The Rise of AI in Beginner Sports
Embrace the future of youth athletics with data-driven coaching and exciting possibilities.
Dive into the transformative world of beginner sports with Charlene Wan, VP of branding marketing, and investor relations at Ambiq. Discover how AI revolutionizes training, scouting, and mental health for aspiring athletes.
From sophisticated athlete training to youth sports, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are taking sports science to the next level. Specifically for beginner sports, AI can collect and analyze vast amounts of data in real-time, allowing coaches and trainers to monitor and enhance an athlete’s performance. By tracking every detail, from blood oxygen levels to heart rate to recovery times and muscle activity, AI in sports can boost overall performance and health.
AI gives beginner athletes a competitive advantage, changing how they train and grow as performers. The sports science AI industry is expected to grow to $19.2 billion by 2030, making predictive analytics and wearable technology more accessible to everyday athletes.
How AI Is Used in Beginner Sports
AI has been used in professional sports for years. For example, NBA teams use AI to track players’ statistics and team performance to make accurate predictions for game outcomes. Elite athletes like Michael Phelps have used and been excited about advanced technologies such as advanced swim goggles that monitor stroke count, stroke rate, and heart rate. With consumer wearables increasing in usage and AI becoming more accessible to the everyday person, youth and beginner athletes can implement these technologies from the beginning of their careers.
Personalized training
Just like a human coach, AI can aggregate data on a player’s performance and offer personalized, individual feedback. This creates more effective training sessions as players can hone in on areas that need improvement. For example, HomeCourt uses computers to analyze shooting techniques, dribbling skills, and speed to provide recommendations on drills.
Performance evaluation
Performance evaluation is critical to enhancing skills and talents as young athletes grow and constantly improve. Machine-learning algorithms can compile statistics, metrics, and contextual factors to provide a clear picture of current performance and projections of future performance. AI can also perform more objective evaluations, critically comparing players and development tracking without human bias. For example, Trace analyzes all player footage to select the best clips of a player’s performance and turns that into a highlight reel.
Injury prevention
Fifty-two percent of parents say they would consider preventing their child from participating in sports if they had concerns about the risk of injury. As parents take firmer stances on injury prevention and safety in youth sports, wearable personal safety devices and AI technology can identify movements and behaviors that may increase the risk of injury. AI can operate as a proactive approach to injury prevention, catching issues before they become a bigger problem. For example, Podium Analytics is a charity organization that aims to reduce preventable injuries in youth sports. Their SportSmart platform collects data, which University of Oxford scientists then analyze and contribute to wider research projects dedicated to making sports safer.
See More: The Last Mile of AI: Bridging Tech and Humanity
Scouting
Scouting and early recruiting happen sooner than ever, with even middle schoolers receiving scholarship offers. In beginner sports, identifying and nurturing talent occurs as young as elementary school. AI analyzes performance data on-field and off-field to remove guesswork and bias from scouting, allowing teams and coaches to invest training resources more wisely.
For example, Catapult uses AI to evaluate player performance and predict their future success. Collegiate and professional football teams already use Catapult. Another tool is ai.io, a fully automated talent discovery and development platform that analyzes players to discover hidden talent.
Officiating
Unfortunately, officials have been leaving youth sports at a record rate for reasons like a lack of support, insufficient pay, a lack of community, and verbally abusive fans and coaches. AI systems can create the referee of the future and help make up for this officiating shortage. AI technology can bring accurate reporting to youth leagues, making more accurate, unbiased decisions, improving fairness, and reducing player dissatisfaction.
Mental health
With over 20% of youth suffering from mental health conditions, AI can help monitor the mental status of athletes. With the help of AI, a sports psychologist can analyze stress levels and emotional states based on individual biomarkers. For example, Blue Guardian uses AI to improve mental health through natural language processing, identifying phrases and words that indicate deteriorating mental health.
Fan engagement
AI can also support increasing fan engagement and interaction with youth sports. Lik reporting and analysis for professional sports, machine learning can help generate real-time, on-screen statistics, stronger player and team storylines, and more accurate game outcome predictions. For example, TheProgram.ai uses AI to increase youth participation and improve athlete registration by circulating content via augmented reality.
The Exciting Outlook for AI in Beginner Sports
Get ready for a thrilling revolution in youth sports as AI takes center stage to enhance the experience for every budding athlete. With a keen focus on player well-being, we can ensure that our young ones don’t bear the burden of long-term injuries as they grow into adulthood. Brace yourself for electrifying games that will leave you on the edge of your seat as players embrace data-driven coaching and unleash their competitive spirit. Whether playing for sheer enjoyment or aiming to follow in the footsteps of sporting legends like Michael Jordan, our aspiring athletes can access cutting-edge resources that evolve with each passing season. The future of beginner sports has never been more promising, and the possibilities are simply exhilarating.
How is AI shaping the future of youth sports? Why do you think AI is a game-changer in sports development? Let us know on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn. We’d love to hear from you!
Image Source: Shutterstock
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