Kimberly Gordon
MATH 3190 A
3 M’s of NCAA sports
Students will be given the NCAA website address. Upon being given the website, students are expected to research measurement statistics related to the sports equipment of specific sports. The students will be expected to calculate the values in between maximums and minimums. They will use the information found to figure out the mean, median, and mode for the various equipment. The activity is designed as a practical application for students in the sixth grade and is very not difficult.
In this technology exploration, I expect the students to be able to apply measures of central tendency in real life applications. This is why I picked a topic that most them may be interested in- sports. College athletics has different rules and regulations regarding the logos, measures of weight and circumference compared to professional sports.
I got my information off of the National Collegiate Athletics Association homepage. I researched the following sports: basketball (men’s and women’s), volleyball, soccer, football, softball, and baseball. I learned a lot of interesting information regarding the weights, shapes, usage of different equipment, and designs of the various equipments.
The ball used for both men’s and women’s basketball must be spherical and an orange shade. The ball must have the traditionally shaped eight panels, bonded tightly to the rubber. The width of the black rubber rib outlining each section may not exceed ¼ inch. There are also regulations for logos and names on the equipment. For instance, the manufacturer’s name and logo may appear on the ball a maximum of two times and the institution’s name is not permitted on the ball. This means that Valdosta State University would not be allowed to print their name or logo on their game ball. The basketball used in men’s games may not weigh more than 22 ounces, but not less than 18 ounces. The weight of the ball for the women’s games is between 20 ounces and 18 ounces.
All of the volleyballs used in a match must have the same characteristics. For example, the color, circumference, weight, inside pressure and manufacturer must be the same. The volleyball must be spherical with a flexible, smooth leather or leather-like cover of 12 or more panels. The ball must be uniform and light in color, or a combination of colors, but at least one-third of the surface must be white or light. The size of the ball must be between 25.25 inches and 27 inches in circumference and should weigh less than 9 ounces and not more than 10 ounces.
The soccer ball is supposed to be spherical and stitched. The balls used in a game must be of identical size, make, grade and color, and shall be supplied by the home team. No more than six balls may be available for use in a game. The circumference of the ball should be more than 28 inches and not less than 27 inches. At the beginning of the game, the soccer ball cannot weigh more than 16 ounces and less than 14 ounces. The weight can exceed 16.75 ounces when wet and being used.
A football is covered with four panels of pebble-grained leather and be a natural tan color. The ball must have one set of eight equally spaced lacings. The referee may test and be the sole judge of no more than six balls available for play by each team before and during the game. There are also logo regulations for footballs; no professional football league logos or advertisements are permitted. Footballs cannot weigh more than 15 ounces but not less than 14 ounces, and all balls for game use must be presented to the referee for testing 60 minutes prior to the beginning of the games.
A softball must be an optic yellow sphere with raised red thread seams. The circumference of the ball may not exceed 12.125 inches and not less than 11.875 inches. The maximum weight of a softball is 7 ounces and the minimum weight is 6.25 ounces. The home team is responsible for providing a minimum of 5 game softballs of the same specifications and manufacturer additions. Each game should begin with 2 new game balls and 3 additional balls. The new game balls should be rubbed by both teams to ensure the manufacturer’s gloss is removed. The balls should be stored at room temperature and humidity levels to achieve performance similar to those in laboratory testing.
Baseballs are formed by yarn wound around a small core of rubber, cork or combination of both and covered by 2 pieces of white horsehide or cowhide stitched together. The baseballs used in collegiate athletics are spheres weighing not less than 5 ounces and no more than 5.25 ounces. The ball’s circumference should not measure less than 9 ounces and no more than 9.5 ounces.
3M’s of NCAA Sports
Name: ______Date:______
Just a reminder! Mean, median, and mode are the three measures of central tendency. Mean is the average of a set of numbers. Median is the middle number of a set of number is ascending or descending order. Mode is the number that occurs the most number of times in a set of numbers.
1. Use your calculator to find the mean of the above set of numbers. ______
2. Find the median of the above set of numbers. ______
3. Find the mode of the above set of numbers. ______
Now that you have a little practice with the three measures of tendency search the NCAA homepage to find these statistics:
4.) What is the range of weights for men’s basketballs? ______
5.) What is the range of weights for women’s basketballs? ______
6.) If the weight some balls for a men’s basketball game are 18.5 oz, 20 oz, 21.25 oz, 18.5 oz, what is the mean weight? ______
7.) What is the median weight for this set of volleyballs: {9.1, 9.5, 9.75, 9.32}?
______.
8.) For a soccer game, what is the most number of balls that can be available for use? ______
9.) If six balls are available for use of a soccer game, what is the mode of the balls for a particular game: {14.2, 15, 14.2, 15.5, 15, 16}? ______
10.) What are some possible weights for a football in an NCAA game? (not including 14 or 15 ounces) List 6 and the median. ______
11.) According to your research, what is the average weight of a softball?
How would you get your answer? ______
12.) What is the median weight for a baseball? ______
3M’s of NCAA Sports Answer Key
1. 13.395
2. 13.25
3. 13.25
4. 18-22 oz.
5. 18-20 oz.
6. 19.5625 oz.
7. 9.41 oz.
8. 6
9. 15, 14.2
10. answers will vary but must be between 14 and 15 oz.
11. 6.625 oz.
12. 5.125 oz.