Adithya Krishna on Balancing Work in Elite International Basketball with a Master’s Degree

If you aspire to work in international sports, international experience can be invaluable. But how can study help you achieve it?

Formerly Lead Performance Analyst at GB Basketball and now working in the same role at City of Sydney Basketball Association, GIS student Adithya Krishna knows this all too well. With extensive experience in the game, Adithya and spoke to us about his career so far, answering questions on how his studies support his goals, how he landed his previous roles, and what he believes analysts can bring to professional sport.

Firstly, you completed what made you return to the classroom with GIS after completing your first Master’s at Loughborough University?

While I completed my Master’s in Sport Management at Loughborough, my coursework focused on performance and sports analytics, a field I needed to deepen my understanding in.

With GIS, Combined Masters in International Sports Business and Sport Analytics is highly relevant to the industry, and I felt it was what I needed to take my career to the next level. 

One of the biggest driving forces for me to study again with GIS was the integration of an applied work placement as part of the course. A lot of my learning has come from outside the classroom, and the opportunity to gain valuable work experience whilst studying is highly valuable to my professional growth. 

You’ve gained significant experience as an analyst in UK and Australian basketball. What’s been a highlight achievement so far?

Supporting different teams and coaches from all around the world has been a phenomenal experience. One of the biggest moments to date has been the opportunity to work with Great Britain Basketball and grow their analysis department.

The feeling of being on the international stage and in the presence of some high-quality basketball teams is still one that I cannot get over. Growing up in India and playing cricket, I would have never guessed that I would be involved in providing basketball analysis at any level, let alone on the international stage. 

Moreover, the basketball community in both the UK and Australia has been extremely welcoming and supportive. I have met some incredible people over the last four years, and I am certain that I will meet more amazing people through sport!

For aspiring analysts who want to know how they can make an impact on elite sport, can you remember a time when your analysis made an impact on the court?

I think that for every analyst to begin making a real impact, it is important to understand your strengths and work towards carving out a niche that is valuable to the club. 

One of the biggest analytical impacts of my career so far has been developing a shot-quality model and integrating it into lineup analysis during my time at Manchester Basketball. A coaching change during the season led the team to adopt a completely new playing style, and with the help of the model, the head coach could reinforce his coaching philosophies and gather data-backed evidence to support what the eye test had confirmed.

Beyond the skill set, one of the most important impact factors is the attitude and hard work you are willing to put into supporting the team. Giving your 110% every day and putting the team first can go a long way to building relationships with the coaching and support staff.

Leading a team of 6 analysts with GB Basketball, how did your role change now that leadership/people management became a part of it?

I think one of the biggest changes was that my role went from just supporting the coaching staff to now co-ordinating across all programmes. 

Leading a team revolved around ensuring every analyst had the required equipment during training camps, creating consistency in data reporting and storage, and stepping in to support the team where necessary.

It was a super busy but an extremely fun experience, and it was fun to work alongside some really talented analysts and grow the analytical programme with GB Basketball!

Since moving to Sydney, how have you found adapting to the study and work balance in a new country?

Life in Sydney has been incredible so far, it should also not come as a surprise that I am now addicted to coffee!

We were lucky to come in during the summer, which meant we were instantly immersed in sport. Australia also has a great sporting culture with amazing opportunities and incredible people running the show behind the scenes! 

In terms of advice, I think it is extremely important to say yes to as many different opportunities as you can. James [McKeown, GIS COO] constantly reiterates the phrase: “Your Network is Your Net Worth”, and I cannot stress enough how important it is to put yourself out there.

Most of the opportunities I have gotten are largely because of the relationships I have built with coaches, and being backed by them goes a long way while applying for new roles or even creating one for a club or organisation.

What have been the highlights of your time with GIS so far?

The Sports Sponsorship and Sports Marketing modules are the ones that have given me numerous new insights, such as how sponsorships benefit sport, the strategic alignment between the sponsor and the club, how activation strategies are implemented, and how to leverage fan engagement. 

Moreover, a major advantage of GIS has been the access to industry professionals. For instance, my final assignment in marketing was to create a digital engagement strategy for the Sydney Sixers, and after submitting the assignment, I was given the opportunity to connect with people at the Sixers and receive an industry expert’s review.

Finally, how did you enjoy the GIS London Summit–was there anything that gave you a new perspective on the industry?

Honestly, the London Summit gave me so many new perspectives on what was possible in the constantly growing sports industry. 

One of the biggest eye-openers for me was the session with Todd Howley [Finance Business Partner at The FA], who integrated his experience in analytics with his background in finance. Given that I am doing the combined Master’s in Sports Business and Analytics, his session was the one I related to most and also provided me with unique perspectives on future steps in my career. 

Another speaker quote that I took from the summit was Rohan Shukla’s “Struggle is Beautiful”, conveying that it is important to put yourself in uncomfortable situations to facilitate professional and personal growth. It was a quote that was succinct yet powerful, and definitely one that will stay with me for years to come.

However, outside the speaker sessions, the incredible stadium tours and sporting events, one of the biggest benefits of the summit for me was the people that I met. Whilst it is always amazing to meet familiar faces again, it was also lovely to interact with GIS students from all around the world and gain new perspectives on how different sporting markets operate!

Article by Zakaria Anani