ATHLETIC TRAINING DEVICE AND METHOD

Abstract

An athletic training system and method for maintaining the head of an individual in an upright position. The system may include an head member that attaches to the head, a torso member that attached to the body and a connecting member that connects and applies a degree of tension between the body member and head member such that the ability of the head to pivot forward and/or downward are limited. The athletic training device may thereby promote improved athletic technique and form including ball handling skills, court awareness, tackling posture, coordination, and cognition.

Description

PRIORITY CLAIM

The present application claims priority to Provisional U.S. Patent Application No. 62/109,507 filed on Jan. 29, 2015, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

Embodiments generally relate to athletic training devices and aids. More particularly, embodiments relate to head restraint devices and methods for training an athlete to maintain their head in an upright position during competition.

2. Discussion

Proper athletic training including conditioning, technique and skills training plays a critical role in the development of athletes. Also, the overall conditioning, athletic technique and skill of an athlete may be enhanced by the use of various training devices and aids. These training devices and aids may be designed to improve performance and reinforce proper and efficient body positioning and movements, for example, through repetition (repetitive movement) and typically aim to develop muscle memory. Proper basketball dribbling technique, for example, requires that a player dribble the ball while keeping their head upright and their eyes focused on the activity and position of other players on the court around them. A common problem for basketball players, especially younger players, is that they tend to tilt their head down in order to look down at the basketball while dribbling to help maintain control of the ball. Doing so, however, prevents the player from seeing the movement and position of other players on the court around them. Therefore, it is important for a basketball player to develop proper basketball dribbling technique, which requires the player to maintain their head in an upright position and their eyes focused on their surroundings and not on the basketball, as doing so will improve overall court awareness and decision-making skills while playing the game of basketball.

Similarly, football players are beginning to be trained and re-trained to tackle other players with the head in an upright position such that they can see the target. Many players, however, have been found to have a natural tendency to lower their head and/or lead with the crown of the head when tackling other players. Lowering the head in this manner, may lead to increased risk of injury including head trauma such as, for example, concussions, spinal injuries, and the like. Therefore, training a player to maintain their head in an upright position and maintain eye contact with their target has proven an important aspect in reducing the risk of injuries.

Further still, other health professionals including, for example, physical therapists may desire to prevent patients from moving their head in an undesirable manner, position and/or direction. For example, it may be desirable to limit the ability of a patient (e.g., a patient receiving therapy to learn to walk again) to look down at their feet in order to improve coordination and cognition.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The various novel aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure will become evident to a person of ordinary skill in the art given the following enabling specification and appended claims, and by referencing the following drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1A-B illustrate views of example of an athletic training device according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2A illustrates a back view of an example of the athletic training device of FIGS. 1A-B being worn by a user;

FIG. 2B illustrates a back view of an example of the athletic training device of FIGS. 1A-B being worn by a user;

FIG. 2C illustrates a back view of an example of the athletic training device of FIGS. 1A-B being worn by a user;

FIG. 3 illustrates an alternative example of an athletic training device according to an embodiment; and

FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a method of using the athletic training device of according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Turning now to FIG. 1A, an athletic training device 100 in accordance with an embodiment is shown. The athletic training device may include a head strap 110, a torso strap 120 and a connector strap 130. The head strap 110, torso strap 120 and connector strap 130 may each include a substantially thin and relatively lightweight elongated member. The head strap 110 may include cooperating fasteners 112, 114 at either end such as, for example, hook and loop fasteners. The fasteners 112, 114 may connect to each other such that the head strap 110 may be securely attached to the head (e.g., around the head) of an individual or wearer. Similarly, the torso strap 120 may include cooperating fasteners 122, 124 at either end such as, for example, hood and loop fasteners. The fasteners 122, 124 may connect to each other such that the torso strap 120 may be securely attached to the torso (e.g., around the waist or chest) of an individual. While the head strap 110 and torso strap 120 are illustrated as having hook and loop fasteners, other fasteners including, for example, buckles, adjustable slides, and the like may also be used without departing from the disclosure. The head strap 110 and the torso strap 120 may be attached to each other via a connector strap 130. In at least one embodiment, the connector strap 130 may include a first section 130-1 and a second section 130-2. The first section 130-1 of the connector strap 130 may be connected to the head strap 110 at an anchor point 116 in a fixed or detachable manner. Similarly, the second section 130-2 of the connector strap 130 may be connected to the torso strap 120 at an anchor point 126 in a fixed or detachable manner. The first section 130-1 and the second section 130-2 of connector strap 130 may be connected via a buckle 132 such as, for example, a double adjustable side release buckle. The buckle 132 may include a first portion 132-1 connected to the first section 130-1 of the connector strap 132 and a second portion 132-2 connected to the second section 130-2 of the connector strap 132. FIG. 1B illustrates an example of the athletic training device 100 having the buckle 132 released (i.e., separated) such that the first portion 132-1 and the second portion 132-2 of the buckle 132 are disconnected. While the buckle 132 is illustrated as having two separable portions, the buckle may also include a single, non-separable and adjustable buckle without departing from the disclosure. Further, the connector strap 130, while illustrated as having two separable sections, may also include a single, non-separable and adjustable strap that connects the head strap 110 and the torso strap 120 without departing from the disclosure.

In at least one embodiment, each of the head strap 110, torso strap 120 and connector strap 130 may be constructed of a substantially resilient and non-elastic material such as, for example, woven fabric, webbed synthetic polymer (e.g., Nylon), leather, and the like. In at least one embodiment, one or more of the head strap 110, torso strap 120, and connector strap 130 may be adjustable to in order to securely fit a range of individual body sizes.

FIG. 2A-C illustrate a various views of an example of the athletic training device 100. More particularly, FIGS. 2A-C illustrate back, side and front views, respectively, of the athletic training device being worn by an individual. When the athletic training device 200 is being worn and in use, the torso strap 220 should be securely attached around the torso (i.e., waist or chest) of an individual, the head strap 210 should be securely attached around the head of the individual, and the length of the connector strap 230 should be adjusted to remove a desired amount of slack out of the strap (i.e., increase tension in the strap) in order to apply a force to the head via the head strap 210 in order to limit the degree to which the head is allowed to pivot forward. The athletic training device 200 may thereby help to maintain the head of the individual in an upright position and prevent the head from pivoting forward and/or downward as may be the natural tendency to lower the head when engaging in certain physical activities such as when dribbling a ball, when tackling an individual, or in other similar situations. As a result, the athletic training device 200 may be effective in preventing an individual from looking down at a ball and/or floor while dribbling the ball. As a result, the athletic training device 200 may be effective in helping improve the ball handling skills and court awareness of basketball players by encouraging and training the player to maintain their head in an upright and aware position. The athletic training device 200 may also be effective in preventing an individual from lowering the head too low when tackling an individual. As a result, the athletic training device 200, may be effective in helping improve the tackling technique of an individual and thereby help to reduce the risk of head injuries associated with poor tackling technique, e.g., leading with the head. Further, the athletic training device 100 may also be effective in preventing an individual from looking down at the floor or at their feet during an athletic training or physical therapy session. The athletic training device 200 may thereby be effective in helping to improve overall coordination and cognition of an individual. In at least some embodiments, the outlined benefits of the athletic training device 200 may be achieved without unduly limiting the ability of the individual to pivot the head from side to side.

Turning now to FIG. 3, an example of an alternative embodiment of the athletic training device is shown. The athletic training device 300 includes substantially similar components as athletic training device 100 including a head member 310, a torso member 320 and a connector member 330. The head member 310 may be formed of a substantially resilient, elongated material and may include cooperating fasteners 312, 314 at either end. The torso member 320 may also be formed of a substantially resilient, elongated material and may include cooperating fasteners 322, 324 at either end. The cooperating fasteners 312, 314 are designed and sized to securely engage each other to form a band around the head of an individual. The cooperating fasteners 322, 324 are designed and sized to securely engage each other to form a band around the torso (i.e., waist or chest) of the individual. The head member 310 and torso member 320 may be connected to each other by the connector member 330 at anchor points 316, 326, respectively. The connector member 330 may be formed of a substantially resilient, elongated material. The connector member 330 may also be designed and sized to cooperate with the torso member 320 and head member 310 to apply an appropriate amount of tension at the head member to substantially prevent or discourage the head from pivoting forward in a downward direction. The athletic training device 300 may also alternatively include one or more elastomeric section(s) 334 on connector strap 330 such as connector strap 330-1 and/or connector strap 330-2 in order to limit the overall ability of the individual to pivot the head forward and/or downward while providing a degree of feedback to the individual (i.e., an indication or reminder to maintain the head in an upright position). The one or more elastomeric section(s) 334 may thereby allow the connector strap 330 to apply a suitable amount of tension to the head while also providing the head with slightly more range of motion, forgiveness, flexibility or feedback than embodiments not having the elastomeric section(s). The athletic training device 300 may also alternatively include one or more connector loop(s) or hook(s) 336, e.g., D-shaped loops, that may be connected to, for example, the connector strap 330 such as connector strap 330-1 and/or connector strap 330-2. The connector loop(s) may allow other training implements such as, for example, parachutes, straps, ropes, bands, and the like to be attached to the device 300.

FIG. 4 outlines a method in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure. The method may include various steps that may be performed in a different order without departing from the disclosure. The method 400 may include, at illustrated block 410, securely attaching a torso strap (e.g., torso strap 120) around the torso of an individual. At illustrated block 420, securely attaching a head strap (e.g., head strap 110) around the head of the individual. At illustrated block 430, connecting the head strap 110 and torso strap 120 to each other via a connector strap (e.g., connector strap 130). At illustrated block 440, optionally, adjusting the tension in one or more of the head strap, the torso strap or the connector strap in order to apply an amount of tension at the head strap suitable to maintain the head of the individual in an upright position and limit the ability of the head to pivot forward and/or downward.

The dimensions in the illustrated drawing are not to scale and the drawings have been provided for illustration purposes only. Those skilled in the art will appreciate from the foregoing description that the broad techniques of the embodiments can be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, while the embodiments of this have been described in connection with particular examples thereof, the true scope of the embodiments should not be so limited since other modifications will become apparent to the skilled practitioner upon a study of the drawings, specification, and following claims.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

an adjustable head strap for attaching to the head of an individual;

an adjustable torso strap for attaching to the torso of the individual; and

an adjustable connector strap connecting the adjustable head strap and the adjustable torso strap, wherein the adjustable head strap is to limit the ability of the head to pivot in a forward direction.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the adjustable head strap includes:

a substantially elongated member; and

one or more fasteners attached to the substantially elongated member.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the one or more fasteners are complimentary to secure the adjustable head strap around the head of the individual.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the adjustable head strap allows the head to rotate from side to side.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the adjustable torso strap includes:

a substantially elongated member; and

one or more fasteners attached to the substantially elongated member.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the one or more fasteners are complimentary to secure the adjustable torso strap around the waist or chest of the individual.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the adjustable connector strap includes:

a substantially elongated member; and

at least one adjustment component.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the at least one adjustment component is to adjust the length or tension of the substantially elongated member.

9. A device comprising:

a head member to attach to the head of an individual;

a torso member to attach to the torso of the individual; and

a connector member connecting the head member and the torso member, wherein the head member is to limit the ability of the head to pivot in a forward direction.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein one or more of the head member, the torso member and the connector member are adjustable.

11. The device according to claim 9, wherein the head member includes:

a substantially elongated and resilient strap; and

one or more fasteners attached to the substantially elongated and resilient strap.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the one or more fasteners are complimentary to secure the head member around the head of the individual.

13. The device according to claim 9, wherein the head member allows the head to rotate from side to side.

14. The device according to claim 9, wherein the torso member includes:

a substantially elongated and resilient strap; and

one or more fasteners attached to the substantially elongated and resilient strap.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein the one or more fasteners are complimentary to secure the torso member around the waist or chest of the individual.

16. The device according to claim 9, wherein the connector member includes:

a substantially elongated member; and

at least one adjustment member.

17. The device according to claim 16, wherein the at least one adjustment member is to adjust the length or tension of the substantially elongated member.

17. A method comprising:

securely attaching a head member to the head of an individual;

attaching a torso member to the torso of the individual; and

attaching a connector member between the head member and the torso member such that the limits the ability of the head to pivot in a forward direction.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising adjusting one or more of the head member, the torso member and the connector member.

20. The device according to claim 9, wherein the head member head member is securely attached around the head of the individual, and the torso member is securely attached around the waist or chest of the individual.