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Charting More Success

Age 11 to 16
Challenge Level Yellow star
  • Problem
  • Getting Started
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If you are a teacher, click here for a version of the problem suitable for classroom use, together with supporting materials. Otherwise, read on...

This problem explores the same ideas as Charting Success.

Below are some graphs, charts and diagrams created by sports statisticians, trainers or competitors to help them to analyse performance, inform training programmes or improve motivation.

For each diagram, consider the following questions:

  • What information can you deduce from each diagram?
  • Are the diagrams effective in communicating the information?
  • If you were a sports coach (for the team in question, or perhaps their future opponents), how might you use the information in each diagram?
  • Do the diagrams raise any interesting questions for you? Is there a story to be told?

Baskets made (o) and missed (x) in the fourth quarter of a basketball match

Finishing Scores of top ten athletes in Olympic heptathlon

Shots on and off target for one team in a football match


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The NRICH Project aims to enrich the mathematical experiences of all learners. To support this aim, members of the NRICH team work in a wide range of capacities, including providing professional development for teachers wishing to embed rich mathematical tasks into everyday classroom practice.

NRICH is part of the family of activities in the Millennium Mathematics Project.

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