GARMENT FOR ATHLETIC TRAINING

Abstract

A garment and its corresponding method of use and assembly provide for improved athletic training. One example described involves a garment having reference indicia for guiding proper movement of a wrestler with respect to an opponent's upper body. Another example described involves a garment having reference indicia for guiding proper movement of a wrestler with respect to an opponent's lower body. Yet another example described involves a garment having reference indicia for guiding proper movement of a football player on offense. Yet another example described involves a garment having reference indicia for guiding proper movement of a football player on defense.

Claims

1. A garment for athletic training comprising: a fabric; and a plurality of reference indicia capable of being positioned across an outer surface of the fabric; wherein one or more of the plurality of reference indicia are capable of indicating to an athlete a location for the athlete to interact with to manipulate movement of an opponent.

2. The garment of claim 1, wherein: a first group of the plurality of reference indicia is defined by a first color; and a second group of the plurality of reference indicia separate from the first group is defined by a second color substantially different from the first color.

3. The garment of claim 1, wherein the fabric is a woven fabric.

4. The garment of claim 3, wherein the woven fabric comprises at least one selected from the group of cotton, polyester and spandex.

5. The garment of claim 2, wherein: the first group is substantially positioned on a left side of the garment; and the second group is substantially positioned on a right side of the garment.

6. The garment of claim 5, further comprising: a third group of reference indicia defined by a third color substantially different from the first and second colors.

7. The garment of claim 6, wherein the third group of reference indicia comprises armpit indicia.

8. The garment of claim 6, wherein the third group of reference indicia comprises upper shoulder indicia.

9. The garment of claim 1, wherein the plurality of reference indicia comprises arm indicia including shoulder indicia, and torso indicia including armpit indicia, a chest indicium, and a back indicium.

10. The garment of claim 9, further comprising an abdomen indicium.

11. The garment of claim 10, wherein the garment comprises a hooded sweatshirt capable of being worn by an athlete for wrestling training.

12. The garment of claim 9, wherein the garment comprises a jersey capable of being worn by an athlete for football training.

13. The garment of claim 11, further comprising a head indicium on a hood of the hooded sweatshirt.

14. The garment of claim 1, wherein the plurality of reference indicia comprises hip indicia, thigh indicia, a glute indicium, and lower leg indicia.

15. The garment of claim 14, wherein the garment comprises pants capable of being worn by an athlete for wrestling training.

16. The garment of claim 1, wherein at least one indicium of the plurality of reference indicia is capable of being detached from and reattached to the garment.

17. The garment of claim 1, wherein at least one indicium of the plurality of reference indicia includes an embedded light.

18. A method for assembling a garment for athletic training comprising: providing a fabric; providing a plurality of reference indicia capable of being positioned across an outer surface of the fabric; and configuring one or more of the plurality of reference indicia to be capable of indicating to an athlete a location for the athlete to interact with to manipulate movement of an opponent.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising: configuring a first group of the plurality of reference indicia to be defined by a first color; and configuring a second group of the plurality of reference indicia separate from the first group to be defined by a second color substantially different from the first color.

20. A garment for athletic training comprising: a fabric; a plurality of reference indicia positioned across an outer surface of the fabric; wherein one or more of the plurality of reference indicia are capable of indicating to an athlete a location for the athlete to apply pressure to manipulate movement of an opponent; wherein one or more indicia of the plurality of reference indicia positioned on a left side of the garment are defined by a first color; wherein one or more indicia of the plurality of reference indicia positioned on a right side of the garment are defined by a second color substantially different from the first color; and wherein at least one indicium is centrally located substantially between the left side and the right side of the garment, and the at least one indicium includes a third color substantially different from the first and second colors.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Novel features and advantages of the present invention, in addition to those expressly mentioned herein, will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The present disclosure is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that different references to an or one embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one.

[0012] FIG. 1 illustrates a front view of an exemplary garment for athletic training wherein a hood is in an upright position;

[0013] FIG. 2 illustrates a rear view of the exemplary garment for athletic training of the FIG. 1 embodiment;

[0014] FIG. 3 illustrates a left-side view of the exemplary garment of the FIG. 1 embodiment, wherein the hood is in a suspended position;

[0015] FIG. 4 illustrates a right-side view of the exemplary garment of the FIG. 3 embodiment;

[0016] FIG. 5 illustrates another front view of the exemplary garment of the FIG. 1 embodiment, wherein the hood is in a suspended position;

[0017] FIG. 6 illustrates a rear view of the exemplary garment of the FIG. 5 embodiment;

[0018] FIG. 7 illustrates a front view of another exemplary garment for athletic training;

[0019] FIG. 8 illustrates a rear view of the exemplary garment for athletic training of the FIG. 7 embodiment;

[0020] FIG. 9 illustrates a right-side view of the exemplary garment of the FIG. 7 embodiment;

[0021] FIG. 10 illustrates a left-side view of the exemplary garment of the FIG. 7 embodiment;

[0022] FIG. 11 illustrates a front view of yet another exemplary garment for athletic training;

[0023] FIG. 12 illustrates a rear view of the exemplary garment for athletic training of the FIG. 11 embodiment;

[0024] FIG. 13 illustrates a front view of an alternative exemplary garment for athletic training; and

[0025] FIG. 14 illustrates a rear view of the exemplary garment for athletic training of the FIG. 13 embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT(S)

[0026] Various embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, specific details such as detailed configuration and components are merely provided to assist the overall understanding of these embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications of the embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions are omitted for clarity and conciseness.

[0027] FIGS. 1-6, generally speaking, illustrate various views of an exemplary garment for athletic training 11 which may be beneficial for promoting proper movement of a wrestling trainee with respect to an upper body of an opponent. FIGS. 7-10, generally speaking, illustrate various views of an exemplary garment for athletic training 41 which may be beneficial for promoting proper movement of a wrestling trainee with respect to a lower body of an opponent. FIGS. 11-12, generally speaking, illustrate various views of an exemplary garment for athletic training 71 which may be beneficial for promoting proper movement of a football player on defense. FIGS. 13-14, generally speaking, illustrate various views of an exemplary garment for athletic training 91 which may be beneficial for promoting proper movement of a football player on offense.

[0028] It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the various embodiments illustrated and described herein are in no way exhaustive of the scope of the present invention, and training for various other sports and/or other athletic endeavors not specifically mentioned herein may be promoted by an exemplary embodiment. It will also be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that certain athletic techniques described herein are in no way exhaustive of the scope of the present invention, and descriptions of said techniques may be abbreviated herein for conciseness and/or clarity.

[0029] Referring now to FIGS. 1-6, an exemplary garment 11 may comprise a shirt 8 (e.g., a hooded sweatshirt) having a plurality of reference indicia (e.g., 2, 6, 14) positioned across an outer surface of the garment 11. Garment 11 material may comprise any number of different woven fabrics such as cotton, polyester, spandex, speedo, some combination thereof, or the like. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that any number of different materials or combinations thereof may be employed to define an exemplary garment without departing from the scope of the present invention. This particular garment 11 may be beneficial for promoting proper technique of a wrestler with respect to the upper body of an opponent. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the terms wrestler, wrestling and the like, as used herein, are in no way meant to be limited to Folkstyle/freestyle or Greco-Roman wrestling. The embodiment shown and similar exemplary embodiments may be advantageous for training in any number of different combat sports, including for example various mixed martial arts sports.

[0030] Various reference indicia (e.g., 2, 14, 18, 22, 26) on a left side of the garment 11 may be defined by a first color, and various reference indicia (e.g., 4, 16, 20, 28, 30) on a right side of the garment 11 may be defined by a second color (color coordinated). Color coordination may assist trainees in distinguishing left from right as meant by an instructor referring to left-side versus right-side movement when directing action of the trainee(s). Without color coordination, left versus right, as verbalized by the instructor, may be ambiguous since it often has different meaning based on one's perspective. An instructor may alternatively or additionally refer to left versus right side by color (e.g., red side versus blue side), which may be particularly helpful with younger athletes. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that there may be any number of different techniques employed for grouping reference markers by color to represent associations between certain reference markers without necessarily departing from the scope of the present invention. It will also be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that various embodiments of the present invention are in no way limited to any particular color or combination of colors. The use of red and blue herein is merely for illustrative purposes only.

[0031] A centrally oriented reference indicium 6 on the front of the garment 11, or chest indicium 6, may provide both functional and aesthetic benefits. The chest indicium 6 may be defined by a team logo, brand logo, corresponding colors thereof, or the like, although such is not required. The chest indicium 6 may also act as an area of reference for various athletic moves/techniques. As a non-limiting example, the chest indicium 6 may define a target area for a trainee to place one's head when attempting a certain takedown (gaining control of an opponent by tackling, tripping, throwing, some combination thereof, or the like) wrestling maneuver. An instructor may direct a trainee to place one's head at the chest indicium 6 of the garment 11 to initiate said maneuver. As a specific, non-limiting example, for a trainee to perform a takedown known as a double leg blast, an instructor may direct the trainee to place one's head at the chest indicium 6, wrap one's arms around the opponent's legs, and thereafter tackle the opponent to gain control of the opponent. As another specific, non-limiting example where both the trainee and the trainee's opponent (also referred to herein as a partner in the context of training) are wearing the exemplary garment 11, the trainee may be directed to maintain a substantially consistent height and angle between the trainee's chest indicium 6 and the opponent's chest indicium 6 to prevent the opponent from gaining a competitive advantage over the trainee.

[0032] Opposite of the chest indicium 6 may be a centrally oriented reference indicium 38 on the rear side of the garment 11, or back indicium 38. The back indicium 38 may be substantially similar in size to the chest indicium 6. The back indicium 38 may be positioned between the shoulder blades of the individual wearing the garment 11. Similar to the chest indicium 6, the back indicium 38 may provide both functional and aesthetic benefits. The back indicium 38 may include a logo similar to the front logo indicium surrounded by a white rectangle, but such is not required.

[0033] As a non-limiting example of a functional benefit, the back indicium 38 may provide a trainee an area of reference for where to position one's self to leverage (manipulate movement of) an opponent. Where both a trainee and the trainee's opponent are wearing an exemplary garment 11, an instructor may direct the trainee to establish contact between the trainee's chest indicium 6 and one's ear, and the opponent's back indicium 38 as the trainee moves to achieve a proper referee position (a common starting position in wrestling when the opponent is on one's hands and knees). Said position may permit the trainee to effectively manipulate movement of the opponent. The back indicium 38 may also indicate to a trainee where to place one's fist to engage in a proper arm bar (a wrestling move involving immobilization of an opponent's arm). An arm bar may become illegal if the fist of the athlete performing the arm bar moves away from the center of the opponent's back.

[0034] An abdominally oriented reference indicium 24, or abdomen indicium 24 may be positioned directly below the chest indicium 6. The abdomen indicium 24 may also be defined by a logo, but such is not required. A wrestling trainee may be directed to apply pressure to the abdomen indicium 24 and chest indicum 6 to leverage an opponent by engaging the opponent's center of gravity. The abdomen indicium 24 may be positioned over the belly button of an individual wearing the garment 11, and may be approximately half the size of the chest indicium 6. Indicia 6, 24 and 38 may each be substantially rectangular in shape, though such is not necessarily required. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the various names and shapes given to the various indicia described herein are merely illustrative, and are in no way exhaustive of the scope of the present invention. Variations to said names and/or shapes may be made without necessarily departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0035] The abdomen indicium 24 may function to, by way of example and not limitation, indicate an area of reference on the opponent for the trainee to contact to take down the opponent, indicate an area of reference on the trainee for the trainee to align with the opponent's back to achieve a referee position, some combination thereof, or the like. Reference indica may also be included substantially at each wrist (e.g., wrist indicia 26, 30), each hip (e.g., hip indicia 22, 28), each oblique and/or lower rib cage (e.g., lower rib cage indicia 18, 20), each upper arm (e.g., upper arm indicia 14, 16), each forearm (e.g., forearm indicia 32, 34), the head (e.g., head indicium 36) each armpit and/or upper rib cage (e.g., armpit indicia 10, 12), and each shoulder (e.g., shoulder indicia 2, 4). Each reference indicium may be assigned a color (e.g., color coordinated based on whether the indicium is positioned on the left side, right side, or center of the garment 11), and an instructor may direct trainee activity by referring to type of indicia and color thereof. Indicia 2, 4, 14, 16, 26, 30, 32, 34 are illustrative examples of exemplary arm indicia, and indicia 6, 10, 12, 18, 20, 22, 24, 28, 38 are illustrative examples of exemplary torso indicia.

[0036] A lower body garment (e.g., 41 in FIGS. 7-10) may be configured for use together with the exemplary upper body garment 11 of FIGS. 1-6. The lower body garment 41 may be similarly color coordinated with respect to the upper body garment 11. As a non-limiting example, an opponent's left-side indicia may be red, right-side indicia may be blue, and centrally positioned indicia may be black. Referring now to FIGS. 1-2 and 7-8, as a non-limiting example, the instructor may direct a trainee to achieve a specific move by placing one's red wrist 26 on a partner's black abdomen indicium 24, one's blue wrist 30 on the partner's blue upper arm 16, and one's leg with red indicia (e.g., 40, 44, 50, 54, 58) behind the partner, specifically the red knee 54 behind the partner's tailbone (e.g., pant glute indicium 62, which may be substantially similar in appearance to indicia 6 and 38). Following the lesson, the trainee may recall, e.g., that for subsequent iterations of the move, the red knee 54 must cover the opponent's glute indicium 62. The instructor may direct the trainee to perform subsequent moves and/or achieve subsequent positions based on indicia and color associations. Even where a trainee forgets certain steps for executing a particular move, corrective action of an instructor may be streamlined by the trainee remembering certain details (e.g., the red knee 54 must cover the glute indicum 62) as opposed to lacking any recollection of how a move is performed.

[0037] Referring back to FIGS. 1-6, armpit indicia 10, 12 may guide proper head, chin, and the like placement of a trainee, such as for performing takedowns. The head indicium 36 may be centrally located on the back of a sweatshirt 8 hood. When an individual wearing the garment 11 has the hood positioned in an upright position, the head indicium 36 may be located proximate to the crown of the back of the individual's head. In a non-limiting example, the trainee may be directed to place one's head indicium 36 proximate to an armpit indicium 10, 12 of an opponent, and may then be directed to wrap one's arms around a leg of the opponent to execute a takedown.

[0038] As another non-limiting example, the trainee may be directed to place one's arm through an opponent's armpit (e.g., indicium 10), and place one's hand on the opponent's head (e.g., denoted by head indicium 36) to establish leverage in being able to flip the opponent from the opponent's stomach to the opponent's back. The armpit indicia 10, 12 may be defined by circles of another color different from the other indicia colors. Said color may permit the armpit indicia 10, 12 to be more readily identified by both trainees and instructors, given that a great number of wrestling moves may involve engaging the armpit indicia 10, 12. In certain embodiments, the head indicium 36 may be defined by a first color identical to wrist indicium 26 and a second color identical to wrist indicium 30, to, e.g., represent to a trainee the importance of contacting an opponent's head indicium 36 with one or more hands. As a specific, non-limiting example, the head indicium 36 may be defined by circle having the same color as one wrist indicium, wherein the circle is surrounding by a ring having the same color as the other wrist indicium.

[0039] An instructor may direct proper movement of a trainee's arms by, e.g., referencing forearm indicia 32, 34, upper arm indicia 14, 16, shoulder indicia 2, 4 and/or wrist indicia 26, 30. By way of example and not limitation, the instructor may direct the trainee to perform ties (using one's arms to manipulate movement of the opponent, such as by positioning one or both arms inside the arm(s) of the opponent) on an opponent by guiding positioning of the trainee's arms using references to various indicia. The instructor may, for example, direct the trainee to use one's red wrist indicia 26 hand and grasp the opponent's red wrist indicia 26, and thereafter use one's blue wrist indicia 30 hand to grasp the opponent's arm proximate to red upper arm indicia 14 to initiate a move referred to as a two on one. Upper arm indicia 14, 16 may represent where a trainee should place one's hands to establish control of an opponent while in the referee position. The instructor may also direct the trainee to place one's chin proximate to certain arm indicia (e.g., 32) for performing certain maneuvers. References to wrist indicia 26, 30 may be particularly advantageous for teaching a trainee how to properly establish wrist control of an opponent (grasping an opponent's wrist(s) to manipulate movement of the opponent), which is important to proper execution of a significant number of different wrestling moves.

[0040] Lower rib cage indicia 18, 20 may indicate to a trainee where to place one's head when performing certain maneuvers (e.g., cradle maneuvers). As a non-limiting example, indicium 18 or 20 may identify to a trainee where to place one's head in order to pivot and lock arms around the opponent. As another non-limiting example, indicium 18 or 20 may identify to a trainee where to place one's hands or wrists to execute certain moves (e.g., trainee's red wrist 26 may be directed to the opponent's red rib cage 18 to execute a tight waist). An instructor may reference hip indicia 22, 28 to direct proper hip positioning of the trainee. Proper hip positioning may be particularly important for escaping certain offensive maneuvers of an opponent (e.g., performing an inside standup maneuver). A trainee may also be directed to put pressure on an opponent's hips (e.g., at 22, 28) to escape certain maneuvers. Shoulder indicia 2, 4 may indicate to a trainee where to place one's limbs or chin to promote certain controls of the opponent. By way of example and not limitation, a trainee may be directed to place a forearm (e.g., represented by forearm indicium 32 or 34) proximate to a shoulder indicium (e.g., 2, 4) and parallel with certain other reference indicia before attempting a certain control, tie, and/or takedown maneuver.

[0041] Referring now to FIGS. 7-10, an exemplary garment 41 may comprise pants (e.g., sweatpants 48) having a plurality of reference indicia (e.g., 40, 44, 50) positioned across an outer surface of the pants 48. Garment 41 material may comprise any number of different woven fabrics. This particular garment 41 may be beneficial for promoting proper technique of a wrestler with respect to the lower body of an opponent. Various reference indicia (e.g., 40, 44, 50, 54, 58) on a left side of the garment 41 may be defined by a first color, and various reference indicia (e.g., 42, 46, 52, 56, 60) on a right side of the garment 41 may be defined by a second color to promote ease of side recognition by a trainee. By way of example and not limitation, reference indicia on the left side of the garment 41 may be red, and reference indicia on the right side of the garment 41 may be blue. Referring to FIGS. 1-10, the various reference indicia on the pants 48 may be color coordinated by right side versus left side similar to the color coordination of the indicia on the sweatshirt 8.

[0042] When an athlete is wearing both garment 11 and garment 41, hip indicia 22, 28 on garment 11 may be positioned adjacent, respectively, to hip indicia 40, 42 on garment 41. Thus, an athlete having garment 11 fully or partially tucked into garment 41 may still have hip indicia (e.g., 40, 42) visible and accessible to a training partner. The presence of hip indicia on both garment 11 and garment 41 may permit any number of different athletes of any number of different sizes, and having any number of different shirt tucking preferences, to maintain visible and accessible hip indicia. Where an opponent is wearing garment 41, hip indicia 40, 42 may, for example, indicate to a trainee where the trainee is to grab the opponent to maintain the referee position, place an elbow to attempt an inside stand-up while the trainee is initially positioned below the opponent, some combination thereof, or the like.

[0043] One or more indicia of garment 41 may include a team logo, brand logo, corresponding colors thereof, or the like (e.g., similar to an optional logo of indicia 6 and/or 38), but such is not required. Referring to the FIG. 8 embodiment, a glute indicium 62 may include a logo. Referring again to FIGS. 1-10, indicia 6, 38, 62 may each include a large logo to assist a trainee in readily identifying where to properly line up on an opponent to manipulate movement of the opponent, such as in the referee position. Glute indicium 62 may, for example, indicate to a trainee where to align oneself to execute the referee position, where to apply pressure with one's knee to drive an opponent forward, some combination thereof, or the like.

[0044] Knee indicia 54, 56 may each surround a portion of a leg of the individual wearing the garment 41 at a knee of the individual or in close proximity to the knee. In certain embodiments, each knee indicium 54, 56 may be positioned slightly above a knee. An instructor may refer to knee indicia 54, 56 to direct proper knee placement of a trainee, which may be particularly important to a significant number of different wrestling moves. As a non-limiting example, an instructor may direct a trainee to engage in proper referee position form by instructing the trainee to establish contact between one of the trainee's knee indicia (e.g., trainee's blue side knee 56) and the opponent's corresponding knee indicia (e.g., opponent's blue side knee 56). Knee placement may also be particularly important for performing certain takedowns. A takedown may involve placement of a forearm indicium 32, 34 at or near a knee indicum 54, 56. Forearm indicia 32, 34 and knee indicia 54, 56 may be defined by similar shapes to emphasize to a trainee the importance of correct forearm placement on a knee of a leg being targeted for performing a takedown. Furthermore, in the embodiment show, each knee indicium 54, 56 extends around an entire circumference of a pant leg, but such is not necessarily required in other embodiments.

[0045] Referring specifically to FIGS. 7-10, front thigh indicia 44, 46 on the front side of the garment 41 may each be centrally oriented on each pant leg below a hip indicium 40, 42, and above a knee indicum 54, 56. A trainee may be directed to position one's knee (e.g., red knee 54 or blue knee 56) on and apply pressure to a front thigh indicium 44, 46 of an opponent to manipulate movement of the opponent, such as, for example, when executing a tilt technique. Inner thigh indicia 50, 52 may each be positioned between a front thigh indicum 44, 46 and a knee indium 54, 56 along an inner thigh of the individual wearing the garment 41. The hip indicia 40, 42 may be substantially semicircular in shape, the front thigh indicia 44, 46 may be substantially rectangular in shape, and the inner thigh indicia 50, 52 may be substantially oval in shape, but such is not required.

[0046] The inner thigh indicia 50, 52 may be beneficial for identifying to a trainee where to place one's arms/hand(s) on an opponent to prevent the opponent from standing up. Specifically, for the trainee to execute a move known as a thigh pry, the trainee may be directed to, while in the referee position, use one's hands to apply pressure to an inner thigh indicium 50, 52 to, e.g., restrict movement of the opponent's hips, making it difficult for the opponent to stand up. Alternatively or additionally, the trainee may be directed to apply pressure with a knee (e.g., identified by an instructor as red knee 54 or blue knee 56) to the opponent's front thigh (e.g., identified by an instructor as red front thigh 44 or blue front thigh 46) while applying pressure with one's hands to the opponent's inner thigh (e.g., identified by an instructor as red inner thigh 50 or blue inner thigh 52). This particular technique may be beneficial for helping an athlete avoid being taken down by an opponent. An instructor may direct a trainee to perform a whizzer technique, which is another technique which may be beneficial for helping an athlete avoid being taken down by an opponent, by, e.g., instructing the trainee to wrap one's right arm around the opponent's left arm, and then place a hand on an inner thigh indicia 50, 52.

[0047] Ankle indicia 58, 60 may each be positioned below a knee indicium 54, 56 at the bottom of each pant leg. Each ankle indicium 58, 60 may surround a portion of the athlete's leg at or near an ankle. Ankle indicia 58, 60 may be beneficial for identifying to a trainee how to use one's own ankle and/or target an opponent's ankle to perform a variety of moves. As a non-limiting example, where both the trainee and the trainee's partner are wearing an exemplary garment 41, the trainee may be directed to use one's red or blue hand (corresponding to red wrist indicia 26 or blue wrist indicia 30) and grasp the opponent's red ankle indicium 58 or blue ankle indicium 60 (such as to perform a takedown).

[0048] Rear thigh indicia 64, 66 may be positioned below the glute indicium 62 and above the inner thigh indicia 50, 52 on the rear side of pants 48. The rear thigh indicia 64, 66 may extend across the entire rear side of the pants 48 proximate to the lower glutes of the athlete wearing garment 41, but such is not necessarily required. Rear thigh indicia 64, 66 may indicate to a trainee where to apply pressure on an opponent for performing certain takedowns. Referring to FIGS. 6 and 8, a trainee may be directed to position each forearm indicia 32, 34 (which may be a substantially similar shape to that of each rear thigh indicia 64, 66) on and parallel to a rear thigh indicium 64, 66 before attempting to take down an opponent. Indicia 44, 46, 50, 52, 64, 66 are illustrative examples of exemplary thigh indicia, and indicia 54, 56, 58, 60 are illustrative examples of exemplary lower leg indicia.

[0049] Referring now to FIGS. 11-12, an exemplary garment 71 may comprise a jersey (e.g., a football jersey) having a plurality of reference indicia (e.g., 68, 76, 82) positioned across an outer surface of the garment 71. Garment 71 material may comprise any number of different woven fabrics. This particular garment 71 may be beneficial for promoting proper technique of a football player playing a position on defense. Various reference indicia (e.g., 68, 72, 76, 80) on a left side of the garment 71 may be defined by a first color, and various reference indicia (e.g., 70, 74, 78, 82) on a right side of the garment 71 may be defined by a second color to promote ease of side recognition by a trainee. The exemplary garment 71 may be worn by a player-opponent playing offensive lineman for training a trainee playing defensive lineman.

[0050] Upper shoulder indicia 68, 70 may be positioned above a shoulder pad (not shown) of an athlete wearing the garment 71, and adjacent to a collar of the garment 71. Where a trainee's partner is wearing the garment 71, the upper shoulder indicia 68, 70 may indicate to the trainee where to place one's hands and apply pressure to execute certain defense maneuvers, including by way of example and not limitation, block avoidance and/or pass rush techniques (e.g., swim move). An instructor may direct a trainee to perform the swim move by, e.g., instructing the trainee to press on the upper shoulder indicia 68, 70 of one's training partner with one's outside arms, and move the partner aside to, e.g., create a path towards the individual holding the football. Upper shoulder indicia 68, 70 may be rectangular in shape, although such is not required. The upper shoulder indicia 68, 70 may also be a different color from other reference indicia on garment 71 to help an athlete (and/or an instructor) narrow one's focus on the upper shoulder indicia 68, 70, given the high level of importance of said indicia 68, 70 to various block avoidance and/or pash rush techniques.

[0051] Mid-shoulder indicia 72, 74 may each be positioned above an armpit indicium (76 or 78, respectively) and below an upper shoulder indicium (68 or 70, respectively). Where a trainee's partner is wearing the garment 71, the mid-shoulder indicia 68, 70 may indicate to the trainee where to place one's hands and apply pressure to execute certain defense maneuvers, including by way of example and not limitation, outside hand extension, club hand placement, shock and snap, and the like maneuvers. A trainee may be directed to, for example, grasp a mid-shoulder indicium (72 or 74) of an opponent and extend one's arm to manipulate movement of an opponent's outer shoulders. Chest indicia 80, 82 may be positioned on a central portion of a front side of the garment 71 (e.g., at a central chest and abdominal area), and may each be substantially rectangular in shape, although such is not required. Chest indicia 80, 82 may, for example, indicate to a trainee where to place one's second hand while the first hand grasps the mid-shoulder indicium (72 or 74) to manipulate movement of the opponent (e.g., as part of a club maneuver or shock and snap maneuver). As another non-limiting example, chest indicia 80, 82 may indicate to a trainee where to apply significant pressure in an attempt to disrupt an opponent's center of gravity.

[0052] The armpit indicia 76, 78 may each be positioned proximate to an armpit of the individual wearing garment 71. The armpit indicia 76, 78 may indicate to a trainee where to place one's hand(s) and apply pressure to execute certain defense maneuvers, including by way of example and not limitation, where to apply pressure in efforts to stop an opponent from gaining a positional advantage, where to apply pressure to knock an opponent off balance, some combination thereof, or the like. As a specific non-limiting example, a trainee may be directed to apply pressure to both an armpit indicium (e.g., 76) and a chest indicium (e.g., 80) to rotate an opponent away from a desired rush pathway of the trainee. The trainee may also be directed to bring each hand back towards one's body while grasping said indicia (e.g., 76, 80) to compromise the balance of one's opponent (shock and snap maneuver). Alternatively, or additionally, an instructor may direct a trainee to perform a shock and snap maneuver by grasping both chest indicia 80, 82, and bringing each hand back towards one's body while grasping said indicia 80, 82 to compromise the balance of one's opponent. An instructor may also direct the trainee to rotate one's hips during the shock and snap maneuver to establish a positional advantage.

[0053] Rear armpit indicia 84, 86 may each, respectively, extend from the armpit indicia 80, 82 on the front side of the garment 71 across a portion of the rear side of the garment 71. A back indicium 88 may extend between the rear armpit indicia 84, 86. The rear armpit indicia 84, 86 may further indicate to a trainee where to apply pressure to execute certain defense maneuvers, including, by way of example and not limitation, the club maneuver, maneuvers compromising the balance of the opponent, other pass rush maneuvers, some combination thereof, or the like. As a specific, non-limiting example, an instructor may direct a trainee to bend one's arms and apply upward pressure at rear-armpit indicia 84, 86 to compromise an opponent's ability to continue blocking the defensive player-trainee. As another specific, non-limiting example, applying significant pressure to one of the two rear armpit indicia (e.g., 84) may contribute to the opponent-blocker having trouble maintaining one's balance and/or desired angle of attack.

[0054] The back indicium 88 may provide both functional and aesthetic benefits. The back indicium 88 may be defined by a team logo, brand logo, corresponding colors thereof, or the like, and may also act as an area of reference for various athletic moves/techniques. As a non-limiting example of a functional benefit of the back indicium 88, the back indicium 88 may indicate to a trainee where to place one's hands when performing certain pass rush maneuvers (and may likewise indicate to a coach/instructor whether the trainee's hands are in the correct position). A club maneuver may involve the defensive player-trainee swinging an open hand towards the back indicium 88 to angle and maneuver the offensive player-opponent blocking the defensive player away from the desired path of the defensive player. Where the trainee is also wearing garment 71, the back indicium 88 of trainee's garment becomes covered by the offensive player-opponent (e.g., such that where a coach is able to view the trainee's back indicium 88, the coach may determine that club maneuver has not been performed correctly). Indicia 68, 70, 72, 74 are illustrative examples of exemplary arm indicia, and indicia 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88 are illustrative examples of exemplary torso indicia.

[0055] Referring now to FIGS. 13-14, an exemplary garment 91 may comprise a jersey (e.g., a football jersey) having a plurality of reference indicia (e.g., 92, 94, 98) positioned across an outer surface of the garment 91. Garment 91 material may comprise any number of different woven fabrics. This particular garment 91 may be beneficial for promoting proper technique of a football player playing a position on offense. Various reference indicia (e.g., 90, 94, 98, 102) on a left side of the garment 91 may be defined by a first color, and various reference indicia (e.g., 92, 96, 100, 104) on a right side of the garment 91 may be defined by a second color to promote ease of side recognition by a trainee. The exemplary garment 91 may be worn by a player-opponent playing defensive lineman for training a trainee playing offensive lineman.

[0056] Chest indicia 98, 100 may be positioned on a central portion of a front side of the garment 91 (e.g., at a central chest and abdominal area), and may each be substantially rectangular in shape, although such is not required. Chest indicia 98, 100 may, for example, indicate to a trainee where to place one's hands for performing various blocking maneuvers, certain non-limiting examples of which are described below.

[0057] Shoulder indicia 90, 92 may each be positioned over a shoulder pad (not shown) between an armpit indicium (e.g., 94 or 96) and a collar of the garment 91. The shoulder indicia 90, 92 may indicate to an offensive lineman trainee where to apply pressure on a defensive player-opponent to execute certain blocking maneuvers, including, by way of example and not limitation, common reach blocks, double team blocks, pass blocking, some combination thereof, or the like. As a specific, non-limiting example, an instructor may direct a trainee to grasp a shoulder indicium (90 or 92) and a mid-torso indicium (98 or 100), and thereafter extend one's arm at the shoulder indicium (90 or 92) to turn the defensive player-opponent's body away from the opponent's desired direction of attack. As another non-limiting example, for a double team block, two offensive players may each be directed to apply pressure to each shoulder indicium 90, 92 and chest indicum 98, 100 of the defensive player-opponent. As yet another non-limiting example, for a pass block maneuver, an offensive player may be directed to grasp a shoulder indicium (90 or 92) and rotate one's hand towards the opponent's helmet to, e.g., manipulate the direction of movement of the opponent.

[0058] Armpit indicia 94, 96 may each be positioned proximate to an armpit of the individual wearing garment 91. The armpit indicia 94, 96 may indicate to a trainee where to place one's hand(s) and apply pressure to execute certain blocking maneuvers, including by way of example and not limitation, a base black, a wrap block, pass block, some combination thereof, or the like. For a base block or wrap block, the trainee may be directed to apply pressure to both an armpit indicium (94 or 96) and a chest indicium (98 or 100) to move a defender-opponent away from the path of the football. For a pass block, the trainee may be directed to grasp an armpit indicium (94 or 96) and rotate one's hand towards the ground in an effort to prevent the defender from disrupting a passing play.

[0059] Lateral indicia 102, 104 may each be positioned at or above a hip of the individual wearing garment 91, below an armpit indicium 94, 96. The armpit indicia 94, 96 may indicate to a trainee where to place one's hand(s) and apply pressure to execute certain blocking maneuvers, including by way of example and not limitation, kick out blocks, pass blocks, some combination thereof, or the like. For a kick out block, a trainee may be directed to grasp a lateral indicium (102 or 104) and an armpit indicium (94 or 96) there above and apply pressure thereto to maneuver the defender-opponent away from the football. For a pass block, a trainee may be directed to grasp a lateral indicium (102 or 104) and rotate one's hand towards the opponent's helmet to manipulate the direction of movement of the defender (e.g., to cause the defender to run past the quarterback).

[0060] Reference indicia 106 and 108, respectively, are portions of shoulder indicia 92 and 90 extending from the front of the garment 91 across a portion of the rear of the garment. Reference indicia 112 and 114, respectively, are portions of lateral indicia 104 and 102 extending from the front of the garment 91 across a portion of the rear of the garment. A back indicium 110 may be positioned at the center of the rear of the garment 91 (e.g., proximate to an area between the shoulder blades of an individual wearing the garment 91). The back indicium 110 may provide both functional and aesthetic benefits. The back indicium 110 may be defined by a team logo, brand logo, corresponding colors thereof, or the like, and may also act as an area of reference for various athletic moves/techniques. As a non-limiting example of a functional benefit of back indicium 110, the back indicium 110 may indicate to a trainee where to place one's hands when performing certain blocking maneuvers (and may likewise indicate to a coach/instructor whether the trainee's hands are in the correct position). A non-limiting blocking maneuver includes swinging an arm around the shoulder indicium (106 or 108) and back indicium 110 of a defender who has passed the offensive player-trainee. Indicia 90, 92 are illustrative examples of exemplary arm indicia, and indicia 94, 96, 98, 100, 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, 114 are illustrative examples of exemplary torso indicia.

[0061] Referring to FIGS. 1-14, it is not necessarily required that any marker is printed on, sewn into, or otherwise permanently positioned on an exemplary fabric of an exemplary garment. Alternative to or in addition to permanent positioning of exemplary markers on an exemplary garment, certain exemplary markers may be configured to be detached from and reattached to an exemplary garment. As a non-limiting example, an exemplary marker may be detached from and reattached to an exemplary garment by way of hook and loop fastening. Permitting adjustment of an exact position of a marker may promote the practice of a greater number of different moves involving one or more athletes of any number of different sizes. By way of example and not limitation, a trainee may detach the chest indicium 6 of garment 11 and position said indicium 6 higher on one's torso to accommodate training with a taller partner. Furthermore, certain embodiments may include lights on any of said indicia which may, e.g., light up in the sequence through which a trainee is to apply pressure to said indicia. The lights may comprise one or more LEDs, each of which may be embedded in the fabric of an exemplary garment, and the LEDs may be controlled by a remote. As a non-limiting example, and instructor may use the remote to direct a light-up sequence to direct where and when a trainee is to apply pressure on an opponent. Alternatively, or additionally, a light-up sequence may be automated (e.g., using a computer).

[0062] It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that reference indicia of an exemplary garment may be defined by any number of different shapes, images, designs, logos, some combination thereof, or the like of any number of different sizes without necessarily departing from the scope of the present invention. It will further be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the placement of indicia on embodiments illustrated and described herein is not meant to be exhaustive of the scope of the present invention, and variations to the precise location of certain indicia may be made without necessarily departing from the scope of the present invention. It will also be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that certain reference indicia illustrated and described herein may be excluded from an exemplary garment without necessarily departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0063] Any embodiment of the present invention may include any of the features of the other embodiments of the present invention. The exemplary embodiments herein disclosed are not intended to be exhaustive or to unnecessarily limit the scope of the invention. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the present invention so that others skilled in the art may practice the invention. Having shown and described exemplary embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art will realize that many variations and modifications may be made to the described invention. Many of those variations and modifications will provide the same result and fall within the spirit of the claimed invention. It is the intention, therefore, to limit the invention only as indicated by the scope of the claims.