Patent Application
20240374982
This application is filed as original and makes no priority claim.
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a garment for athletic training and its corresponding method of use and assembly. In one example embodiment, reference indicia of an exemplary garment are configured to promote proper movement of a wrestler with respect to an upper body of an opponent. In another example embodiment, reference indicia of an exemplary garment are configured to promote proper movement of a wrestler with respect to a lower body of an opponent. In yet another example embodiment, reference indicia of an exemplary garment are configured to promote proper movement of a defensive football player with respect to an opponent playing offense. In yet another example embodiment, reference indicia of an exemplary garment are configured to promote proper movement of an offensive football player with respect to an opponent playing defense.
Traditionally, athletic training in various contact sports and/or other fitness endeavors involving physical engagement with an opponent has involved verbal coaching, instructor demonstrations, instructional videos, instructional readings, some combination thereof, or the like. An issue with traditional athletic training techniques in contact sports is that said techniques often involve the delivery of information without the direct physical involvement of the individual(s) being trained (referred to herein as “trainees”), and/or trainee involvement may be otherwise limited, poorly monitored, some combination thereof, or the like. Thus, optimal hands-on learning opportunities may be lacking with traditional training techniques.
Furthermore, in the case of traditional instructor demonstrations in contact sports, there may be a great deal of physical movement of the instructor required. In many cases, a trainee may forget what was taught by an instructor shortly after the instructor demonstrates how to perform a particular move or technique on an opponent. The instructor may be required to re-demonstrate the move or technique many times before the trainee is able to perform the move or technique on one's own. With traditional instruction techniques, the trainee lacks visual reference points to refer to when attempting to recall how to move one's legs, arms, head, some combination thereof, or the like to execute a move or technique properly. Instructions may also be unclear and/or difficult to follow.
The aforementioned shortcomings speak to the need for improved athletic training devices and/or methods.
In view of this, it is beneficial to have a garment for athletic training in contact sports/fitness endeavors and its corresponding method of use and method of assembly, wherein an exemplary garment includes trainee action guiding reference indicia. Exemplary reference indicia (also referred to herein as “indicia,” “reference markers” and/or “markers”) may direct proper body placement, maneuvering, leverage action, and the like of an athlete trainee for any number of different contact sports or related fitness endeavors. As one example, exemplary reference indicia may instruct an athlete on where to apply pressure on an opponent to help the athlete manipulate movement of the opponent (e.g., in efforts to achieve a competitive advantage over the opponent). Exemplary reference indicia may be color coordinated to, e.g., decrease the amount of time required for a trainee to recognize and interact with relevant reference indicia.
According to the present invention in one aspect, an exemplary garment for athletic training comprises a fabric and a plurality of reference indicia capable of being positioned across an outer surface of the fabric. The reference indicia may be permanently affixed to the fabric, but such is not necessarily required. One or more of the plurality of reference indicia may be capable of indicating to an athlete a location for the athlete to interact with to manipulate movement of an opponent in a contact sport. A first group of the plurality of reference indicia may be defined by a first color. A second group of the plurality of reference indicia separate from the first group may be defined by a second color substantially different from the first color. The fabric substantially defining the exemplary garment may be a woven fabric, and the woven fabric may comprise cotton, polyester, spandex, some combination thereof, or the like. The first group of indicia may be substantially positioned on a left side of the garment, and the second group of indicia may be substantially positioned on a right side of the garment.
According to the present invention in another aspect, an exemplary method for assembling a garment for athletic training comprises providing a fabric, and providing a plurality of reference indicia capable of being positioned across an outer surface of the fabric. Certain reference indicia may be adapted to be detached from and/or reattached to an exemplary garment (e.g., by hook and loop fastening), although such is not required. One or more of the plurality of reference indicia may be configured to indicate to an athlete where to apply pressure to manipulate movement of an opponent (e.g., such as when the opponent is wearing the garment). Reference indicia may also be configured to permit an athlete to readily recognize which body parts the athlete should use to apply said pressure (e.g., such as when the athlete is wearing the garment). The exemplary method may also comprise configuring a first group of the plurality of reference indicia to be defined by a first color, and configuring a second group of the plurality of reference indicia separate from the first group to be defined by a second color substantially different from the first color.
Various embodiments of the present invention may be advantageous for optimizing the efficiency of athletic training in contact sports/fitness endeavors by promoting ease of trainee learning with respect to proper body positioning or maneuvering. In contrast to a traditional coaching demonstration, exemplary reference markers may remain in view of the trainee throughout the course of training. Thus, said markers may reduce or eliminate uncertainty a trainee may have on how to position one's body to achieve certain proper athletic techniques (athletic movement and/or positioning aimed at achieving a desired outcome). Said reference markers may also assist a trainee in recalling information learned by allowing the trainee to associate an indicator and its color with a particular action.
Various embodiments of the present invention may further be advantageous for optimizing the efficiency of athletic training by providing, by way of the exemplary reference markers, clear guidance to coaches, trainers, or other instructors on where and how a trainee should position or maneuver one's body. For example, a coach may observe, from a variety of distances and angles throughout a training facility, multiple trainees engaging a corresponding exemplary garment to readily determine if the trainees are each employing a proper athletic technique. The coach may be permitted to train multiple trainees at once by directing the trainees to engage with particular reference indicia to practice proper athletic techniques. In doing so, the coach may also be able to avoid having to perform repeated demonstrations and/or correction efforts (e.g., running between athletes and repositioning their legs, arms, heads, and the like to proper positions) on his or her own. The aforementioned advantages are offered by way of example, and are in no way exhaustive of the scope of the present invention.
Novel features and advantages of the present invention, in addition to those expressly mentioned herein, will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The present disclosure is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that different references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one.
Various embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, specific details such as detailed configuration and components are merely provided to assist the overall understanding of these embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications of the embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions are omitted for clarity and conciseness.
It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the various embodiments illustrated and described herein are in no way exhaustive of the scope of the present invention, and training for various other sports and/or other athletic endeavors not specifically mentioned herein may be promoted by an exemplary embodiment. It will also be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that certain athletic techniques described herein are in no way exhaustive of the scope of the present invention, and descriptions of said techniques may be abbreviated herein for conciseness and/or clarity.
Referring now to
Various reference indicia (e.g., 2, 14, 18, 22, 26) on a left side of the garment 11 may be defined by a first color, and various reference indicia (e.g., 4, 16, 20, 28, 30) on a right side of the garment 11 may be defined by a second color (“color coordinated”). Color coordination may assist trainees in distinguishing left from right as meant by an instructor referring to left-side versus right-side movement when directing action of the trainee(s). Without color coordination, left versus right, as verbalized by the instructor, may be ambiguous since it often has different meaning based on one's perspective. An instructor may alternatively or additionally refer to left versus right side by color (e.g., “red side” versus “blue side”), which may be particularly helpful with younger athletes. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that there may be any number of different techniques employed for grouping reference markers by color to represent associations between certain reference markers without necessarily departing from the scope of the present invention. It will also be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that various embodiments of the present invention are in no way limited to any particular color or combination of colors. The use of “red” and “blue” herein is merely for illustrative purposes only.
A centrally oriented reference indicium 6 on the front of the garment 11, or “chest indicium” 6, may provide both functional and aesthetic benefits. The chest indicium 6 may be defined by a team logo, brand logo, corresponding colors thereof, or the like, although such is not required. The chest indicium 6 may also act as an area of reference for various athletic moves/techniques. As a non-limiting example, the chest indicium 6 may define a target area for a trainee to place one's head when attempting a certain takedown (gaining control of an opponent by tackling, tripping, throwing, some combination thereof, or the like) wrestling maneuver. An instructor may direct a trainee to place one's head at the chest indicium 6 of the garment 11 to initiate said maneuver. As a specific, non-limiting example, for a trainee to perform a takedown known as a double leg blast, an instructor may direct the trainee to place one's head at the chest indicium 6, wrap one's arms around the opponent's legs, and thereafter tackle the opponent to gain control of the opponent. As another specific, non-limiting example where both the trainee and the trainee's opponent (also referred to herein as a “partner” in the context of training) are wearing the exemplary garment 11, the trainee may be directed to maintain a substantially consistent height and angle between the trainee's chest indicium 6 and the opponent's chest indicium 6 to prevent the opponent from gaining a competitive advantage over the trainee.
Opposite of the chest indicium 6 may be a centrally oriented reference indicium 38 on the rear side of the garment 11, or “back indicium” 38. The back indicium 38 may be substantially similar in size to the chest indicium 6. The back indicium 38 may be positioned between the shoulder blades of the individual wearing the garment 11. Similar to the chest indicium 6, the back indicium 38 may provide both functional and aesthetic benefits. The back indicium 38 may include a logo similar to the front logo indicium surrounded by a white rectangle, but such is not required.
As a non-limiting example of a functional benefit, the back indicium 38 may provide a trainee an area of reference for where to position one's self to leverage (manipulate movement of) an opponent. Where both a trainee and the trainee's opponent are wearing an exemplary garment 11, an instructor may direct the trainee to establish contact between the trainee's chest indicium 6 and one's ear, and the opponent's back indicium 38 as the trainee moves to achieve a proper “referee position” (a common starting position in wrestling when the opponent is on one's hands and knees). Said position may permit the trainee to effectively manipulate movement of the opponent. The back indicium 38 may also indicate to a trainee where to place one's fist to engage in a proper arm bar (a wrestling move involving immobilization of an opponent's arm). An arm bar may become illegal if the fist of the athlete performing the arm bar moves away from the center of the opponent's back.
An abdominally oriented reference indicium 24, or “abdomen indicium” 24 may be positioned directly below the chest indicium 6. The abdomen indicium 24 may also be defined by a logo, but such is not required. A wrestling trainee may be directed to apply pressure to the abdomen indicium 24 and chest indicum 6 to leverage an opponent by engaging the opponent's center of gravity. The abdomen indicium 24 may be positioned over the belly button of an individual wearing the garment 11, and may be approximately half the size of the chest indicium 6. Indicia 6, 24 and 38 may each be substantially rectangular in shape, though such is not necessarily required. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the various names and shapes given to the various indicia described herein are merely illustrative, and are in no way exhaustive of the scope of the present invention. Variations to said names and/or shapes may be made without necessarily departing from the scope of the present invention.
The abdomen indicium 24 may function to, by way of example and not limitation, indicate an area of reference on the opponent for the trainee to contact to take down the opponent, indicate an area of reference on the trainee for the trainee to align with the opponent's back to achieve a referee position, some combination thereof, or the like. Reference indica may also be included substantially at each wrist (e.g., wrist indicia 26, 30), each hip (e.g., hip indicia 22, 28), each oblique and/or lower rib cage (e.g., lower rib cage indicia 18, 20), each upper arm (e.g., upper arm indicia 14, 16), each forearm (e.g., forearm indicia 32, 34), the head (e.g., head indicium 36) each armpit and/or upper rib cage (e.g., armpit indicia 10, 12), and each shoulder (e.g., shoulder indicia 2, 4). Each reference indicium may be assigned a color (e.g., color coordinated based on whether the indicium is positioned on the left side, right side, or center of the garment 11), and an instructor may direct trainee activity by referring to type of indicia and color thereof. Indicia 2, 4, 14, 16, 26, 30, 32, 34 are illustrative examples of exemplary “arm indicia,” and indicia 6, 10, 12, 18, 20, 22, 24, 28, 38 are illustrative examples of exemplary “torso indicia.”
A lower body garment (e.g., 41 in
Referring back to
As another non-limiting example, the trainee may be directed to place one's arm through an opponent's armpit (e.g., indicium 10), and place one's hand on the opponent's head (e.g., denoted by head indicium 36) to establish leverage in being able to flip the opponent from the opponent's stomach to the opponent's back. The armpit indicia 10, 12 may be defined by circles of another color different from the other indicia colors. Said color may permit the armpit indicia 10, 12 to be more readily identified by both trainees and instructors, given that a great number of wrestling moves may involve engaging the armpit indicia 10, 12. In certain embodiments, the head indicium 36 may be defined by a first color identical to wrist indicium 26 and a second color identical to wrist indicium 30, to, e.g., represent to a trainee the importance of contacting an opponent's head indicium 36 with one or more hands. As a specific, non-limiting example, the head indicium 36 may be defined by circle having the same color as one wrist indicium, wherein the circle is surrounding by a ring having the same color as the other wrist indicium.
An instructor may direct proper movement of a trainee's arms by, e.g., referencing forearm indicia 32, 34, upper arm indicia 14, 16, shoulder indicia 2, 4 and/or wrist indicia 26, 30. By way of example and not limitation, the instructor may direct the trainee to perform ties (using one's arms to manipulate movement of the opponent, such as by positioning one or both arms inside the arm(s) of the opponent) on an opponent by guiding positioning of the trainee's arms using references to various indicia. The instructor may, for example, direct the trainee to use one's red wrist indicia 26 hand and grasp the opponent's red wrist indicia 26, and thereafter use one's blue wrist indicia 30 hand to grasp the opponent's arm proximate to red upper arm indicia 14 to initiate a move referred to as a “two on one”. Upper arm indicia 14, 16 may represent where a trainee should place one's hands to establish control of an opponent while in the referee position. The instructor may also direct the trainee to place one's chin proximate to certain arm indicia (e.g., 32) for performing certain maneuvers. References to wrist indicia 26, 30 may be particularly advantageous for teaching a trainee how to properly establish wrist control of an opponent (grasping an opponent's wrist(s) to manipulate movement of the opponent), which is important to proper execution of a significant number of different wrestling moves.
Lower rib cage indicia 18, 20 may indicate to a trainee where to place one's head when performing certain maneuvers (e.g., cradle maneuvers). As a non-limiting example, indicium 18 or 20 may identify to a trainee where to place one's head in order to pivot and lock arms around the opponent. As another non-limiting example, indicium 18 or 20 may identify to a trainee where to place one's hands or wrists to execute certain moves (e.g., trainee's red wrist 26 may be directed to the opponent's red rib cage 18 to execute a tight waist). An instructor may reference hip indicia 22, 28 to direct proper hip positioning of the trainee. Proper hip positioning may be particularly important for escaping certain offensive maneuvers of an opponent (e.g., performing an inside standup maneuver). A trainee may also be directed to put pressure on an opponent's hips (e.g., at 22, 28) to escape certain maneuvers. Shoulder indicia 2, 4 may indicate to a trainee where to place one's limbs or chin to promote certain controls of the opponent. By way of example and not limitation, a trainee may be directed to place a forearm (e.g., represented by forearm indicium 32 or 34) proximate to a shoulder indicium (e.g., 2, 4) and parallel with certain other reference indicia before attempting a certain control, tie, and/or takedown maneuver.
Referring now to
When an athlete is wearing both garment 11 and garment 41, hip indicia 22, 28 on garment 11 may be positioned adjacent, respectively, to hip indicia 40, 42 on garment 41. Thus, an athlete having garment 11 fully or partially tucked into garment 41 may still have hip indicia (e.g., 40, 42) visible and accessible to a training partner. The presence of hip indicia on both garment 11 and garment 41 may permit any number of different athletes of any number of different sizes, and having any number of different shirt tucking preferences, to maintain visible and accessible hip indicia. Where an opponent is wearing garment 41, hip indicia 40, 42 may, for example, indicate to a trainee where the trainee is to grab the opponent to maintain the referee position, place an elbow to attempt an inside stand-up while the trainee is initially positioned below the opponent, some combination thereof, or the like.
One or more indicia of garment 41 may include a team logo, brand logo, corresponding colors thereof, or the like (e.g., similar to an optional logo of indicia 6 and/or 38), but such is not required. Referring to the
Knee indicia 54, 56 may each surround a portion of a leg of the individual wearing the garment 41 at a knee of the individual or in close proximity to the knee. In certain embodiments, each knee indicium 54, 56 may be positioned slightly above a knee. An instructor may refer to knee indicia 54, 56 to direct proper knee placement of a trainee, which may be particularly important to a significant number of different wrestling moves. As a non-limiting example, an instructor may direct a trainee to engage in proper referee position form by instructing the trainee to establish contact between one of the trainee's knee indicia (e.g., trainee's blue side knee 56) and the opponent's corresponding knee indicia (e.g., opponent's blue side knee 56). Knee placement may also be particularly important for performing certain takedowns. A takedown may involve placement of a forearm indicium 32, 34 at or near a knee indicum 54, 56. Forearm indicia 32, 34 and knee indicia 54, 56 may be defined by similar shapes to emphasize to a trainee the importance of correct forearm placement on a knee of a leg being targeted for performing a takedown. Furthermore, in the embodiment show, each knee indicium 54, 56 extends around an entire circumference of a pant leg, but such is not necessarily required in other embodiments.
Referring specifically to
The inner thigh indicia 50, 52 may be beneficial for identifying to a trainee where to place one's arms/hand(s) on an opponent to prevent the opponent from standing up. Specifically, for the trainee to execute a move known as a “thigh pry,” the trainee may be directed to, while in the referee position, use one's hands to apply pressure to an inner thigh indicium 50, 52 to, e.g., restrict movement of the opponent's hips, making it difficult for the opponent to stand up. Alternatively or additionally, the trainee may be directed to apply pressure with a knee (e.g., identified by an instructor as red knee 54 or blue knee 56) to the opponent's front thigh (e.g., identified by an instructor as red front thigh 44 or blue front thigh 46) while applying pressure with one's hands to the opponent's inner thigh (e.g., identified by an instructor as red inner thigh 50 or blue inner thigh 52). This particular technique may be beneficial for helping an athlete avoid being taken down by an opponent. An instructor may direct a trainee to perform a “whizzer technique,” which is another technique which may be beneficial for helping an athlete avoid being taken down by an opponent, by, e.g., instructing the trainee to wrap one's right arm around the opponent's left arm, and then place a hand on an inner thigh indicia 50, 52.
Ankle indicia 58, 60 may each be positioned below a knee indicium 54, 56 at the bottom of each pant leg. Each ankle indicium 58, 60 may surround a portion of the athlete's leg at or near an ankle. Ankle indicia 58, 60 may be beneficial for identifying to a trainee how to use one's own ankle and/or target an opponent's ankle to perform a variety of moves. As a non-limiting example, where both the trainee and the trainee's partner are wearing an exemplary garment 41, the trainee may be directed to use one's red or blue hand (corresponding to red wrist indicia 26 or blue wrist indicia 30) and grasp the opponent's red ankle indicium 58 or blue ankle indicium 60 (such as to perform a takedown).
Rear thigh indicia 64, 66 may be positioned below the glute indicium 62 and above the inner thigh indicia 50, 52 on the rear side of pants 48. The rear thigh indicia 64, 66 may extend across the entire rear side of the pants 48 proximate to the lower glutes of the athlete wearing garment 41, but such is not necessarily required. Rear thigh indicia 64, 66 may indicate to a trainee where to apply pressure on an opponent for performing certain takedowns. Referring to
Referring now to
Upper shoulder indicia 68, 70 may be positioned above a shoulder pad (not shown) of an athlete wearing the garment 71, and adjacent to a collar of the garment 71. Where a trainee's partner is wearing the garment 71, the upper shoulder indicia 68, 70 may indicate to the trainee where to place one's hands and apply pressure to execute certain defense maneuvers, including by way of example and not limitation, block avoidance and/or pass rush techniques (e.g., swim move). An instructor may direct a trainee to perform the swim move by, e.g., instructing the trainee to press on the upper shoulder indicia 68, 70 of one's training partner with one's outside arms, and move the partner aside to, e.g., create a path towards the individual holding the football. Upper shoulder indicia 68, 70 may be rectangular in shape, although such is not required. The upper shoulder indicia 68, 70 may also be a different color from other reference indicia on garment 71 to help an athlete (and/or an instructor) narrow one's focus on the upper shoulder indicia 68, 70, given the high level of importance of said indicia 68, 70 to various block avoidance and/or pash rush techniques.
Mid-shoulder indicia 72, 74 may each be positioned above an armpit indicium (76 or 78, respectively) and below an upper shoulder indicium (68 or 70, respectively). Where a trainee's partner is wearing the garment 71, the mid-shoulder indicia 68, 70 may indicate to the trainee where to place one's hands and apply pressure to execute certain defense maneuvers, including by way of example and not limitation, outside hand extension, club hand placement, shock and snap, and the like maneuvers. A trainee may be directed to, for example, grasp a mid-shoulder indicium (72 or 74) of an opponent and extend one's arm to manipulate movement of an opponent's outer shoulders. Chest indicia 80, 82 may be positioned on a central portion of a front side of the garment 71 (e.g., at a central chest and abdominal area), and may each be substantially rectangular in shape, although such is not required. Chest indicia 80, 82 may, for example, indicate to a trainee where to place one's second hand while the first hand grasps the mid-shoulder indicium (72 or 74) to manipulate movement of the opponent (e.g., as part of a “club maneuver” or “shock and snap” maneuver). As another non-limiting example, chest indicia 80, 82 may indicate to a trainee where to apply significant pressure in an attempt to disrupt an opponent's center of gravity.
The armpit indicia 76, 78 may each be positioned proximate to an armpit of the individual wearing garment 71. The armpit indicia 76, 78 may indicate to a trainee where to place one's hand(s) and apply pressure to execute certain defense maneuvers, including by way of example and not limitation, where to apply pressure in efforts to stop an opponent from gaining a positional advantage, where to apply pressure to knock an opponent off balance, some combination thereof, or the like. As a specific non-limiting example, a trainee may be directed to apply pressure to both an armpit indicium (e.g., 76) and a chest indicium (e.g., 80) to rotate an opponent away from a desired rush pathway of the trainee. The trainee may also be directed to bring each hand back towards one's body while grasping said indicia (e.g., 76, 80) to compromise the balance of one's opponent (“shock and snap maneuver”). Alternatively, or additionally, an instructor may direct a trainee to perform a shock and snap maneuver by grasping both chest indicia 80, 82, and bringing each hand back towards one's body while grasping said indicia 80, 82 to compromise the balance of one's opponent. An instructor may also direct the trainee to rotate one's hips during the shock and snap maneuver to establish a positional advantage.
Rear armpit indicia 84, 86 may each, respectively, extend from the armpit indicia 80, 82 on the front side of the garment 71 across a portion of the rear side of the garment 71. A back indicium 88 may extend between the rear armpit indicia 84, 86. The rear armpit indicia 84, 86 may further indicate to a trainee where to apply pressure to execute certain defense maneuvers, including, by way of example and not limitation, the club maneuver, maneuvers compromising the balance of the opponent, other pass rush maneuvers, some combination thereof, or the like. As a specific, non-limiting example, an instructor may direct a trainee to bend one's arms and apply upward pressure at rear-armpit indicia 84, 86 to compromise an opponent's ability to continue blocking the defensive player-trainee. As another specific, non-limiting example, applying significant pressure to one of the two rear armpit indicia (e.g., 84) may contribute to the opponent-blocker having trouble maintaining one's balance and/or desired angle of attack.
The back indicium 88 may provide both functional and aesthetic benefits. The back indicium 88 may be defined by a team logo, brand logo, corresponding colors thereof, or the like, and may also act as an area of reference for various athletic moves/techniques. As a non-limiting example of a functional benefit of the back indicium 88, the back indicium 88 may indicate to a trainee where to place one's hands when performing certain pass rush maneuvers (and may likewise indicate to a coach/instructor whether the trainee's hands are in the correct position). A club maneuver may involve the defensive player-trainee swinging an open hand towards the back indicium 88 to angle and maneuver the offensive player-opponent blocking the defensive player away from the desired path of the defensive player. Where the trainee is also wearing garment 71, the back indicium 88 of trainee's garment becomes covered by the offensive player-opponent (e.g., such that where a coach is able to view the trainee's back indicium 88, the coach may determine that club maneuver has not been performed correctly). Indicia 68, 70, 72, 74 are illustrative examples of exemplary arm indicia, and indicia 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88 are illustrative examples of exemplary torso indicia.
Referring now to
Chest indicia 98, 100 may be positioned on a central portion of a front side of the garment 91 (e.g., at a central chest and abdominal area), and may each be substantially rectangular in shape, although such is not required. Chest indicia 98, 100 may, for example, indicate to a trainee where to place one's hands for performing various blocking maneuvers, certain non-limiting examples of which are described below.
Shoulder indicia 90, 92 may each be positioned over a shoulder pad (not shown) between an armpit indicium (e.g., 94 or 96) and a collar of the garment 91. The shoulder indicia 90, 92 may indicate to an offensive lineman trainee where to apply pressure on a defensive player-opponent to execute certain blocking maneuvers, including, by way of example and not limitation, common reach blocks, double team blocks, pass blocking, some combination thereof, or the like. As a specific, non-limiting example, an instructor may direct a trainee to grasp a shoulder indicium (90 or 92) and a mid-torso indicium (98 or 100), and thereafter extend one's arm at the shoulder indicium (90 or 92) to turn the defensive player-opponent's body away from the opponent's desired direction of attack. As another non-limiting example, for a double team block, two offensive players may each be directed to apply pressure to each shoulder indicium 90, 92 and chest indicum 98, 100 of the defensive player-opponent. As yet another non-limiting example, for a pass block maneuver, an offensive player may be directed to grasp a shoulder indicium (90 or 92) and rotate one's hand towards the opponent's helmet to, e.g., manipulate the direction of movement of the opponent.
Armpit indicia 94, 96 may each be positioned proximate to an armpit of the individual wearing garment 91. The armpit indicia 94, 96 may indicate to a trainee where to place one's hand(s) and apply pressure to execute certain blocking maneuvers, including by way of example and not limitation, a base black, a wrap block, pass block, some combination thereof, or the like. For a base block or wrap block, the trainee may be directed to apply pressure to both an armpit indicium (94 or 96) and a chest indicium (98 or 100) to move a defender-opponent away from the path of the football. For a pass block, the trainee may be directed to grasp an armpit indicium (94 or 96) and rotate one's hand towards the ground in an effort to prevent the defender from disrupting a passing play.
Lateral indicia 102, 104 may each be positioned at or above a hip of the individual wearing garment 91, below an armpit indicium 94, 96. The armpit indicia 94, 96 may indicate to a trainee where to place one's hand(s) and apply pressure to execute certain blocking maneuvers, including by way of example and not limitation, kick out blocks, pass blocks, some combination thereof, or the like. For a kick out block, a trainee may be directed to grasp a lateral indicium (102 or 104) and an armpit indicium (94 or 96) there above and apply pressure thereto to maneuver the defender-opponent away from the football. For a pass block, a trainee may be directed to grasp a lateral indicium (102 or 104) and rotate one's hand towards the opponent's helmet to manipulate the direction of movement of the defender (e.g., to cause the defender to run past the quarterback).
Reference indicia 106 and 108, respectively, are portions of shoulder indicia 92 and 90 extending from the front of the garment 91 across a portion of the rear of the garment. Reference indicia 112 and 114, respectively, are portions of lateral indicia 104 and 102 extending from the front of the garment 91 across a portion of the rear of the garment. A back indicium 110 may be positioned at the center of the rear of the garment 91 (e.g., proximate to an area between the shoulder blades of an individual wearing the garment 91). The back indicium 110 may provide both functional and aesthetic benefits. The back indicium 110 may be defined by a team logo, brand logo, corresponding colors thereof, or the like, and may also act as an area of reference for various athletic moves/techniques. As a non-limiting example of a functional benefit of back indicium 110, the back indicium 110 may indicate to a trainee where to place one's hands when performing certain blocking maneuvers (and may likewise indicate to a coach/instructor whether the trainee's hands are in the correct position). A non-limiting blocking maneuver includes swinging an arm around the shoulder indicium (106 or 108) and back indicium 110 of a defender who has passed the offensive player-trainee. Indicia 90, 92 are illustrative examples of exemplary arm indicia, and indicia 94, 96, 98, 100, 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, 114 are illustrative examples of exemplary torso indicia.
Referring to
It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that reference indicia of an exemplary garment may be defined by any number of different shapes, images, designs, logos, some combination thereof, or the like of any number of different sizes without necessarily departing from the scope of the present invention. It will further be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the placement of indicia on embodiments illustrated and described herein is not meant to be exhaustive of the scope of the present invention, and variations to the precise location of certain indicia may be made without necessarily departing from the scope of the present invention. It will also be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that certain reference indicia illustrated and described herein may be excluded from an exemplary garment without necessarily departing from the scope of the present invention.
Any embodiment of the present invention may include any of the features of the other embodiments of the present invention. The exemplary embodiments herein disclosed are not intended to be exhaustive or to unnecessarily limit the scope of the invention. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the present invention so that others skilled in the art may practice the invention. Having shown and described exemplary embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art will realize that many variations and modifications may be made to the described invention. Many of those variations and modifications will provide the same result and fall within the spirit of the claimed invention. It is the intention, therefore, to limit the invention only as indicated by the scope of the claims.
