Hidden Nuggets of Sports Research

You are probably familiar with the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). The organization exploded on the scene about 30 years ago and made its founder Bill James a household name. (Another great place for baseball research is the Library at the Hall of Fame and Museum).

But there are other sports research organizations that are not as familiar. The Professional Football Researchers Association (PFRA) and the Association for Professional Basketball Research (http://members.aol.com/bradleyrd/apbr.html) focus mainly on history. The Institute for Hockey Research (IHR) says it "is the only organization in the world that has a dedicated research agenda for the scientific investigation of hockey. " It deals mainly with the physiology and performance of hockey players. The Society for International Hockey Research (SIHR) is a more traditional site related to history and stats.

Most of these organizations were created and are maintained by people like Bill James--serious fans who wanted a much deeper understanding of sports. Their contributions to the body of knowledge of sports literature should be considered valuable and important.