Virtual and augmented reality sports training environments are disclosed. A user interacts with virtual players in a simulated environment of a virtual reality sporting event. In some embodiments, the user's actions and decisions are monitored by the simulated environment. The environment evaluates the user's performance, and provides quantitative scoring based on the user's decisions and timing. Coaches and other users may design customized scenarios or plays to train and test users, and the resultant scores may be reviewed by the coach. In one application, real life pitchers and their pitching data are tracked and replicated in a simulated pitching environment. A team of users may practice against a simulation of a pitcher they are about to compete against, swinging at pitches that they would see in a real game. Such environments may maximize effective practice time for users, and help develop better players with improved decision-making skills.

An exercise system comprising: an exercise mat; a plurality of sensors integrated into the exercise mat, each of the sensors configured to sense when a force is applied to a respective portion of the exercise mat; a plurality of displays coupled to the exercise mat and configured to display indications corresponding to desired locations for body parts of a user in accordance with an exercise routine; at least one processor disposed in communication with the plurality of sensors and the plurality of displays; and memory storing at least one exercise routine for use with the exercise mat and instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, configures the exercise system to: display on one or more of the displays indications corresponding to desired locations of a user's body part in accordance with a form of one of the exercise routines stored in memory; sense by one or more of the sensors an application of force to the exercise mat; determine that a location of the sensed application of force is different than a display location of at least one of the indications; and display on one or more of the displays at least one marker identifying a direction from the location of the sensed application of force to the display location of the at least one of the indications.

A method for training an athlete to adopt a vertical head-up position includes: placing a visor comprising an opaque region over the face of the athlete such that the opaque region of the visor blocks the upper peripheral vision of the athlete if the athlete lowers his/her head below the vertical head-up position; and having the athlete train with the visor over his/her face to teach the athlete to keep the head in the vertical head-up position, thereby minimizing a risk of head-to-head contact with another athlete during a game. An apparatus for training an athlete to adopt a vertical head-up position is also described.

An apparatus for improving finger speed, agility and grip strength for musicians, athletes, and patients requiring finger, hand, wrist or forearm rehabilitation; the apparatus comprises a set of rings in which each ring is placed on the middle phalanx of a finger and the distal phalanx of a thumb; each ring further comprises a groove in the outer center surrounding each ring in which the loops of an elastic tension band, comprised of a series of seamless interconnected closed loops, are inserted into the groove around each ring to complete the apparatus; the apparatus provides positive and negative resistance to the fingers while practicing musical instruments, sports activities, or performing medical rehabilitation therapy, for the purposes of improving finger speed, agility and overall grip strength.

A modified hockey stick comprises a handle and a blade. The blade comprises at least one opening configured in the bottom surface of the blade. The at least one opening extends in an upward direction within the blade of the modified hockey stick. The opening is configured to receive a shank of a wheel for supporting rolling movement of the modified hockey stick on a playing surface.

The invention refers to the equipment of the training rink for floorball, manufacturing of exerciser structural element, applying concept of tennis racket stringing. Proposed design of subsidiary element for floorball rink arrangement characterized with that it is made as latticework formed by: two parallel end plates; several threaded rods as stiffening members; two elastic string structures disposed in two parallel planes, at that each of it presents one side of mentioned latticework and provided with: holes for fastening threaded rods which assure rigidity and load bearing capacity of the subsidiary element frame structure; holes for criss-cross stringing in two parallel planes and string fastening at mentioned end plates independently one from another.

Tough, low-friction street hockey pucks are constructed as regular prismatic cylinders or prismatic cylinders having alternating side profiles. An internal chamber partially filled with a granular material such as sand, gravel or metal shot, or fluids such as water, oil, alcohol or ethylene glycol, and combinations thereof, helps deter a rolling motion of the puck and causes it to fall down and slide. The sliding motion is more similar to an ice-hockey puck traveling over ice, so practicing with the inventive street-hockey puck is more like ice-hockey practice.

Devices are disclosed which are configurable to be worn by each of the players or persons on one or more teams playing a team sport or during activities requiring distance monitoring and notification of a breach in proximity. The devices are configurable to operate in a network environment to detect a device signal from one or more similarly configured devices worn by other players. The devices administer a proximity signal or alert to the users wearing the devices. The signal or alert can be audible, haptic, or both. The nature or quality of the proximity signal may change to reflect a distance to one or more other users. The devices can use RF or Bluetooth to measure the existence of a received signal, received signal strength of a like configured device. Devices can use an isotropic or omnidirectional antenna.

A sports training device attached to the shaft of a swinging sports apparatus, such as a baseball bat. The device includes a drag chute disposed between two rigid members, a support rod disposed between the two rigid members along the longitudinal axis of the chute, and a plurality of coupling elements connected to the support rod. Each coupling element includes an annular opening for positioning of the sports apparatus therethrough. One coupling element has a stationary component that secures the device to the sports apparatus and a rotating component that rotates 360 around the sports apparatus. As such, the entirety of the device, with exception to this stationary component, can substantially freely rotate 360 around the sports apparatus. Resistance during a swing can be adjusted by sliding the coupling mechanisms along the support rod to expose more or less of the chute.

A training apparatus includes a panel that forms an obstruction proximate an entrance plane of a goal. The panel has one or more apertures that permit an object passage through the entrance plane of the goal. The training apparatus also includes a rotary assembly coupled to the panel and one or more doors in operable communication with the rotary assembly. The rotary assembly has an axis of rotation and at least one arm that rotates there-about. Each door is located proximate a respective aperture and movable between a closed position and an open position based on motion by the rotary assembly.