Training accessories and methods for improving athletic techniques

Abstract

Training accessories and methods for improving athletic techniques, such as, for example, tackling form for football. A display can be coupled to a piece of athletic equipment, such as a tackling dummy, and the display depicts a symbol at a time at which a player is or is about to interact with the equipment or perform a movement or action. An input is provided of the player's identification of the depicted symbol and compared to the symbol that was actually depicted. The player's correct identification of the depicted symbol can indicate that the player performed the movement or action, or the interaction with the equipment, with appropriate form. A player's failure to correctly identify the depicted symbol can indicate to a coach that the player may need further instruction on proper technique or form with which the movement or action, or the interaction with the equipment, should be performed.

1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a display coupled to a strap that is configured to couple the display to a piece of athletic equipment or a human torso, the display configured to depict a plurality of symbols one at a time.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a sensor configured to be coupled to a piece of athletic equipment and to communicate with the display.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , where the display includes memory and a processor configured to execute instructions from the memory, the instructions configured to cause the display to:
 upon receipt of a signal from the sensor, transmit an indication of one of the symbols depicted by the display and/or depict a different one of the symbols than was depicted when or prior to the signal was received.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , where the display comprises a connection port configured to connect the display to a handheld device that is remote from the display, and the display is configured to receive an input from the handheld device to cause the display to depict one the symbols. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , where the handheld device comprises a smartphone, remote control, or tablet wirelessly connected to the display, the handheld device is configured to receive a user input and transmit the user input wirelessly to the display. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , further comprising the handheld device, where the handheld device includes memory and a processor configured to execute instructions from the memory, the instructions configured to cause the handheld device to:
 transmit a signal to the display to cause the display to depict a different one of the symbols that was depicted when or prior to the signal was received.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , further comprising the handheld device, where the handheld device includes memory and a processor configured to execute instructions from the memory, the instructions configured to cause the handheld device to:
 prompt a user to provide a first input associated with a first player and asserted to correspond to a first one of the symbols depicted on the display.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , where the handheld device includes memory and a processor configured to execute instructions from the memory, the instructions configured to cause the handheld device to:
 prompt a user to provide a first input indicative of whether the first player correctly identified the first depicted signal after an action by the player or an interaction by the player with the piece of athletic equipment.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , where the action includes hitting the piece of athletic equipment. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , where the instructions are further configured to cause the handheld device to:
 store a record, associated with the first player, of whether the first input corresponds to the depicted first symbol.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , where the instructions are further configured to cause the handheld device to:
 output a record, associated with the first player, of whether the first input corresponds to the depicted first symbol.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a server remote from the handheld device, the server including memory and a processor configured to execute instructions from the memory, the instructions configured to cause the server to:
 receive from the handheld device a plurality of records associated with a plurality of players; and 
 store the received records. 
   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , where the piece of athletic equipment is a tackling dummy. 
     
     
         14 . A method comprising:
 causing a display coupled to a piece of athletic equipment or a human torso to depict a first symbol at the time of an action by a player;   receiving a first input associated with the first player and asserted to correspond to the depicted first symbol at the time of the action; and   determining whether the first input corresponds to the depicted first symbol.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , where the first symbol is a letter or a number. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 storing a record, associated with the first player, of whether the first input corresponds to the depicted first symbol.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 providing a user input to a hand-held device that is connected to the display, the user input causing the display to depict the first symbol.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , where the hand-held device comprises a smartphone, remote control, or tablet wirelessly connected to the display, and the user input is transmitted wirelessly to the display. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 causing the display to depict a second symbol at the time of an action by a second player; and   receiving from the second player a second input asserted to correspond to the depicted second symbol.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , where the display is coupled to a tackling dummy.