the greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions

Leonardo da Vinci

unbiased data analyses to foster hockey performance... and entertain yourself!

Here you will find data analyses and hypotheses testing about the sport, new metrics you can use to track performance, and stats of some of the major championships in Spain.

We lost but deserved to win. He's the best player on his team. She's one of the top three players in the league. No doubt we can win this game! These types of statements, and many others, are opinions. They may or may not be accurate. But often, we lack proper data to support or refute them equitably. They are primarily biased perceptions. Ask the supporters of two teams about the referee, and they will show you evidence of a dual, contrasting reality. Of course, opinions are part of the fun, but it is even better to prove our opinion true! Hahaha. Seriosuly, using data and being objective can be equally fun. And it will make you progress as a hockey enthusiast, player, team, coach, manager, club, or you name it. Because you get rid of the nonsense that drags your efficiency and slows your progress down. Because you focus on what truly matters and maximize your chances.

In okjectivity, our statements won't be empty. We will use data and hypotheses testing to support our ideas to the highest scientific standard. We want the sport to progress forward efficiently, steadily, and confidently. Hippocrates said it very well. There are in fact two things: science and opinion; the former begets knowledge, the latter ignorance. From Okjectivity we will do our bit to transform data into knowledge to generate helpful hockey wisdom.
We are positive the path of science is the path to success. 

After five weeks into the 2022-2023 Parlem OK Liga, it's about time to look at what's bringing us. Lots of joy, excellent games, and the icing on the cake, goals. Here, we'll have a chance to discuss a few goal-related stats and their implications, including team efficiency. Of course, it's early in the competition, and you will eventually find comparative analyses so we can establish trends. But for now, enjoy a snapshot of the OK Liga goal scorers and teams through some stats.

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We credit top goal scorers, but we might be missing something important here. Because not all goals are equal. Just have a look at yourself as a fan. Yes, you celebrate your team's goals, of course. We all do. But, boy, some goals make us jump off our seats, scream like maniacs, and pray for the end of the game with victory on our side. Here, you will find a way to measure how much goals are worth. And a few cool ways to use that information to gain insights into the performance of your team and team players.

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scientist and roller hockey coach

Okay. Let's lay it on the line up-front. Science shapes every aspect of our lives. It generates knowledge with broad applications, including sports. Some sports have embraced data science and have evolved tremendously over the last decades. Yet, data analytics in roller hockey is in its infancy at best. As a professional scientist and hockey coach, it doesn't make much sense to me. I don't get it. Why don't we use the scientific method to make progress? Why do we stand on perceptions and not facts? Some may argue that some of our perceptions are very accurate. Others, however, are not because we are inherently biased. We need factual data and rational, analytical tools to generate unbiased knowledge to support our decisions and make progress efficiently. From my unique perspective, I decided to be proactive and contribute my two cents to further understanding the game we all love. 

Since I joined the Santutxu Hockey Taldea with my best friends in the 80's, I've rolled through life. Later on, in the 90's I became a coach and pursued a scientific career as a marine biologist. Today, I work for the Spanish Research Council and coach at the Lloret Hockey Club. Since I don't want to influence anybody because of who I am but make you think about what I say, I cut the usual mambo jumbo bragging bluff commonly found in these types of sections. The onus is on you, my beloved reader. You read and decide whether or not the reading makes sense to you and whether or not you take some profit out of it. Everything else is secondary.

okjectivity@gmail.com