Sports Equipment over the coaching period has significantly transformed the capability of athletes in terms of functionality, training and protective undertakings. Everything that was used from primitive stone age tools to modern day technologically advanced sports gear saw a drastic shift. This evolution has been informed by developments in technology, new materials and more importantly human biomechanics. in this the reader will have an opportunity to discover how the equipment evolved over the years, how the performance was affected, and what trends anticipating the future of athletes and manufacturers.
Table of Contents
The early days of the use of sports equipment
While sports had been in existence for centuries, early equipment used was rudimentary and didn’t cater for the protection of the athletes. For example, the first soccer balls were made from animal’s skins, specifically pig’s bladders that were inflated and encased in leather so it could easily be molded and squeezed during the games and sometimes they burst causing injuries.
Likewise the tennis rackets were initially of wooden frame and were heavy and cumbersome thereby restricting the power needed to hit the balls. In this period, the success of the athlete was all about physical characteristics or strength, and little or nothing much was expected from the equipment. Men were easily hurt, and there were very poor equipments to minimize on the hindrance of performance. However, such drawbacks were compensated by the emerging base that would later on develop into future solutions that changed the face of sports.
The Age of Science and Technology
Performance With the increase in scientific knowledge and growth particularly in the 20th century, athletes received quality equipments, which were meant to result to better performance. Teak, oak and other hardwoods as well as metals were replaced with fiberglass, carbon graphite and other synthetics new materials, such as carbon fiber, mega-ply metals gave sturdier equipment with less weight.
- Synthetic Materials in Sports : In the field of sports such as tennis and golf, the advent of plastics and other synthetic material can also be look at as revolution. Tennis rackets made of carbon fiber for example, were said to offer better control and power in enabling the players to gain better results. Similarly, the titanium which has been utilized in the production of the golf clubs enhanced the length, accuracy, and all together altered the game of golf.
- Biomechanics and Sports Science : Biomechanics turned into an imperative to gain knowledge over how the sports equipment was to be shaped. Considering the fact that movement and forces are very crucial in sports, it could be possible for the manufacturers to come up with gears enough to fit particular type of sports or players with inconsequential risks of getting harmed.
Smart Equipment and Data Driven Performance
The technological advancement particularly in the contemporary world was observed in the kind of equipment used in sports. Whereas in earlier cases equipment was envisaged to propel the organisational performance, it is now about enhancing training and feedback.
- Wearable Technology and Smart Gear : Latest equipments such as smart devices, the latest fitness gadgets, smart watches, sensor integrated apparels, etc have become an inseparable fraction of modern day sports. These devices capture an athlete movement, pulse, and other physical indices that are useful in evaluating an athlete performance and training. For example, through the help of sensors, smart basketballs will be observes shooting performance of a player and with feedback being provided, the correct adjustment is made.
- Data Analytics in Sports : Information received from the smart equipment is subjected to rigorous analysis by the algorithms and the machine learning to provide details about an athlete. This may allow for the development of individualized and therefore highly accurate training programs that would then suit a person based on who he or she is and what his or her goals are.
Future of Sports Equipment
Here, something that is almost akin to differentiation in sports equipment or rather, differentiation in individualised products is anticipated. 3D scanning and gear 3D printing along with big data approach allow to make gear appropriate for a specific athlete.
- 3D Scanning and Custom Gear : Technological innovations that are employed in current three dimensional scanning allow for creation of replicas of an athletes body and therefore design and produce customized sports gear. For instance, one can be able to print shoe inserts for specific sports shoes to complement the shape of the feet and hence more comfortable. The design of the gear, like the helmets and pads employed in the shielding of the players, is more effective than the ordinary or inflexible type of protection.
- Data-Driven Design : Information collected by the wearables among other things lead to creation of new pieces better suited for athletics as design is made for athletes in mind. This cycle helps to make the subsequent generation of the equipment to be more efficient than the previous generation.
CONCLUSION
Speaking of knowledge interests, it has been interesting to examine the evolution process of Sports Equipment as a fascinating topic of a more particular and defined instrument type a customized one. This evolution has always taken into account improving performance, safety and providing to athletes that which will help perform at their best. Thus, the future will bring more high-tech development in the sport equipment that will enhance performance barriers of athletes. From the use of smart technology in manufacturing the equipment, use of new materials and the trend of personalization the future seems to be bright for the future sports equipment in Performance and Protection.