In 2014, the European Sport Economics Association (ESEA) board launched the Best Young Researcher Paper Award, a prestigious recognition presented annually at the ESEA conference. The primary aim is to promote excellence in research among aspiring young researchers while acknowledging outstanding contributions to the field of sports economics.
To qualify, all authors of the research paper must be graduate students. Although it’s not mandatory for the young researcher to present the paper at the conference, active participation is strongly encouraged. The selection process occurs just prior to the annual conference and involves an Award Committee comprised of seasoned members of the ESEA. The decision is based on the submission’s quality, originally, clarity, and anticipated future impact. Recipients of the award receive an official certificate along with a small honorarium. If there are no submissions that meet the award criteria or if none of the papers meet the expected standards, the award will not be conferred for that particular year.
AWARD WINNER 2023 – Adam McCarthy
Paper Title:
Advancing the Measurement of Competitive Intensity: An Examination of the German Bundesliga
(Central Bank of Ireland, Ireland)
AWARD WINNER 2022 – Kai Fischer & Benedikt Schmal
Paper Title:
Advancing the Measurement of Competitive Intensity: An Examination of the German Bundesliga
(Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics (DICE), Germany)
Paper Title:
Rabbits Caught in the Headlights: Mispricing New Information in a High Stakes Environment
(Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics (DICE), Germany)
AWARD WINNER 2021 – Sam Joey
(Erasmus School of Economics and Tinbergen Institute, The Netherlands)
No Award Winner in 2020 – Conference cancelled due to Covid-19-Pandemic
AWARD WINNER 2019 – Benjamin Holmes
Paper Title:
Predictions with Limited Paired Comparisons Data: Market Inefficiency in Mixed Martial Arts Betting
(The University of Liverpool, England)
AWARD WINNER 2018 – Jakob Mikulka
Paper Title:
The Impact of Winning and Losing Streaks on the Bettors’ Behavior
(Charles University, Czech Republic)
AWARD WINNER 2017 – Radek Janhuba & Kristina Cechova
Paper Title:
Criminals on the Field: A Study of College Football
(Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education (CERGE-EI), Czech Republic)
AWARD WINNER 2016 – Hyunwoong Pyun
Paper Title:
Exploring Causal Relationship between Major League Baseball Games and Crime: A Synthetic Control Analysis
(West Virginia University, United States)
AWARD WINNER 2015 – Emelie Värja
Paper Title:
Sports and Local Growth in Sweden: Is a Successful Sports Team Good for Local Economic Growth?
(Örebro University, Sweden)
AWARD WINNER 2014 – Volker Robeck
Paper Title:
Professional Cycling and the Fight against Doping
Interview: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
(Philipps-Universität Marburg, Germany)