Coaching with a Chatbot
The MLDS program recently held a Hackathon in collaboration with Northwestern's men's soccer team. The winning solution was designed to help Northwestern coaches better prepare for their opposition.
Sports coaches are always looking for ways to improve their teams and put them in the best position to succeed.
Last quarter, coaches of Northwestern's men's soccer team heard how artificial intelligence and machine learning could help.
The team, led by head coach Russell Payne, partnered with Northwestern Engineering's Master of Science in Machine Learning and Data Science (MLDS) program (formerly the MSiA program) to organize a 48-hour hackathon focused on leveraging data to help the Wildcats.
The event was hosted by The Garage, an interdisciplinary entrepreneurship and innovation space for the Northwestern community.
Fifteen teams of 70 students participated in the event.
First place went to four MLDS students: Ayush Agarwal (MLDS '25), Jason Huang (MLDS '25), Kevin Li (MLDS '25), and Omar Shatrat (MLDS '25). The team created a chatbot that features a strategic assistant to recommend optimal strategies against opponents. It also includes a comprehensive summarizer that rapidly extracts player and team insights.
The goal was to save coaches time, provide a powerful supplement to the coaches' expertise, and be easily accessible for both coaches and players.
"I love tackling real-world problems through data science and wanted to create something impactful alongside a group of classmates I’ve grown close to throughout the program," Li said. "The Hackathon provided the perfect opportunity to combine our shared skills and camaraderie to solve a meaningful challenge."
Li appreciated the limited time he and his teammates had to find a valuable solution.
"This accelerated timeline taught us critical lessons in rapid decision-making, collaborative teamwork, and efficient problem-solving," he said. "It’s a unique opportunity to simulate real-world, high-pressure scenarios where delivering impactful solutions quickly is crucial."
Jordan Betterman (MLDS '25) is a graduate assistant for Northwestern's men's soccer team and was responsible for gathering the data students used during the Hackathon. As he collected data and watched students collaborate during the event, he realized how important it is to understand the problems clients face before identifying solutions.
He also was excited to take what the students presented and consider how to implement them with the team.
"As the person who uses the data the teams were provided, it was an amazing experience to see unique solutions that the teams presented," he said. "It inspired me to create new solutions to the program's issues and I cannot wait to implement some of the projects into the program's workflow."
Betterman believed the event created stronger camaraderie across the University. Not only did the Hackathon bring students together with the athletic department, but it also introduced them to The Garage and its resources for entrepreneurs.
The event also gave students a project they can talk about when pursuing future job opportunities.
"For students, the hackathon brings valuable experience to apply what they learn in their classes to a real-world problem," Betterman said. "It also gives students an opportunity to work on a project that they can further talk about during interviews."
The winning team of MLDS students presented their solution at Northwestern's annual soccer banquet and received positive feedback from both the players and coaching staff.
"We're excited to continue collaborating with Coach Payne to refine and expand the system," Li said, "and ensure it becomes an integral part of the team's strategy for next season."
