Brain-Training with Football Tech: Smartgoals, and ICON

Players using Footbonaut, Smartgoals, and ICON for enhanced training sessions.

In 2018, technological advancements have reinvented how footballers stimulate their brains and sharpen skills. With the likes of Footbonaut, Smartgoals, and the groundbreaking ICON, players are taking their training to unparalleled heights. Delve into how these innovations are transforming the game.

Read more: Brain-Training with Football Tech: Smartgoals, and ICON

Stimulating Skills Through Repetition:

Traditionally, mastering fundamental skills, or “technical abilities,” has always hinged on repetition. Many elite footballers reminisce about their grassroots journey, honing skills on streets, sometimes simply playing against a wall for endless hours. This method fosters layers of learning, described in literature as “stacking blankets”, where each nuanced skill or movement adds a layer. The brain’s Cerebellum (coordination center) and the motor cortex (movement execution) play pivotal roles in this process.

Evolution of Football Tech:

  • Footbonaut: This football cage thrusts players into a dynamic training environment, feeding balls from different angles on a mere 14 square meters of space. The challenge? Control the ball and target it into the correct compartment. But its high cost (approximately a million euros) can be a hurdle for many clubs.
  • Smartgoals: A revolutionary concept, these mini-goals come equipped with LED lights. When a player passes through one, another illuminates. Portable and affordable compared to Footbonaut, Smartgoals are gaining traction in the football community.
  • ICON: The latest entrant, ICON offers digital football environments, designed to elevate players’ skills. Resembling a wall or a circle, panels light up, challenging players to strike them with the ball. Easily set up within 20 minutes, this interactive arena boasts games mimicking real-match situations, allowing up to 900 ball touches in just 15 minutes. The ICON’s primary mission? Accelerate player development in a unique setting by inducing ‘layers of learning’. Moreover, it presents a dual challenge – managing a motor task while simultaneously engaging in cognitive tasks like spatial awareness and decision speed.

The Impact of ICON:

Several case studies have delved into ICON’s effects. Players display enhanced passing accuracy, agility, and heightened awareness. Video analyses have drawn parallels between movements within ICON training and actual matches. This digital football wall not only hones players’ technical skills but also sharpens their cognitive abilities. Plus, with ample training variations, ICON’s results can be easily monitored via tablets or mobiles, ensuring progress tracking.

From Streets to Tech-Driven Arenas:

Football legends often reminisce about hours spent against ‘the wall’. The ICON, with its 360-degree environment, encapsulates that essence digitally. By immersing players in this dynamic setup, it also cultivates the ‘Sports Brain’, seamlessly bridging the gap between the Footbonaut and Smartgoals.

For more insights, visit Elite Skills Arena Benelux.

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