Dribbling and ball control sports training system and method

Abstract

A sports training method is described comprising the following steps: classifying the dribbling and ball or puck control motions into modular predetermined motion sequences according to the sensomotor and technical skills developed, evaluating athlete's skill level in relation to dribbling and ball or puck control in a specific sport; transmitting to the athlete the information regarding predetermined motion sequences according to the diagnosed skill level; developing dribbling technique and key sensomotor skills; developing dribbling creativity and innovation in the athlete; sequentially performing the predetermined motion sequences in individual or group dynamics; monitoring and evaluating the performance of the athlete as pertains to his/her ability to perform the predetermined motion sequences and updating the knowledge base of the training method so that the sports training method is never obsolete or is outgrown by athlete. A sports training system is also described comprising means for classifying different dribbling and ball control motions into modular predetermined motion sequences according to the sensomotor and technical skills developed, means for indicating the positioning of feet and ball, means for developing specific sports skills related to dribbling and ball control motions and also the sensomotor skills required in most sports, such as balance, accuracy, flexibility, speed, and strength, means for integrating the sense of rhythm, means for communicating the predetermined sequences to the athlete, means for monitoring and evaluation, means for rehabilitating sports injuries and means for updating and increasing the knowledge base of the training system.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Field of Invention

This invention relates to methods and systems for training athletes, and especially, for training athletes in the skills of dribbling and ball or puck control, related, but not limited, to soccer, basketball, hockey, and other similar sports.

2. Background Information

Sports like soccer and basketball are among the most popular games in the world and are enjoyed by hundreds of millions of fans and enthusiasts. In the United States, soccer currently enjoys a rapid growth.

There are numerous approaches for training athletes. In soccer, basketball, and hockey, these training methods generally use drills for teaching the athlete those abilities required in the game through repetition. As with most sports, the mastery of these skills needs many years of performing countless drills.

Nowadays, the relative success of the training methods is based on the athlete's ability to replicate, in a game situation, a learned motion taught in a drill situation.

There is a need to develop better training methods that make it easier, natural and intuitive for the athlete, regardless of skill, level or age, to learn and master dribbling and ball control skills, including the most complicated, the so-called fantasy dribbling movements.

According to learning theory, a much more efficient training method would develop creativity in the athlete so that new movements can be improvised beside the replication of the drills.

This can be achieved through training methods that foster creativity in the athlete which is done by including steps in the method that allow and encourage the athletes to go beyond the predetermined motion paths learned in drill situations in order to innovate and, thereby, creating their own sequences. Creativity is a key word in the development of better athletes.

Thus, the learning process of the training method should have as its foundation the development of creativity and innovation on the part of the athlete, so that the athlete is capable not only of replicating the drills, but also of innovating and performing new moves that today's truly great athletes display, creating new moves that appear almost impossible to duplicate and are labeled magical.

This training method should be designed to be used by both the 5-year-old beginner and the professional expert athlete.

Today's best players not only excel in the technical skills particular to the specific sport they practice but they are also better all-around athletes. Sports science has identified in the 20th and 21st centuries the essential sensomotor skills for playing most sports, such as balance, resistance, flexibility (range of motion), strength and speed, the development of which makes for better all-around athletes. Thus, there is a need for training methods that develop both the technical abilities specific to each sport and those for developing better all-around athletes

Furthermore, there is an urgent need for a dribbling training method that identifies and classifies the different dribbling and ball control motions performed in sports such as soccer, basketball and hockey. These become the building blocks around which the training system is structured and the foundation for developing creativity in the athlete. Through observation and analysis, the dribbling movements of an athlete can be identified, classified and then organized in the most appropriate way for learning, mastering and applying them in real game situations. The classification of the predetermined motions should be done according to the sensomotor and technical skills that each of those predetermined motions develops such as balance, strength, speed, endurance, flexibility and the different levels of proficiency in technical dribbling abilities.

The classification of said motion sequences should render a training method that is modular in structure which, from an instructive perspective, basically means that all of its different learning units can be interconnected. In the case of a dribbling training method, the learning units refer to the different sequences of dribbling and ball control movements which have been identified and classified. The interconnection means that there's always a point of reference which all of them have in common and that joins them all. From a didactic perspective, this point of reference among all the dribbling sequences makes the learning process more natural. From a mathematical point of view, the fact that the motion sequences can be interconnected maximizes the number of resulting combinations, and thus, the athlete in a real game situation multiplies his/her dribbling possibilities.

One of the key sports science concepts that has been identified as a requisite for achieving success in sports is the development of 100% symmetry or laterality in the athlete. This means that the athlete is equally skillful dribbling with both legs, right and left, in soccer, or both arms in the case of basketball. Laterality results in the development of an athlete which is more resourceful since the athlete can dribble around a player of the opposing team with equal ease using the right or left leg.

Another one of the objectives of sports training methods should be the development of the ideal muscle memory in the athlete. The ideal muscle memory is defined as that motion performed by the athlete which is both functional and efficient. The functional part refers to those motions that are technically correct. The efficient refers to those motions that are performed with the least amount of effort exerted by the athlete.

A better dribbling training method should integrate steps for mastering the spatial-temporal relationship of the three physical elements involved in dribbling: the ball or puck, the athlete's own body, and the body of the player in the opposing team around which the athlete has to dribble. The training method should even take this concept one step further in order to develop the rhythmic capacity in the athlete to master, from a spatio-temporal viewpoint, the dynamic relationship between these three elements.

This rhythmic skill differentiates the good players from the truly great as is obvious from seeing any of the great basketball or soccer players move on the court or field.

The training system should use different formats for transmitting the training information from the system to the athlete. Such formats may be manuals, printed cards, video, audio, multimedia, internet websites or wireless portable media. This guarantees a training system that can be used anywhere, anytime by anyone since it accounts for the disparity in the levels of access to technology that exists in different parts of the world since athletes do not always have access to computers, cellular telephones or the internet.

There is a need for powerful training systems designed in such a way so as they do not become obsolete or are outgrown by the athlete. The training system should have the technological capabilities so that its knowledge base can be frequently and easily updated, always presenting new and fresh information to the athlete. Nowadays, this is possible through the integration of state-of-the-art communications technology, especifically the internet and mobile wireless media, such as cellular telephones, personal digital assistants (such as Palms and Blackberrys) and I-pods. Through the use of this technology, the most recent information can be uploaded to the knowledge base of the training method from as many sources as possible in different corners of the world. The graphical user interface (GUI) of these communications media should be simple, intuitive and friendly.

There is a need for powerful training systems that are portable and compact for transportation.

Nowadays, the reliance of most sports on speed and power accounts for an increase in the number of injuries being suffered. There is a need for developing training methods that allow the athlete to continue training while they rehabilitate the injuries of the specific muscle groups used in sports like soccer, basketball and hockey and in parts such as toes, ankles, calves, shin muscles, hamstrings, knees, thighs and lower back

An effective training method must also include a sequence whose steps are of the following nature: diagnosis of actual skill level, learning process (predetermined motion paths), development of creativity in the athlete, monitoring and evaluation.

The prior art reveals the existence of numerous sports video games whose sole purpose is entertainment. Although some skills important to the practice of sports such as foot-eye coordination can be improved by playing these video games, the ultimate objective of these products is not training athletes since they were never conceived or structured to be didactic devices and so, they are very limited in their scope as training methods that develop sports skills.

The prior art also describes dance mats based on stepping paths. These mats, however, do not help in the development of sports-specific skills or enable the systematic and structured exercise of those muscle groups needed in the practice of soccer, basketball, hockey or similar sports.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is a first object of the present to provide a sports training system and method for training an athlete in dribbling and ball or puck control.

The dribbling and ball control sports training system develops both the technical skills required for dribbling and the sensomotor abilities required in most sports such as balance, resistance, flexibility, speed, and strength.

These objectives are achieved through steps that foster creativity in the athlete by means of predetermined motion paths on a surface marked with visual indicia that indicate the position of the feet and the ball or puck. The predetermined motion paths serve as the building blocks based on which the athlete will improvise and create new dribbling and ball control motions.

The dribbling and ball control sports training method is designed to be modular in nature so as to allow interconnectivity between any one and all of the predetermined motion paths with the objective of accounting for the full 360 degrees of dribbling possibilities of an athlete.

The dribbling and ball control sports training method also develops a key skill which has been identified by sports science as important for succeeding in sports which is symmetry or laterality and which refers to being equally skillful in dribbling with both legs, right and left, in soccer, or both arms in the case of basketball.

The dribbling and ball control sports training method also develops the appropriate muscle memory that enables the athlete to perform a motion in the most efficient manner, that is, both functionally correct and exerted with the least amount of effort.

The dribbling and ball control sports training method also enables the development and mastery of more complicated spatial-temporal skills like developing a sense of rhythm which implies learning and mastering the dynamic relationship between three different elements: the athlete's own body, the body of the players the athlete has to dribble around and the ball/puck. In the sports training method, the mastery of rhythm implies that the athlete uses the parameters that define rhythm which are accent, meter and tempo, to perform the predetermined dribbling sequences. This is done through the use of some audio element that can be as simple as the clapping of hands or the integration of some visual or sensorial stimuli that denotes rhythm such as flashing lights, waves or similar.

The training method may be classified in many skill levels such as a three-tier skill level classification that includes beginner, intermediate and advanced levels, so it can be used by both the five-year old child or the expert professional player.

The steps of the training method are explained to the athlete through different means that range from the most simple and economical, such as manuals and/or printed cards, to more sophisticated means requiring specific state-of-the-art technology such as the internet, video, audio, animation, 3-D animation, interactive media, multimedia, mobile wireless media, or a combination of some or all of the above.

The information of the training method is always up to date and its knowledge base can be augmented as there are means for updating and enlarging the knowledge base of the system through the use of the internet and mobile wireless media. These means for updating and enlarging the knowledge base allow anyone, anywhere and at anytime to upload new information to the knowledge base of the sports training system. The technological capacity to be easily updateable is a key element of a training system and method that is based on developing creativity in the athlete

Since the sports method and system is based on developing sensomotor capabilities, it can also be used to rehabilitate specific groups of muscles generally injured in ball/puck sports.

A simpler and less technical version of this training method and system can be used recreationally and also in the fitness industry by individuals who do not practice any ball/puck sports but who are looking for new and different ways to exercise and be in better shape.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustration of an embodiment of the present invention with indicia to indicate the positioning of feet and ball/puck.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of a more elaborate embodiment of the present invention with indicia to indicate the positioning of feet and ball/puck and so called functional areas: outer footwork area, inner footwork area and ball/puck area

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the steps of the sports training method of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an illustration of an example of a table used in monitoring and evaluation of the skill level of the athlete.

FIG. 5 is an illustration of a predetermined motion path for developing dribbling and ball control skills using the sports training method of the present invention and denoting the sensomotor skills developed with this motion.

FIG. 6 is an illustration of another predetermined motion path for developing dribbling and ball control skills using the sports training method of the present invention and denoting the sensomotor skills developed with this motion.

FIG. 7 is an illustration of yet another predetermined motion path for developing dribbling and ball control skills using the sports training method of the present invention and denoting the sensomotor skills developed with this motion.

FIG. 8 is an illustrating of an embodiment of the invention employed in the practice of group dynamics.

FIG. 9 is an illustration of the different communication means of the invention used for transmitting the dribbling and ball control sports training method to the athlete.

FIG. 10 is an illustration of the textual part of the graphic user interface (GUI) used for updating and enlarging the knowledge base of sports training system utilizing the internet or wireless remote devices such as cellular telephones or personal digital assistants.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the steps of rehabilitation within the sports training method.

FIG. 12 is an illustration of yet another predetermined motion path for developing dribbling and ball control skills this time in the sport of basketball using the sports training method of the present invention and denoting the sensomotor skills developed with this motion.

FIG. 13 is an illustration of an embodiment of the present invention using soccer goal posts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention refers to a sports system and method for training an athlete in dribbling and ball or puck control or control of any object of similar form or function to that of a ball.

The training system develops both the sensomotor skills required in sports such as balance, accuracy, flexibility, speed, strength and also the technical abilities specific to dribbling and ball or puck control.

These objectives are achieved through steps that foster creativity and innovation in the athlete by means of predetermined motion paths on a surface marked with visual indicia that indicate the position of the feet and the ball or puck. Said predetermined motion paths serve as the building blocks based on which the athlete will improvise and create new dribbling and ball control motions.

The sports training system comprises means for classifying the different dribbling and ball or puck control motions into predetermined motion sequences according to the sensomotor and technical skills developed, means for indicating the positioning of feet and ball or puck, means for developing sports skills related to dribbling and ball or puck control motions, means for developing dribbling creativity and innovation in the athlete, means for communicating the training information to the athlete, steps for monitoring and evaluating the skill level of athlete, means for updating and enlarging knowledge base of training method, and means for rehabilitating sports injuries through performing the predetermined motion sequences of the training method.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the means for indicating the position of the feet and the ball or puck may be a mat fabricated of materials, such as plastic, PVC, fabric, or similar, and may be flexible or rigid, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The mat may also be foldable so that it can be portable and transported easily from one place to another.

The shape or form of the means for indicating the positioning of feet and ball/puck may be different, whether geometric (circular, rectangular, square or polygonal) or non-geometric or organic. It may also be a character, sign or a symbol. The partitions or subdivisions may have a triangular shape, or other different forms whether geometric, non-geometric, a character, sign or symbol. The number of partitions and colors may also change.

All of the above visual elements may be constantly changing to provide feedback to the performance of the athlete for the purpose of monitoring and evaluation of the athlete by the training system.

The size and dimensions of the means for indicating the positioning of the feet and ball may be based on the height of the athlete as the proportions of one to the other are important for the effective realization of the sports training system.

Key anatomical characteristics of the human body may be used as reference points in designing the surface marked with visual indicia that indicate the position of the feet and ball or puck.

The design of the means for indicating the positioning of feet and ball/puck may be based on human anatomy, its form, function and dimensions. As function follows form, human anatomy ultimately determines the mechanical possibilities and limitations of the human body involved in performing dribbling and ball/puck control motions. Thus, the means for indicating the positioning of feet and ball/puck may be divided into one or several functional areas such as the following: an outer footwork area, an inner footwork area, an area for the person the athlete has to dribble around and an area inside which the ball or puck moves. These functional areas illustrated in FIG. 2 provide the athlete with 360 degrees of dribbling and ball/puck control possibilities through the use of predetermined motion paths.

In another embodiment of the invention, a projection device or the like may be integrated to the sports training system so that either one or both the ball/puck and the means for indicating the positioning of the feet and ball may be projected and/or displayed virtually either through any electronic, holographic, laser or likewise means. The projection or virtual image generated by the sports training system may also be that of the feet or other body parts relevant for teaching, learning and mastering dribbling skills, and even of the complete body of the athletes and of other players such as those the athlete has to dribble around. The predetermined motion paths to be performed by the athlete may also be projected or displayed virtually through any of said means mentioned above.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the present invention also describes and claims a sports training method comprising the following steps: (a) evaluating the athlete's skill level with regard to dribbling and ball or puck control in a specific sport; (b) transmitting the information related to the predetermined motion sequences to the athlete according to the skill level defined in the previous step; (c) the athlete sequentially performing those predetermined motion sequences; (d) integrating means conducive to developing dribbling creativity and innovation in the athlete, and (e) monitoring and evaluating the performance of the athlete as pertains to his/her ability to perform the predetermined motion sequences and to create new sequences.

One or several devices may be integrated to the sports training method to give certain indications to the athlete such as providing feedback as to whether the motion sequences were performed correctly or incorrectly. The feedback devices may be, but are not limited, to the one or several of the following: light, flashing light, sound, audio, video, multimedia, motion sensations, or likewise.

A vital part of this sports training method provides means for classifying the different dribbling and ball control motions into predetermined motion sequences based on the sensomotor and technical skills developed and defined in terms of the positioning of right foot, left foot, ball or puck, and of other body parts which may be used in said motion sequences. The classification accounts for the 360 degrees of dribbling and ball or puck control possibilities that the athlete has in real game situations. One of the objectives of this classification is to identify the predetermined motion sequences that develop the appropriate muscle memory in the athlete so that the motion can be performed in a way that is both functionally correct and efficient, e.g. the athlete exerts the least amount of energy (economy of motion).

The classification may result in a series of predetermined motion sequences which may be modular in structure so as to allow for interconnectivity between any one and all of the predetermined motion paths. For example, the end position of the motion sequence illustrated in FIG. 5 may be linked with the beginning position of the motion sequence illustrated in FIG. 6.

The classification of the predetermined motion sequences is organized into different skill levels depending on the complexity of each one. The skill levels may be beginner, intermediate, advanced, professional or expert. The end-result of this is that the training method can be used by the novice 5 year-old child or the expert professional player.

A series of predetermined sequences are devised to carry out the dribbling and ball control sports training method. For example, in FIG. 5, a sequence for drawing with the ball the diameter of a circle and pivoting counterclockwise over the left foot, is conceived. Said sequence comprises the following:

• • a) Initial position—Ball on central circle. Feet on area 1, slightly apart (12 in.)
  • b) Left foot on central circle besides ball
  • c) With right foot move ball to “g”
  • d) With right foot move ball to “c”, pivoting counter clockwise over left foot and stopping ball over “c” with right foot
  • e) With right foot return ball to central circle
  • f) Initial position—Ball on central circle. Feet on area 1, slightly apart (12 in.)

In FIG. 6, another sequence is conceived for controlling the ball with the shoulders by lifting the ball with the right foot. Said sequence comprises the following:

• • a) Initial position—Ball on central circle. Feet on area 1, slightly apart (12 in.)
  • b) Take ball with both hands at chest level
  • c) Throw ball up in front of body and slightly over head level
  • d) Jump forward, right foot on “g”, left foot on “c”, hit ball with right shoulder
  • e) Right foot on “h”, left foot on “d”
  • f) Hit ball with left shoulder
  • l) Right foot on “g”, left foot on “c”
  • m) Hit ball with right shoulder
  • n) Hold ball with both hands at chest level, both feet on area 1
  • o) Place ball on central circle
  • p) Initial position—Ball on central circle. Feet on area 1, slightly apart

In FIG. 7, yet another sequence has been conceived for turning 360 degrees clockwise on the left foot with the ball on the back of the neck. Said sequence comprises the following:

• • a) Initial Position—Ball on central circle. Feet on area 1 slightly apart (30 cm.)
  • b) Left foot on central circle besides ball
  • c) With right foot lift ball to rest on back of the neck
  • d) Turn 360 degrees clockwise on left foot. Spread arms for balance. Ball remains all the time on back of the neck
  • e) Ball to right foot
  • f) Ball on central circle
  • g) Initial Position—Feet on area 1 slightly apart (12 in.)

In FIG. 12, a motion sequence of beginner skill level for the sport of basketball is described. Said sequence comprises the following:

• • a) Initial position—Hold ball with both hands at chest level. Left foot on area 2, right foot on area 4.
  • b) Right hand bounces ball behind body on central circle
  • c) Behind body, take ball with left hand. Left hand bounces ball behind body on central circle
  • d) Behind body, take ball with right hand
  • e) Initial position

Much like the sequences described above, there may be a vast number of predetermined sequences to implement the dribbling and ball control sports training method of the present invention.

The sports training method uses the principle of symmetry or laterality to enable one to develop a comparable level of ability with both legs, right and left (or both arms in the case of basketball) which, in a real game situation, mathematically duplicates the dribbling possibilities of the athlete. According to sports science, the principle of laterality is crucial for achieving success in certain sports and the ideal time in life to learn it is in childhood.

The athlete will acquire complicated spatio-temporal skills to learn and master the relationship between the three key physical elements involved in dribbling: the ball/puck, the athlete's own body, and the body (or bodies) of the players in the opposing team the athlete has to dribble around. The sense of rhythm may be developed to interrelate these three elements. To accomplish this, an element that can reproduce accent, meter and tempo, which are the three components of rhythm, may be used when performing the predetermined motion sequences such as, but not limited to, audio and/or video sources like clapping hands, musical beats, flashing lights, video, motion sensations or waves.

One of the main objectives of the sports training method is to encourage the athlete to think and act creatively (“out of the box”) so that the athlete is able to create the athletes's own dribbling and ball control moves. The means by which creativity is developed in this sports training method in the athlete is a two-step process. The first step consists of the following: the athlete is instructed to combine any two or more of the different predetermined motion sequences defined by this sports training method applying creativity as to the order in which they are combined. The combination of the different predetermined motion sequences is possible because of the modular structure of the method which allows the interconnection or combination of each and every single one of the motion sequences. The act of combining the different motion sequences contributes to the freeing of the athlete's cognitive patterns, e.g. thinking out of the box. The second step complements the first and consists of instructing the athlete to use any or a combination of some or all of the three basic motions involved in dribbling which are: step, jump and turn, to improvise new dribbling and ball control sequences using as building blocks the predetermined motion sequences the athlete has already learned. The sequences resulting from innovation once created in the brain of the athlete and performed, may be converted through repetition into muscle memory, which are movements that have been learned and mastered and may be applied in real game situations.

In another embodiment, the training method is not limited to developing athletic skills restricted for soccer, basketball, or hockey, but to other athletic endeavors that use a ball, a puck or an object similar in form and/or function.

In another embodiment, the sports training method may be structured in such a way so that the predetermined paths are performed by the athlete with different training objectives in mind such as: warming up, shaping up and/or developing specific sensomotor competences such as balance, precision, strength, flexibility or mobility.

Several adjoining mats or any other adjoining means for indicating the positioning of feet and ball may be used concurrently where the athlete moves from one to the other which helps to develop dribbling skills on wider spaces.

In another embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 13, at least one soccer goal post is integrated to the indicia to indicate the positioning of feet and ball/puck, to practice passing and shooting skills.

As is illustrated in FIG. 8, the dribbling and ball or puck control skills may be developed individually and/or collectively with the participation of several athletes in a group dynamics setting. Group dynamics may be implemented, but not restricted to, the following arrangements: (a) two or more athletes take turns performing different, complementary or the same predetermined motion sequences; (b) two or more athletes take turns competing among them to perform the most creative, the most accurate, the fastest, or the most precise performance; (c) two or more athletes take turns in a follow the leader dynamic where the first athlete performs a predetermined dribbling motion and the athlete that follow tries to replicate that motion sequence; the follow the leader dynamic may be performed using the same mat or adjoining mats, surfaces or any other means for indicating feet and ball positioning so the athlete tries to mirror the dribbling sequences performed by the first athlete; (d) a variation of this with an added factor of complexity is the inverse mirror where the athlete mirrors the dribbling motions of the first athlete but using the opposite leg (opposite side of the body) or even by inverting the order of the predetermined sequence so that the second athlete starts from the end and proceeds to the beginning of the motion performed by the first athlete.

The evaluation of the athlete's skill level on an individual or group format may be done using any or several performance parameters such as: creativity, accuracy, balance, endurance, speed, flexibility and strength. Creativity may be evaluated according to the degree of innovation in the motion created by the athlete. Accuracy may be evaluated according to the degree of precision in the positioning of feet and ball for each predetermined motion sequence. Speed is measured in time units such as seconds, minutes or hours, and endurance, in number of repetitions. The evaluation and monitoring of the athlete's development of dribbling and ball/puck control skills may be done through the use of tables that have been previously created or that may be calculated manually or automatically by a computer or similar device as feedback to the athlete as is illustrated in FIG. 4.

In another embodiment of the invention, the evaluation may be stored as a feedback mechanism which may further instruct the player to execute more complex motion sequences whether designed previously or calculated ad hoc by a computer or likewise based on the evaluation of dribbling or sensomotor skills of the athlete, or based on other parameters such as, but not limited to, the specific physical or psychological characteristics of the athlete or the game strategy.

As can be observed in FIG. 9, the training instructions and evaluation may be communicated and explained to the athlete through different means that range from the most simple and economical such as using text and graphics media like manuals, cards or likewise, to more sophisticated means requiring specific technology such as internet, video, audio, animation, 3-D animation, interactive media, multimedia, mobile wireless media, or a combination of some or all of the above. Display, light, sound, motion sensations or a combination of any or all of the above may also be used.

In a further embodiment of the invention, image display for displaying a moving picture and/or moving picture storage and/or moving picture display controls, whether analog or digital, may be integrated to the sports training method to further facilitate the training, communication, evaluation and monitoring of the athlete.

The means for updating and enlarging the knowledge base of the sports training system including increasing the number of predetermined motion sequences, may be done through the use of the internet, mobile wireless media, and the like, which allow anyone, anyplace, anytime to upload new dribbling or ball control motion sequences which they have created or any other new information to the knowledge base of the sports training system. The technological capacity to be easily updateable is a key element of a training system and method that is based on developing creativity in the athlete. FIG. 10 illustrates an example of the graphical user interface designed for enlarging the knowledge base of the sports training system.

In another embodiment, the knowledge base may be updated, stored, retrieved and modified by manual or automatic means the result of specific applications programming.

Since the sports method and system is based on developing sensomotor capabilities, it may also be used to rehabilitate specific group of muscles generally injured in ball/puck sports.

A sports training method wherein the athlete sequentially performs the predetermined motion sequences to rehabilitate specific sports injuries is illustrated according to the flowchart in FIG. 11.

According to the muscles or group of muscles diagnosed previously with injuries, the athlete receives the appropriate predetermined rehabilitation sequences through the use of any of several means such as printed formats, electronic media or mobile wireless media. The predetermined motion sequences for rehabilitation are described textually or using graphics, animation, video, audio, multimedia, interactivity, or a combination of any or all of these.

The sports training method includes the step of monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the rehabilitation method of those injured muscle(s) using several parameters such as the presence and intensity of pain, the strength, endurance and flexibility of said muscles and the overall physical and mental condition of the athlete.

A simpler and less technical version of this training method and system can be used recreationally and as another fitness option for individuals who do not practice any ball/puck sports but who want to be in better shape and are looking for fresh, new and entertaining ways of accomplishing it.

Claims

1. A sports training method which comprises the following steps:

classifying different dribbling and ball or puck control motions into

predetermined motion sequences according to the sensomotor and technical skills developed,

evaluating athlete's skill level in relation to dribbling and ball or puck control in a specific sport,

transmitting training information to the athlete according to a diagnosed skill level,

developing dribbling technique and key sensomotor skills,

developing dribbling creativity and innovation in the athlete,

monitoring and evaluating the performance of the athlete as pertains to his/her ability to perform the predetermined motion sequences and create new sequences, and

updating a knowledge base of the training method.

2. A sports training method according to claim 1, wherein the step of classifying the different dribbling and ball control motions results in modular and interconnected predetermined motion sequences.

3. A sports training method according to claim 2, wherein the steps of classifying the different dribbling and ball control motions into predetermined motion sequences is organized into different skill levels.

4. A sports training method according to claim 1, wherein the athlete's skill level is evaluated and determined in terms of precision, speed, balance, resistance, individual technique, technique in group dynamics and creativity.

5. A sports training method according to claim 1, wherein the athlete receives the appropriate predetermined motion sequences in accordance with the previous evaluation of the athlete's diagnosed skill level through any of several means such as printed formats, electronic media, computers, internet or mobile wireless media.

6. A sports training method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined motion sequences are described textually, graphically, or using animation, video, audio, multimedia, interactivity, motion sensations, or a combination of any or all of these.

7. A sports training method of claim 1, in which the athlete sequentially performs the predetermined motion sequences to develop dribbling and specific technical and sensomotor skills.

8. A sports training method according to claim 1, wherein the athlete develops the sensomotor skills required in sports such as balance, accuracy, flexibility, speed, strength or the technical abilities specific to dribbling and ball or puck control.

9. A sports training system according to claim 8, wherein the athlete develops a sense of rhythm defined in terms of the spatio-temporal relationship between the athlete, the ball or puck, and the player of the opposing team the athlete has to dribble around.

10. A sports training method according to claim 8, wherein dribbling and ball control skills are developed in individual and/or group dynamics.

11. A sports training method according to claim 8, wherein the athlete performs the predetermined motion sequences first with one of the legs and then with the other leg so as to develop a comparable level of ability with both legs.

12. A sports training method according to claim 8, wherein the athlete performs the predetermined motion sequences on several adjoining mat bodies or any other adjoining means for indicating the positioning of feet and ball.

13. A sports training method of claim 1, in which the athlete performs steps conducive to developing creativity and innovation in dribbling and ball control.

14. A sports training method according to claim 13, wherein the athlete is instructed to go beyond the predetermined motion sequences and combine the predetermined motion sequences learned and is instructed to improvise and create new dribbling and ball or puck control sequences utilizing one or a combination of several of the following basic motions: step, jump and turn plus the predetermined motion sequences learned.

15. A sports training method according to claim 1, which further includes the steps of monitoring and evaluating the performance of the athlete through the use of numeric tables or by using the same media utilized for communication with the athlete such as printed formats, internet and mobile wireless media.

16. A sports training method of claim 1, wherein the objective of the predetermined motion sequences is rehabilitation of an injured muscle or group of muscles.

17. A sports training method according to claim 16, where the monitoring and evaluation of the rehabilitation process uses several parameters such as presence and intensity of pain, strength, endurance and flexibility of said muscle, and the overall physical and mental condition of the athlete.

18. A sports training system, which comprises:

means for developing dribbling creativity and innovation in the athlete,

means for classifying different dribbling and ball or puck control motions into predetermined motion sequences according to the sensomotor and technical skills developed,

means for indicating the positioning of feet and of the ball or puck or any other object similar in form and/or function to that of a ball or puck,

means for developing sports skills related to dribbling and ball or puck control motions,

means for communicating the training information to the athlete, and

means for updating the knowledge base of the training system.

19. A sports training method according to claim 18, wherein the system provides means for instructing the athlete to improvise and create new dribbling and ball or puck control sequences utilizing the following basic motions: step, jump and turn, combined with the predetermined dribbling motion sequences that have been identified and classified by the system

20. A sports training system according to claim 18, wherein the means for classifying the different dribbling and ball or puck control motions into predetermined motion sequences is defined by the sensomotor and technical skills developed and described in terms of the positioning of the left foot, the right foot, the ball or puck and of any other body part that comes in contact with ball or puck

21. A sports training system according to claim 20, wherein the means for classifying the different dribbling and ball control motions into predetermined motion sequences is modular and interconnected in structure.

22. A sports training system according to claim 20, wherein the means for classifying the different dribbling and ball control motions into predetermined motion sequences is organized into different skill levels.

23. A sports training system according to claim 18, wherein dribbling and ball control skills are developed in individual and/or group dynamics.

24. A sports training system according to claim 23, wherein the athlete develops a sense of rhythm defined in terms of the spatio-temporal relationship between the athlete, the ball or puck, and the player of the opposing team the athlete has to dribble around.

25. A sports training system according to claim 18, wherein the means for indicating the positioning of feet and ball is based on the anatomical and biomechanical characteristics of the human body.

26. A sports training system according to claim 25, wherein the means for indicating the positioning of feet and ball has physical dimensions based on the height of the player.

27. A sports training system according to claim 18, wherein the means for indicating the positioning of feet and ball is a mat body made of plastic, fabric, laminar or similar material and is rigid and non-foldable.

28. A sports training system according to claim 18, wherein the means for indicating the positioning of feet and ball is a mat body made of plastic, fabric, laminar or similar material and is flexible and foldable.

29. A sports training system according to claim 27, wherein the upper layer of the mat body or similar object or surface allows easy sliding of feet and rolling of ball, and the bottom layer may adhere to floor so as to diminish the possibility of the mat body or similar object or surface from sliding and causing injury to the athlete.

30. A sports training system according to claim 27, wherein the means for indicating the positioning of feet and ball has visual indicia for indicating both the positioning of the ball or puck and the different parts of the body of the player that come into contact with the ball or puck.

31. A sports training system according to claim 18, in which the means for transmitting efficiently the predetermined sequences to the athlete consists of different communication formats such as printed media, electronic media, computers, internet and wireless mobile media.

32. A sports training system according to claim 18, wherein the means for evaluating both the initial skill level of the athlete before the training method is initiate and monitoring the athlete's progress in the acquisition of the dribbling and ball control skills are the same as those used for communicating efficiently with the athlete and consists of information in different formats such as tables displayed in conventional printed media, electronic media, computers, internet and wireless mobile media.

33. A sports training system according to claim 18, wherein the means for updating the knowledge base of said system uses a graphical user interface accessed through the internet, mobile, or other portable wireless media that allows anyone, anyplace, anytime to upload new information to the knowledge base of the sports training system.