Introducing the latest advanced technology in combating heat stroke and heat related illnesses in football players. Developed by Physicians and Scientists from the University of Florida Research Foundation.
Significant changes in the body core temperature cause conditions ranging from mild weakness and fatigue to decreased athletic performance, coma and death.
Cool, compressed air enters the pad then flows through vertical air flow channels that are open next to the chest and back of the player.
Athletes, coaches, and even armchair quarterbacks know that successful athletes need conditioning. But did you realize that they need ‘air’ conditioning?
One of the most dangerous health risks to football players has always been the risk of heat stroke. Two years ago, after having gone through the tragedy of losing an athlete to heat related complications during practice, Physicians and scientists from the University of Florida immediately began researching a means to prevent this dangerous and sometimes fatal condition.
It was determined that the air temperature under the players’ shoulder pads often reached dangerously high levels leading to severe dehydration through perspiration. Although players frequently removed their helmets, this only fooled their bodies into thinking that they were cooler, when in fact, the temperature surrounding the player’s body remained dangerously elevated.
It was farther determined that the way to alleviate this condition was to lower temperature of the body’s core. The researchers found that they were able to successfully cool the body core by passing cool air over the strategic areas of the player’s shoulder and back. Dr. Nik Gravenstein from the University of Florida came up with the concept of a pad that players could wear that would address the real issue of heat-related illness. This invention was brought to Fred Williams of Williams Sports Group, LLC of Jacksonville, Florida. Mr. Williams has invented numerous protective designs which are being used by numerous NFL and college football programs. Fred Williams developed an ‘air flow channel system’ which, when built into the protective cushion of an existing shoulder pad would provide a unique system of air delivery. This system is the revolutionary new ‘Temperature Management System’ (TMS).
In the TMS system, cool, dry air effectively lowers his core body temperature, keeping it from rising to dangerous levels. The device was field tested by University of Florida research scientists and has been incorporated into the Douglas Custom Pro and Riddell Power Shoulder Pads.
Heat related illness is second only to head injuries as a cause of death among athletes in the United States.
The TMS system will replace the air across a players chest and back over 100 times per minute.
A rise in body temperature is also associated with a decline in athletic performance.
Iwerk completes Easton Sports’ HitMatrix microsite: The Royal Oak, Michigan software development company Iwerk recently completed a highly interactive microsite for Easton Sports’ revolutionary new HitMatrix – the world’s first complete hitting system. Built for every swing, the HitMatrix is a unique system of baseball and softball bats available in all-composite, composite handle-aluminum barrel and all-aluminum options. Using compelling visuals, the microsite, www.hitmatrix.com, showcases the Stealth IMX, Synergy IMX, SV12 and V12 bats in addition to video featuring Major League Baseball talent, detailed technology graphics and statistical descriptions. It includes a streaming video series titled “Hardball Made Easy,” plus a register-to-win sweepstakes for Easton gear. Working closely with Easton Sports’ advertising agency, Omelet, Iwerk helped to bring their designs to life on the microsite.
Athlete of the Year Award winners Chanelle Price, National Girls Track
and Field Player of the Year, and Matt Barkley, National Football
Player of the Year, show their trophies after being named the top prep
male and female athletes, Wednesday, July 16, 2008 in Los Angeles.
Introduced in 1985, the Gatorade Player of the Year award honors high
school athletes for their athletic excellence, academic achievement and
exceptional character.
Gatorade Athlete of the Year Award winner Matt Barkley, center, shakes hands
with Matt Leinart, 2001 California Football Player of the Year, left,
as Greg Oden, 2006 Gatorade Athlete of the Year, looks on after Barkley
was named the top prep male athlete, Wednesday, July 16, 2008 in Los
Angeles. Introduced in 1985, the Gatorade Player of the Year award
honors high school athletes for their athletic excellence, academic
achievement and exceptional character.
High School Stars Share Stage on Sports' Biggest Awards Day
-- The biggest names in high school
and professional sports convened in Hollywood today as Gatorade honored the
top prep male and female athletes with the sixth annual Gatorade High
School Athlete of the Year awards. Gatorade National Football Player of the
Year Matt Barkley (Mater Dei HS/Santa Ana, Calif.) was named Gatorade High
School Male Athlete of the Year, while Gatorade National Girls Track &
Field Athlete of the Year Chanelle Price (Easton Area HS/Easton, Pa.)
received Gatorade High School Female Athlete of the Year honors.
Barkley and Price received their awards at a luncheon emceed by ESPN's
Stuart Scott and attended by Matt Leinart of the Arizona Cardinals (2001
California Football Player of the Year), Greg Oden of the Portland
Trailblazers (2005/2006 National Basketball Player of the Year & 2006
Gatorade Athlete of the Year), Candace Parker of the Los Angeles Sparks
(2003/2004 National Basketball Player of the Year & 2004 Gatorade Athlete
of the Year), Allyson Felix (2003 National Track & Field Athlete of the
Year & 2003 Athlete of the Year) and soccer legend Mia Hamm.
Introduced in 1985, the Gatorade Player of the Year award was one of
the first national awards to honor high school athletes for their athletic
excellence, academic achievement and exceptional character. In 2003, the
Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year awards were established to
identify and honor the nation's top overall male and female high school
athlete from among the 12 Gatorade National Players of the Year honored
during the high school athletic season.
All Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year nominees will walk the
ESPY red carpet and be featured as special guests during The ESPY Awards
Show. The show will take place this evening and air on ESPN on Sunday, July
20, at 9:00 p.m. EDT.
"The Gatorade Athlete of the Year Awards stand apart in that they honor
those who are not only the best on the field of play, but are also proven
performers academically, and actively give back to their communities," said
Jeff Urban, Gatorade senior vice president of sports marketing. "Matt and
Chanelle are outstanding examples of what a leader and a student-athlete
should be."
2008 GATORADE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
Matt Barkley: The 6-foot-3, 220-pound junior quarterback threw for
3,576 yards and 35 touchdowns, completing 63 percent of his passes
(214-of-340) against just nine interceptions. The first junior captain in
Mater Dei history, Barkley averaged 325 yards and 3.2 touchdown passes per
game in leading the Monarchs (9-2) to the quarterfinals of PAC-5 Division
Southern Section 2007 Football Championships, where they fell to Serra
League top seed Crespi Carmelite High. Barkley has maintained a 3.77 GPA in
the classroom and enthusiastically donates his time, spearheading the
team's Monarchs for Marines initiative, lending tangible support and
morale-boosting contributions to the Marines and Sailors of Camp Pendleton.
As part of the effort, Barkley has helped raise more than $100,000 for a
charity benefiting the families of wounded and fallen Marines.
--First-ever non-senior to be awarded Gatorade Male Athlete of the Year
and Gatorade National Football Player of the Year honors
--2007 PARADE Magazine Player of the Year
--Earned All-CIF honors, All-League honors and All-Metro honors
--Rated the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2009 by Rivals.com
Chanelle Price: No stranger to international competition, the senior
half-miler placed sixth in the 800-meter run against a world-class field at
the Prefontaine Classic earlier this month with a time of 2:01.61, clocking
the second-best time in scholastic history and eclipsing a milestone set by
track legend Mary Decker. Shattering the state record and winning her third
consecutive gold medal in the 800-meter with a time of 2:02.90 at the PIAA
Class AAA state meet in May, Price helped the Red Rovers to a seventh-place
finish as a team. Price has maintained a 99.28 average in the classroom,
placing her in the top five percent of her class. Price donates her time as
a Special Olympics volunteer and as a local VacationBibleSchool
counselor.
--2008 National Scholastic Indoor Championships 800-meter run champion
(2:05.93)
--Ran 12th-fastest Open 800 preliminary-heat time (2:08.39) at USATF
Indoor Championships in February 2008 (running vs. collegians and
pros)
--Three-time PIAA Class 3A 800-meter champion
--2007 Nike Outdoor (2:02.76) and Indoor (2:07.43) Nationals 800-meter
champion
--Set age 16 national record in July 2007, breaking Joetta Clark's 1979
mark of 2:03.54
For more information on the Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year
awards and the Gatorade Player of the Year program, visit
Sports Motion has taken the guess-work out of motion analysis. Their motion analysis systems are truly turnkey systems. All of our systems are engineered to work flawlessly right out of the box. There’s no setup or software installation to worry about and you’re guaranteed to have the right equipment to do the job. Pictured at the right is what’s included in a typical Pro-Trainer portable motion analysis system: a custom-built notebook or tablet PC (used in our Traveler series) configured specifically for video applications, our Pro-Trainer software pre-installed and customized for your sport or application, an adjustable shutter digital camcorder, remote control, a portable color printer, a professional tripod/head with our patented equipment tray and a custom-designed foam-padded, water-tight carrying case. Also included are all connecting cables, power supplies, instructions and a starter-kit with supplies. Click on the picture below for a virtual tour of our hardware systems.
Pro-Trainer hardware systems represent the latest in technology for computerized motion analysis. Our notebook field systems are designed and built expressly for coaches, trainers and other professionals who require the convenience of a fully portable motion analysis system. Our portable systems consist of powerful notebook computers, high quality digital camcorders, video accessories and multi-camera video motion analysis software. This combination of hardware and software delivers high quality video images at a full 60 frames per second with total control over every aspect of motion analysis including instant replay, freeze-frame, angle, speed and distance measurements, on-screen graphics and more.
FRS Health Energy Products offers a great way give your body a boost of energy at any time. Soft Chews are there whenever you need them. The soft chews are individually wrapped in a 30 chew bag and are ideal for travel or for a gym bag or briefcase. Two FRS Chews are equal to one serving of liquid or powdered FRS. Each serving of chews is powered by 250 mg of quercetin.
Adidas worked with Wariner for more than two years to create the revolutionary adidas Lone Star spike, which is named after Wariner’s home state of Texas.In addition to Jeremy’s new logo, the adidas Innovation Team introduces multiple pioneering technologies in this spike, making this the most technologically advanced and one of the lightest spikes to-date.The Lone Star is the world’s first asymmetrical 400m spike,featuringthe firstever full-length carbon nanotubes reinforced plate and the exclusive adidas progressive-compression spike.
“We spent more than two years working with Jeremy Wariner, the best curve runner in the world to design the adidas Lone Star,” said Mic Lussier, adidas Innovation Team Leader, adidas America.“We know long-sprint races are won and lost in the curves so we looked at what he already does best and from there created the finest curve running shoes in the world.The adidas Lone Star allows Jeremy to push even better in the turn and provides him with even more physical confidence, stability and efficiency.”
World’s First Asymmetrical 400m Spikes
After studying Wariner’s running pattern in the adidas labs through high-speed video and pressure mapping, adidas worked with him to create something entirely new in long-sprint running.The adidas team of advanced engineers, designers and biomechanists were able to see how differently Wariner uses each foot as he runs.
As a result of these differences, they developed the first-ever asymmetrical spikes to cater to the specific needs and the role of each foot, and to build on the fact that long-sprint races are won in the curves.Similar to a race car having different suspension on the left and right sides to race in the curves, adidas created different shoes to build on the fact that Wariner uses his left foot for stabilization and his right foot for propulsion.
First Ever Carbon Nanotubes Full-Length Plate
Leveraging new innovations from the plastics industry, adidas applied materials only previously used in the automotive and aerospace industries to design a carbon nanotubes reinforced full-length plate (nanoplate).This thinner and stronger one piece, full-length plate provides Wariner more stability, comfort, better torsion, safety and increased flexibility while minimizing the energy loss.
Mechanical and chemical bonds with the microscopically tiny nanotubes increase the structural integrity and durability of the plate, allowing adidas to build one continual flexible piece as opposed to the previous three-piece design, which included metal screw-in spikes and multiple fold points adhered together by cement.The new full-length plate measures about 1/3 the thickness of Jeremy’s previous spike and weighs 50 percent less, making it the lightest spike ever created by adidas.
With less material between his foot and the track, the new plate allows Jeremy’s feet to be closer to the ground, therefore promoting more natural movement of the foot.The material’s defining physical properties result in increased flexibility, torsion and less energy loss as Jeremy’s foot comes off the track.
New adidas Progressive-Compression Spike
Acting like a piston on the track, the progressive-compression spike design innovation is exclusive to adidas.Traditional spikes cut into the track material causing athletes to exert unnecessary energy with each stride as they pull the spike back out of the track.The revolutionary spike on Jeremy’s shoe allows him to compress the track, thus riding its surface like a piston instead of digging in and out of it with each stride and wasting valuable energy.The tapered grooves of the progressive-compression spike provide the best penetration/compression ratio, thus optimizing the spring-like elastic property of the track surface.
Split Upper with POWERWEB Bands
The split upper in the forefoot allowed adidas to better tailor the shoe to hold Jeremy’s foot, creating a glove-like fit.The POWERWEB bands on the back of the shoe are similar to the look and functionality of adidas TECHFIT™POWERWEB apparel Jeremy races in.POWERWEB bands mimic the skeletal-muscles complex and are placed on the shoe to wrap and hold his heel and midfoot for increased support and stability.
Jeremy’s traditional “Pookie” nickname is replaced on the adidas Lone Star with a new logo of the letter W stylized as a crown and illustrating Jeremy as the undefeated champion.The name of the shoe, Lone Star, comes to life with an outline of the state of Texas on the tongue.
In addition to Jeremy’s spike technology, Allyson Felix and Tyson Gay will also wear custom adidas track spikes in Eugene and leading up to competition in Beijing.Both Felix’s “Shug,” spike and Gay’s “Trinity” spike feature specific performance innovations that cater to their race specialty and running style.Their spikes were a design collaboration between adidas and the athletes to represent their personalities with colors, style and logos.Tyson’s vintage design was inspired by the spikes made by Adi Dassler for Jesse Owens to wear in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. adiZero and Bounce running shoe versions of the athlete inspired custom spikes will be available in retail starting January 2009.
adidas’ Olympic tradition dates back to 1928, when adidas founder Adi Dassler created his first track spike for athletes in the Amsterdam games and since then athletes such as Jesse Owens who won four gold medals in Berlin to Emil Zatopek, Wilma Rudolph, Bob Beamon, Dick Fosbury and Haile Gebrselassie have all marked milestones in Olympic history in adidas products. Today, adidas’ remains committed to making the best running products available and introducing leading innovations with footwear like the Supernova and adiStar Control featuring the revolutionary adidas ForMotion innovation.Adidas is the official sportswear partner of the Beijing 2008 OlympicGames. Along with the official sponsorship of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, adidas sponsors 16 NOCs, including China, 214 Olympic Federations and over 3,000 individual athletes, which is more than any other brand.In total adidas will be supplying more than 500,000 pieces of apparel and footwear for the games.
Say what you will about the Patriots and their video tape scandal……. We are always looking for ways to get better, mentally as well as physically. Tom Brady is a prime example of getting ready to compete. Take a look at what Tom Brady has accomplished…..fighting his way to starting QB for U of M (6th on the depth chart during his 1st year) or being looked over when drafted to the NFL and becoming one of the top QB’s in NFL history! Learn from a winner, tough competitor and an outstanding athlete.
Everyone needs help with their golf swing.....do you get advice from a friend, go to a pro for more lessons? How about taking a look at your self, or should I say have a computer look at your golf swing and compare it to a pro’s swing. Take a look at V1 Golf’s V1 Home:
V1 Home 2.0 is the most advanced sport analysis software on the market today. Amateur and professional players of all sports rely on V1 Home to help analyze and improve their athletic form and technique.
With V1 Home, comparing your golf swing to your favorite professional has never been easier and more effective to do right from your own computer. Simply capture your swing for self analysis, or send it to a professional golf instructor through the V1 Golf Academy for a thorough swing analysis.
Features
Students can record their athletic motion onto their computer.
Students can receive, open, and review their athletic motions filmed by their instructor.
Students can playback their lessons in the video window.
Quickly compare two performances side by side to identify faults.
Transmit recorded performance via the Internet for feedback from a professional instructor.
Use overlaid drawing tools as a reference while reviewing the performance.
Remove the guesswork - it's hard to fix what you can't see. Motion analysis done easily and effectively with the touch of a button.
Cutters are an American company that have made their name and built their reputation by producing top quality professional gloves for baseball and American Football.
Now they have used their expertise and quality designs to create a range of golf gloves.
The gloves are made from a combination of re-engineered ultra thin C-TACKTM performance grip material and premium Grade A Cabretta leather which gives the glove a very soft, comfortable feel with an exceptionally strong grip.
The C-TACKTM grip is placed on the thumb and three finger tips, as well as to the side of the palm to allow for perfect slip-free grip for all types of golf swing. Getting used to the glove I realised how this helped me hold the club with less muscle tension.
This is a great improvement for someone relatively new to the game like myself, though would be as useful to a seasoned pro.
The Cutters Golf Gloves comes in two designs - Tour (left) and Humid (below).
I have used the C-TACKTM Humid over the past couple of weeks and found the grip to be excellent.
The back of the Humid glove is made of a breathable, lightweight material that, with the well positioned air holes, allowed my hand to breathe more readily and reduce a sweaty palm. This helped my game and was more comfortable on the hottest days.
The only difference between the design of the palms of the two glove design is the Humid Glove comes with an extra line of perspiration holes.
The C-TACKTM Humid comes in a choice of grey or orange.
The gloves are currently not stocked by UK retailers but can be bought direct from the Cutters website.
I would certainly recommend this glove as a major breakthrough because of the quality of the grip that it offers without compromises at all on the perfect fit, comfortable feel or durability of a golf glove.
Excited football players across the country will soon be getting their hands on one of the most anticipated new helmets in years – the AiR XP™ from Schutt Sports. The company has already begun shipping XPs, and teams across the country are putting them on their players as fast as they get them.
Many college and pro teams have already had the chance to get some playing time in the new AiR XP™ Helmets. Gus Granneman, Equipment Director for the New York Jets, got his hands on his set of AiR XP™ helmets a couple of weeks ago.
“We received our AiR XP™ helmets from Schutt in time for us to fit them on players for our first mini camp,” said Granneman. “The players that are using the AiR XP™ are very pleased with the comfort, fit and performance of the helmet.”
Schutt Sports rocked the football helmet industry by introducing two new helmets within the last seven months. The ION4D is a large standoff helmet that uses TPU Cushioning in the form of SKYDEX2®, while the AiR XP™ is a traditional helmet shell shape that also packs the TPU Cushioning. According to test results from independent research labs, the AiR XP™ absorbs up to 37% more impact than a Riddell® VSR-4 in game-like conditions. As opposed to the foam padding found in older traditional helmets, TPU Cushioning performs equally well at higher temperatures, does not take a compression set, eliminates the break-in period for the helmet and, unlike, is highly resistant to mold, bacteria and mildew.
“We’ve been overwhelmed by the demand for this helmet,” says Mark Watts, Regional Sales Manager for Schutt Sports. “I’ve been here 18 years and have never seen reaction to a helmet like this. The NFL® teams are eating it up, as are the major college programs. We’re sending them out the door as fast we can make them.”
College teams have been so impressed with the AiR XP™ that they’re buying bunches of them all at once. Traditionally, teams are cautious about adopting new helmets, buying a few here at a time, slowly acclimating their players to the new product. That’s not the case with the AiR XP™. UNLV, for example, has purchased 60 of the helmets and already has plans in the works for more next year.
Other colleges that have lined up heavily with the AiR XP™ already include: USC, Michigan, Georgia, Tennessee, Air Force, Stanford, SMU , Oklahoma State, Boston College, Illinois, BYU, Texas A&M, South Florida, TCU, Kentucky and Wyoming. More are on the way, as sales indicators at the Division 1 level are overwhelming. The AiR XP™ has also picked up a lot of traction at the team dealer level, both in the United States and internationally. Hayden’s Athletic, in Montgomery, Illinois – near Chicago, received AiR XP™ helmets, which they plan to sell to high schools in their territory, as well as to collegiate and pro customers.
“We’ve had very good success pre-selling the AiR XP™,” says Dave Cruz, of Hayden’s Athletic. “Now that we have them in our hands, we’ll fill existing orders for the helmet and really get out there and push. We think we’ll be able to open some doors with the XP.”
For those players who prefer the traditional helmet shell, the AiR XP™ is the perfect choice to help them perform at their best. And, thanks to some fantastic work by the manufacturing staff at Schutt Sports, the AiR XP™ is in the hands of players, coaches and equipment managers right now – ready to hit the field.
