Sports are a big part of Brophy’s culture, and AI is becoming a staple in Brophy’s curriculum with the introduction of Flint and the upcoming Summit on Human Dignity focusing on the subject. While these two may seem random, they actually might become more connected in the near future than one might think.
Brophy isn’t the only place where AI could become a necessity in athletics. In reference to AI and using it as a form of an umpire during games, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said, “I would be interested in having it in 2026.”
With Manfred’s statement comes the problem of how AI could be utilized in sports. Things like incorporating AI can’t be accurately put into practice without higher leagues setting the example. “AI [affecting] the game at the highest level gives us a better idea of where it could be best served helping younger athletes at Brophy,” said Freshman Football Head Coach Mr. Scott Heideman.
In all honesty, Brophy is definitely going to have to incorporate AI into pretty much every angle of student life so as to not get left behind as it progresses, and sports is included in this standard. Said incorporation may already be taking shape, however.
“Yeah, I think an AI, if it’ll have all the rules embedded so if the main ref has a question, they can start with it,” said Wrestling Head Coach Mr. Wayne Catan when asked if AI could help judge wrestling matches.
What Mr. Catan says here echoes what was said by Rob Manfred, and it’s also fated to be used in a different sport; snowboarding.
During a snowboarding event known as the X Games Aspen 2025, an experimental AI was used to act as an extra voice in the judging process. “Our goal is … that maybe this could be a tool that sits next to judges… or it could be a piece of technology that judges could interact with, just to make sure they saw the trick appropriately,” said X Games CEO Jeremy Bloom.
The amount of various ways sports of all kinds can incorporate artificial intelligence into their training is innumerable, and it also allows the overall average ability of the students training for their respective sports to potentially grow. That’s what is expected, after all.
The reason for this expectation is adequately put by Mr. Heideman, who said, “You don’t want to see the school that has helped you grow in different aspects of your life go downhill after your class graduates, you want to see that bar constantly raise for the brothers that come after you.”
