Tech Innovations That Impacted The Sporting Industry
Technology is ever-changing, and it’s made its mark in all industries globally. There’s a new innovation almost every day, changing the world in ways one can’t even imagine. One major industry technology has impacted is the sports industry. Technology is transforming sports daily, whether it’s fan engagement, NFTs, VAR or flying drones.
Early Days – The Basic Needs
The safety of athletes is vital for any sport today but in the past things were different. Take Hockey as an example where players were common victims to head lacerations, missing teeth, concussions and facial bruises because helmets or any gear of that sort didn’t hold any value for players. However, nowadays personal protective equipment is something the sport cannot be played without wearing. The importance of safety in the sport has risen significant, and this is the case with most sports.
In this era of hockey such equipment was frowned upon, almost as if players were embarrassed to wear safety equipment, such as helmets. This all changed in the late 1960s when a player named Bill Masterson fell backwards onto the ice, hitting his head on the hard cold surface during a Minnesota North Stars game. He passed away two days after the incident due to a brain aneurysm, and that’s when helmets were made mandatory for all players.
The gear has changed a lot since then to provide better protection. Today, hockey players must wear knee, shoulder, and elbow pads, a cup, and a helmet.
Modern Sport – Technology Is Everywhere
Technology has profoundly changed the sports industry and will continue to do so in the years to come.
Measuring And Improving Performance Through Technology
Technology to measure, track and improve personal performance is quite common in the world of professional sports today. This technology is usually some sort of small device that an athlete can use and carry on them when training, or during match-day. Nowadays, the standard of an athlete’s physical performance is incredibly high for most sports. Tracking such statistics can help coaches and teams improve their players’ performance and know exactly what needs to be worked on. These devices usually measure everything from speed, acceleration, distance ran or swam, weight lifted, heart rate, heart recovery rate, and much more.
Most Poignant Innovations
While there’s a lot that’s happened with technology for personal performance tracking, some other prominent innovations for sport include the broadcasting of live sporting events, the VAR and goal-line technology in football, digital fan engagement, video games and much more.
How Do These Innovations Impact Our Daily Lives and the Consumption of Sports?
Nowadays one can easily watch a high-definition broadcast of a basketball or football event by just turning on their Televisions. One could also just decide to activate notifications on their smartphone to just see what’s always occurring in the sporting world, whether it’s transfer news, general sports news or live game scores of almost any game being played in the world.
What Else Do People Use These Innovations for daily?
People also use tech innovations to stay connected, stay entertained and stay in touch with what’s going on in their world. For example, people can also use the internet to visit an online live casino instead of visiting one physically. Therefore, it goes without saying that technology plays a big role in modern society.
Most Popular Uses Of These Innovations in Everyday Life
People’s interest in personal fitness products has also increased. Wearable technologies, like Fitbit, allow users to keep tabs on themselves. They also inspire users to walk at least 10,000 steps daily. These types of watches have become quite popular in today’s world.
Conclusion
Technology is a driving force, and there’s no way it will slow down anytime soon. There are regular innovations in the sporting world that aim to benefit the coaching staffs, the players, the events, and the fans that watch and follow them. If you’re impressed with where technology has gotten, it’s time to fasten your seatbelt because this ride is just getting started.
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