Lesson 9 What Makes Sports More Exciting The suit comes in three parts: the top, the pants,

and a plastic core. The top and the pants have

Sports and Technology Go Hand in Hand
several sets of sensors for each of the major muscle
Every athlete tries to run faster, jump higher, or
groups. Inside the top and the pants, there is a
become stronger. Since the late twentieth century,
pocket that holds the core. The core reads all the
athletes have been actively taking advantage of the
data from the sensors and sends it to a smartphone
progress in science and technology to achieve their
app. The app lets coaches see in real time which
goals. Now technology is taking sports to another
muscle groups are being used during practice. After
level. Technology affects how players are trained, how
practice, the athlete can also review his performance.
rules are enforced, how audiences enjoy the games,

and how the public exercises.

The use of smart clothes greatly helped the

Warriors' coaches improve their training program. "I

At the start of the 2014-2015 National Basketball
like especially that I can see the players' exhaustion
Association (NBA) season, the Golden State Warriors
before injury occurs," one of the coaches said. The
were not viewed as an elite team. They won their
Warriors continued to win during the 2014-2015
last championship 40 years ago. Then something
season and went on to win the NBA championship.
happened ― they began to win, game after game.

Their defense improved, their offense improved, and,

most of all, fewer players suffered from injuries.

Everybody wondered: What had happened to them?

It was a new training suit that changed the team. It

was not just an ordinary suit, of course. The new suit

was a smart suit that was connected to a mobile

app.
 Technology is also helping to settle possible In the fall of 2015, a group of soccer fans in

disputes over referees' calls during games. This trend Portugal had a chance to watch a virtual reality

game between their favorite teams. They sat in a

was promoted when FIFA, the world's largest soccer
movie theater, but felt as if they were part of the
association, decided to adopt goal-line technology for
game, thanks to the virtual reality gear they wore.
the 2014 World Cup.
Several 360-degree cameras installed on the field

sent videos from various angles to a broadcasting

Traditionally, FIFA allowed the referees absolute
station. The station created virtual reality screens out
power on the administration of the game. Any errors
of the videos and then sent them to the gear the
by the referees were viewed as part of the game.
fans were wearing. The fans were even able to
When a referee's call was disputed, both players and
change perspectives, choosing to be either part of
audiences often brought complaints about this policy.
the audience, part of a team, or be on the field
When the disputed call was about a goal, the
itself. It was as if they were actually in the game.
complaints sometimes became violent.

After the successful test of the virtual reality

It was goal-line technology that settled any disputes
broadcast of the soccer game, the NBA decided to
over goals. A system using this technology employs
allow fans to watch live games using virtual reality
as many as 14 cameras that capture a ball from
on their smartphones. Other major sports are
various angles, showing exactly where the ball is at a
expected to follow this trend.
certain time. The moment a ball passes the goal line,

signals are sent to a watch worn by the referee. The

As for a new way of working out, using virtual
adoption of goal-line technology forever ruled out
reality technology, an Italian company has recently
the possibility of disputes over goals.
released an innovative product. It is an indoor bike

combined with virtual reality. The rider mounts the

In addition to the improvement of players' training
bike, puts on the virtual reality gear, and starts
and referees' calls, technology is helping sports fans
riding. The rider then feels as if he is actually riding
enjoy games at another level. Virtual reality is one of
on a road of his choice, whether a street in a major
the most promising technologies in this area.
city, or a calm mountain path, and all without

leaving home.

As technology develops, sports will become both

more enjoyable and more exciting in many ways.

That will give people more choices about how they

play or enjoy sports.