kirk Goldsberry and 7 Seconds or Less by Jack McCallum. SprawlBall focuses on the stats behind the evolution of the 3-point shot, but it also discusses the long term impact it will have on the game of basketball from a fan and player perspective. 7 Seconds or Less is a book about the 2005-2006 Phoenix Suns who were the first team to transition into a more modern style of play.
Two subject matter experts I think would be perfect to discuss my topic with are Josh Burr and Coach Tulo. Josh runs The Skill Factory, a skill development organization that trains professional basketball players. The most important question I plan on asking him is, “What changes in training regiment have you seen over your time with TSF? Has the changing of the game been noticeable in how players approach their workouts?” Coach Tulo has played and coached in high school and college, and is an avid supporter of the 3-point shot. Tulo grew up during the transitional period between the late 90’s and the 3 point era. He saw first hand how the game changed over that time period. I plan on asking him “What is the most noticeable reason for the change in play style of the past 10 years? Was it something that was bound to happen or was it a change that seemed somewhat forced?”
In order to complete this project I am going to refine my ideas and really focus on the task at hand. As for my research, I am close to being done and should not have much left to do. The main struggle for me is flipping this question into a “What’s at stake?” question rather than a “What happened?” question.
Two subject matter experts I think would be perfect to discuss my topic with are Josh Burr and Coach Tulo. Josh runs The Skill Factory, a skill development organization that trains professional basketball players. The most important question I plan on asking him is, “What changes in training regiment have you seen over your time with TSF? Has the changing of the game been noticeable in how players approach their workouts?” Coach Tulo has played and coached in high school and college, and is an avid supporter of the 3-point shot. Tulo grew up during the transitional period between the late 90’s and the 3 point era. He saw first hand how the game changed over that time period. I plan on asking him “What is the most noticeable reason for the change in play style of the past 10 years? Was it something that was bound to happen or was it a change that seemed somewhat forced?”
In order to complete this project I am going to refine my ideas and really focus on the task at hand. As for my research, I am close to being done and should not have much left to do. The main struggle for me is flipping this question into a “What’s at stake?” question rather than a “What happened?” question.
Reflection 2
As of today, I have completed the intro to the written component of my capstone project and plan on completing the first body paragraph by Monday. In order to complete the draft, I will need to conduct my interviews with Coach Tulo and Josh Burr. I have fallen a little bit behind on the interview process, but I am on track with the research component. I don’t think the interviews will impact my ability to complete my draft on time. In order for others to truly understand the importance of my project, they need to view it not only as a basketball project. They need to understand that this 3-point boom changed the landscape of sports as we know it. I plan to create an interactive timeline to best represent the impact of my topic. The timeline will show the increased volume of three point shots each year from the start of the NBA to now. Along with this increase, I will show the increase in fan viewing and revenue. The inspiration for this artifact came from Kirk Goldsberry who is a New York Times best selling author and NBA analyst. He creates many interactive graphics that show changes in the game and how they coincide with other changes off the court. In order to complete this artifact, I need to find a resource that will allow me to make a timeline of this manner. As of right now, I do not have any questions, but I’m sure some will come up as I take a deeper dive into my exploration.