9781422286784

On Screen, on the Field T he instant availability of digital video is one of the most important developments in sports training in decades. Since its in- vention, film has been part of sports. Coaches were watching reel-to-reel tapes of their play- ers and their opponents almost since the be- ginning of the movies. Videotape cassettes were routinely mailed among teams at the pro and college levels in major sports. Regu- lar sessions were held in which a coach went over video with a team or individual players.

Swallow This Athletes working out or playing in hot weather must be careful not to overheat. Heatstroke

can damage human organs or even cause death. NFL line- man Korey Stringer of the Vikings died from heatstroke during a workout in 2001. Numerous college and high school athletes have been overcome by heat. One tech tool that athletic trainers can now use comes inside a pill, but it’s not medicine—it’s a thermometer. Ath- letes swallow the plastic-covered pill, which has sen- sors that monitor a variety of body systems. Train- ers can read an athlete’s temperature remotely by entering the player’s uniform number. This can be a lifesaving early warning system of heat-related problems. The technology was originally developed by NASA for use by astronauts.

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