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How Technology Has Changed the Way We Experience Sports/TMCnetWire/ – The rise of technology has had an impacts on every industry in the world, and sports are no exception. We've seen quite a few changes to the way sports are experienced in the past few decades, from the use of video review to the introduction of virtual reality, and beyond. At the professional level, the use of video review and replay technology has allowed referees and umpires to make more informed decisions. This technology has been particularly helpful in sports such as football and baseball, where one mistaken call can lead to a greatly misunderstood or missed play. Video review and replay has become so essential to the professional experience of football and baseball that it’s now a necessary part of global tournaments and championships. At the amateur level, technology has made an enormous difference in the way athletes and coaches train. Sensors that measure acceleration, speed, and even acceleration rates are increasingly been adopted by amateur athletes to monitor their performance and to push their limits and ensure they’re always at their peak physical performance. This improvement can be observed among youngsters too, who can now download a variety of sports-training apps for smartphones and tablets. These apps offer tips and drills for different sports and can be used to track progress and motivate users to set new goals and train harder. Virtual reality has also been consistently used in the world of sports to draw people closer to the action. The most popular application of this technology is of course in the world of video games — sports games such as FIFA and NBA 2K have been incorporating VR for some time now, allowing players to fully immerse themselves in the world of sports from the comfort of their own homes. An increasingly popular draw for sports fans of all kinds, virtual reality has also been used to organize virtual sports events such as virtual marathons or cycling races. This has allowed professional athletes, amateur athletes, and even armchair fanatics to get together and compete even when they’re not able to meet up physically. Technology has also opened up opportunities for amateur athletes who would otherwise not have been able to demonstrate their skills. For instance, live streaming platforms such as Twitch and YouTube have enabled athletes to showcase their abilities and gain wider recognition and financial reward. This has helped increase the profile of sports, especially among younger generations. Technology has gone beyond sports as well. Sports governing bodies have been able to leverage technology to provide a more engaging and efficient experience for their fans. Online ticketing systems have made the purchasing of tickets much easier and efficient for fans. Likewise, digital scoreboards have been introduced at stadiums and arenas, allowing fans to easily access the results of a game or tournament. In some cases, digital scoreboards have even been used in lieu of physical scoreboards to save on costs or to allow for a greater number of matches to be monitored at any given time. Sports have come a long way in the 21st century, and technology has played a vital role in making this possible. From the use of video review in professional leagues to the widespread availability of tracking sensors for amateur athletes, technology has helped revolutionized the way we experience sports and pushed its boundaries even further. |