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athletes
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.