Computer science in sport: an introduction to history and new approaches

During the last 30 years, Computer Science has become a most important service science for a wide range of quite different sciences. One reason has been that today scientific research and development normally deal with tremendous amounts of data and so need technologic support in data handling. Another reason for the growing significance of Computer Science has been that the systems to be analysed have become more and more complex and so need new methods and concepts for modelling and analysis.
In the area of sport science these requirements were noticed in the 80th. During the 90th working groups were established, and first workshops and congresses were hold. A first International Congress of Computer Science hosted by the German University of Sport Science, 1997, initiated a biannual international series with congresses in Vienna (1999), Cardiff (2001), Barcelona (2003), and in preparation Zagreb (2005).

The very positive resonance encouraged us to establish the International Association of Computer Science in Sport (IACSS) in Barcelona in 2003. Supported by the International Journal on Computer Science in Sport (IJCSS), it now serves as a basis for information exchange as well as for international scientific co-operation.

The methods and concepts of Computer Science in Sport cover a wide range of interdisciplinary requirements. They stretch from data acquisition and data mining over systems analysis and modelling & simulation to internet- and media-based applications. In particular, the specific methodological differences between technique-oriented Computer Science and system-oriented Sport Science turned out to be very fruitful in order to develop new interdisciplinary methods and approaches. This is reflected by a lot of interdisciplinary projects, dealing with game analysis, training science and media-based education as well as with biomechanics, physi-ology and medicine.

This way, interdisciplinary co-operation between Computer Science and Sport Science may help to better understand and handle problems that have become increasingly complex.

References

IACSS : www.iacss.org
IJCSS : www.iacss.org/ijcss/iacss_ijcss.html