U.S. patent application number 13/135863 was filed with the patent office on 2013-01-17 for speed/agility/quickness (saq) skill measurement set-up assistant.
The applicant listed for this patent is Bruce Hall. Invention is credited to Bruce Hall.
Application Number | 20130014399 13/135863 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 47518074 |
Filed Date | 2013-01-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130014399 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hall; Bruce |
January 17, 2013 |
Speed/agility/quickness (SAQ) skill measurement set-up
assistant
Abstract
This invention relates to a system and method for measuring a
plurality of skills of an athlete, wherein the system is comprised
of: a means for discharging and collecting a distance measuring
means; a distance measuring means for measuring a distance to be
used in measuring a desired athletic skill, wherein the distance
measuring means further comprises a plurality of incremental
markings substantially located along a length of the distance
measuring means; and a securing means operatively connected to one
end of the distance measuring means for securing the distance
measuring means.
Inventors: |
Hall; Bruce; (Gaithersburg,
MD) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Hall; Bruce |
Gaithersburg |
MD |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
47518074 |
Appl. No.: |
13/135863 |
Filed: |
July 16, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
33/701 ;
33/700 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01B 3/1084 20130101;
G01B 3/1003 20200101; G01B 3/1056 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
33/701 ;
33/700 |
International
Class: |
G01B 5/14 20060101
G01B005/14 |
Claims
1. A system discharging a tape measure to assist in setting up a
plurality of Speed, Agility and Quickness drills for training and
evaluating athletes abilities, wherein the system consists of: a
means for discharging a tape measure to measure the distances for
various athletic skills and drills assessments; a tape measure made
of a vinyl coated, water resistant material; wherein the tape
measure is three inches wide for the ease of use and visibility at
longer distances and from various viewing angles; wherein the tape
measure includes a start line and measuring markings at one yard
increments, wherein the five yard increment markings are larger and
bolder than the one yard increments and the tape measure has
various lengths up to one hundred yards; a securing block
operatively connected at a leading edge of the tape measure, said
securing block made of a hardened material and including three
holes in a single line to insert securing means; wherein the two
outer holes are used when the tape measure is discharged at longer
distances for athletic speed assessment drills and the center hole
is utilized as a pivot point for setting up multi-point athletic
agility and quickness assessment drills; and wherein the ten yard
increment marking has a hole for receiving a securing rod to mark
the ten yard increment assessments of the athletes speed.
2. The system, as in claim 1, wherein the means for discharging and
collecting a distance measuring means is further comprised of: a
reel operatively connected to the means for discharging and
collecting a distance measuring means and the distance measuring
means; and a handle operatively connected to the reel for
discharging and collecting the distance measuring means.
3. The system, as in claim 1, wherein the distance measuring means
is further comprised of: a securing rod operatively connected to
one end of the distance measuring means.
4. The system, as in claim 3, wherein the securing rod is further
comprised of: a plurality of holes located along a length of the
securing rod.
5. The system, as in claim 1, wherein the distance measuring means
is further comprised of: a plurality of incremental markings
located substantially along a length of the distance measuring
means.
6. The system, as in claim 5, wherein the plurality of incremental
markings are further comprised of: one (1) yard increments.
7. The system, as in claim 5, wherein the plurality of incremental
markings are further comprised of: five (5) yard increments.
8. The system, as in claim 5, wherein the plurality of incremental
markings are further comprised of: ten (10) yard increments.
9. The system, as in claim 5, wherein the plurality of incremental
markings are further comprised of: twenty-five (25) yard
increments.
10. The system, as in claim 5, wherein the plurality of incremental
markings are further comprised of: forty (40) yard increments.
11. The system, as in claim 5, wherein the plurality of incremental
markings are further comprised of: one-hundred (100) yard
increments.
12. A method for providing a measurement of a plurality of athletic
skills and drills by an athletic trainer, coach, athlete college or
professional scout, etc in order to assess an athlete's
performance, wherein the method is comprised of the steps of:
discharging a length of a distance measuring means that corresponds
to a desired speed, agility or quickness skill to be measured;
wherein the distance measuring means consists of a means for
discharging a tape measure to measure the distances for various
athletic skills and drills assessments; a tape measure made of a
vinyl coated, water resistant material; wherein the tape measure is
three inches wide for the ease of use and visibility at longer
distances and from various viewing angles; wherein the tape measure
includes a start line and measuring markings at one yard
increments, wherein the five yard increment markings are larger and
bolder than the one yard increments and the tape measure has
various lengths up to one hundred yards; and a securing block
operatively connected at a leading edge of the tape measure, said
securing block made of a hardened material and including three
holes in a single line to insert securing means; wherein the two
outer holes are used when the tape measure is discharged at longer
distances for athletic speed assessment drills and the center hole
is utilized as a pivot point for setting up multi-point athletic
agility and quickness assessment drills; securing the distance
measuring means at its leading edge; marking the other end of the
distance measuring means; and determining and evaluating a desired
skill of an athlete.
13. The method, as in claim 12, wherein the desired skill to be
measured is a ten (10) yard sprint.
14. The method, as in claim 13, wherein the method is further
comprised of: unrolling at least ten (10) yards of the distance
measuring means; securing the distance measuring means with a
securing means; and marking the other end of the distance measuring
means thorough the use of a marking means.
15. The method, as in claim 12, wherein the desired skill to be
measured is a L-cone drill.
16. The method, as in claim 15, wherein the method is further
comprised of: unrolling a first distance of the distance measuring
means; securing the distance measuring means at one end; pivoting
the unrolled distance measuring means around the secured end of the
distance measuring means; extending out the distance measuring
means to a second distance so that a first end of the second
distance is secured and so that the second distance is
substantially equal to the first distance and the second distance
is substantially located ninety degrees with respect to the first
distance; and marking the other end of the second distance.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates to a system and method for measuring
a plurality of skills of an athlete, wherein the system is
comprised of: a means for discharging and collecting a distance
measuring means; a distance measuring means for measuring a
distance to be used in measuring a desired athletic skill, wherein
the distance measuring means further comprises a plurality of
incremental markings substantially located along a length of the
distance measuring means; and a securing means operatively
connected to one end of the distance measuring means for securing
the distance measuring means.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Prior to the present invention, as set forth in general
terms above and more specifically below, it is known in sports and
other competitive fields, that there are tangible and intangible
characteristics of athletes that coaches and managers are looking
for in order to build a championship team. For example, an
intangible or not easily measured characteristic could be the
athlete's instincts or overall awareness of what is occurring in
the game and how the athlete reacts to events that are going on in
the game. On the other hand, a tangible or easily measured
characteristic could be considered to be the athlete's speed,
agility and quickness. Consequently, a more advantageous system,
then, would be provided if the athlete's tangible characteristics
such as speed, agility, and quickness (SAQ) could be easily
measured.
[0005] It is also known, that a variety of SAQ drills are utilized
in analyzing the speed and agility of athletes for various sports
such as American football, baseball, soccer, lacrosse, tennis and
others. Some of these drills are heavily relied upon in "combines"
for football, baseball, and other various sports. Combines are
central staging areas where coaches, scouts, agents, and other
sports-related personnel can get a comprehensive and thorough
evaluation of the performance of athletes in an equal setting and
under the same conditions. Many of these combines are conducted at
venues where it takes two (2) or more people to set up the various
drills that measure SAQ skills. Often times the SAQ drills are set
up by just placing other training apparatus such as cones or flags
by either eyesight or by "stepping off" the distance between
training apparatus for training. These methods often result in
inaccurate distances. Consequently, when at an official combine
with distances measured off correctly, the athlete may find that
his combine times are adversely different than his training
times.
[0006] Finally, these drills can be utilized in training during the
off-season for athletes to work on their skills and conditioning to
maintain a competitive edge for when their season begins and to
help prevent injuries that could occur when not doing the training
properly. Also, these drills can be used during the season for
warm-ups, conditioning and skills needed for on the field
competitiveness. Therefore, a further advantageous system, then,
would be provided if the SAQ skills measuring device would be used
to quickly, easily and accurately set up the training drills by one
(1) person.
[0007] It is further known to employ measuring tapes to measure
distances. Therefore, an even further advantageous system, then,
would be presented if the SAQ Setup measured distances in yards,
with markings resembling that on a football field. Preferably, this
device will have smaller markings for the one (1) yard increments
and wider/bolder markings for the five (5) yard and ten (10) yard
increments. The bolder ten (10) yard increments will be marked with
the actual distance, i.e. 10, 20, 30, 40 yards, etc. Consequently,
with these markings, it would make it easier for a trainer to set
up drills for the athletes they are training, thereby allowing more
time and more repetitions for the athletes to train.
[0008] Finally, it is known to employ a device that is capable of
measuring only a single SAQ skill such as speed or agility.
Therefore, a still further advantageous system, then, would be
provided if a plurality of SAQ drills could be provided in one
device such that the device can be quickly, easily and accurately
set up by one (1) person.
[0009] It is apparent from the above that there exists a need in
the art for a system and method that can be used to measure a
plurality of SAQ skills of an athlete by using one device in a
quick, easy and accurate manner but can be set up by one (1)
person. It is a purpose of this invention to fulfill this and other
needs in the art in a manner more apparent to the skilled artisan
once given the following disclosure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] Generally speaking, an embodiment of this invention fulfills
these needs by providing a system and method for measuring a
plurality of skills of an athlete, wherein the system is comprised
of: a means for discharging and collecting a distance measuring
means; a distance measuring means for measuring a distance to be
used in measuring a desired athletic skill, wherein the distance
measuring means further comprises a plurality of incremental
markings substantially located along a length of the distance
measuring means; and a securing means operatively connected to one
end of the distance measuring means for securing the distance
measuring means.
[0011] In a further preferred embodiment, the means for discharging
and collecting the distance measuring means is reel with a handle
to wind up and unwind the distance measuring means. Also, the
distance measuring means further includes smaller markings for the
one (1) yard increments and wider/bolder markings for the five (5)
yard and ten (10) yard increments. Also, the securing means further
includes a bar with holes, wherein the holes can be used in
conjunction with stakes or other similar devices to retain the
measuring device in the ground or training surface and to allow the
distance measuring means to pivot in order to form a variety of
designs for use in measuring particular athletic skills.
[0012] The preferred embodiment, according to various embodiments
of the present invention, offers the following advantages: ease of
use; accuracy; the ability to set up multiple SAQ drills to train
athletes in multiple athletic skills; and ease of set-up of
multiple stations with one person. In fact, in many of the
preferred embodiments, these factors of ease of use, accuracy, the
testing of multiple athletic skills in one device and ease of
set-up are optimized to an extent that is considerably higher than
heretofore achieved in prior, known systems and methods for
measuring a plurality of skills of an athlete.
[0013] The above and other features of the present invention, which
will become more apparent as the description proceeds, are best
understood by considering the following detailed description in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters
represent like parts throughout the several views and in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a speed, agility, and
quickness (SAQ) skill measurement set-up assistant, according to
one embodiment of the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 2 is a schematic, top view illustration of the
measuring tape being extended from the (SAQ) skill measurement
set-up assistant;
[0016] FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of incremental markings
that are placed upon the measuring tape for the one (1) yard
increments and wider/bolder markings for the five (5) yard and ten
(10) yard increments;
[0017] FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of the SAQ set-up
assistant being utilized to set up a ten (10) yard sprint set up;
and
[0018] FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of the SAQ set-up
assistant being utilized to set up a L-cone drill.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0019] With reference first to FIG. 1, there is illustrated one
preferred embodiment for use of the concepts of this invention. As
shown in FIG. 1, speed, agility and quickness (SAQ) skill
measurement set-up assistant 2 is illustrated. Assistant 2 includes
a plurality of handles 4, frame 5, frame supports 6, conventional
tape measure guide rollers 8, tape measure reel 10, tape measure
wind up/unwind handle 12, tape measure 16 and tape measure securing
rod 18. It is to be understood that frame 5 and frame supports 6
may be constructed of any suitable, durable, and lightweight
material. It is also to be understood that reel 10 should be
constructed such that tape measure 16 can be either manually or
automatically unwound from and/or re-wound upon reel 10. Also, tape
measure 16 can be constructed of any suitable flexible, durable,
and lightweight material. Finally, tape measure securing rod 18 can
be constructed of any suitable flexible, durable, and lightweight
material.
[0020] With respect to FIG. 2, there is illustrated a top view of
(SAQ) skill measurement set-up assistant 2. As can be seen in FIG.
2, tape measure 16 is unwound from tape measure reel 10 (FIG. 1)
and interacts with tape measure guides 22 that are located along
both sides of frame 5. Located along one end of tape measure 16 is
tape measure securing rod 18. As can be seen in FIG. 2, tape
measure securing rod includes holes 20 which allow spikes or other
similar securing devices to be placed through holes 20 such that
tape measure 16 can be secured to the ground or whatever surface is
being used to measure the athlete's SAQ.
[0021] With respect to FIG. 3, there are illustrated incremental
markings located along a length of tape measure 16. In particular,
smaller markings 30 denote one (1) yard increments. Wider/bolder
markings 32 denote five (5) yard increments and markings 34 denote
ten (10) yard increments. As can be seen further, markings 36 and
38 can be placed along the length of tape measure 16 in order to
denote 25 and 40 yard lengths, respectively. It is to be understood
that any combination of increments including one-hundred (100) yard
increments can be placed along tape measure 16 but that can be left
up to the user.
[0022] With respect to FIG. 4, there is illustrated an example of a
ten (10) yard sprint setup. As shown in FIG. 4, tape measure
securing rod 18 is staked down at two outer holes 20 (FIG. 2) with
conventional stakes (not shown). Tape measure 16 is rolled out to
the ten (10) yard mark. A cone 40 or other similar marking device
can be placed at the (10) yard mark to denote the end of the sprint
drill. It is to be understood that cones or other similar marking
devices can be placed at the beginning of the set up to mark the
start of the drill. Also, a cone or other similar marking device
can be placed along the halfway distance to denote that the
mid-point distance of the drill. It is further to be understood
that if it is desired to have two (2) lanes, one needs to simply
drop a cone or other similar marking device on each side of
measuring tape 16 to allow for two (2) athletes to run side-by-side
in a competitive sprint. Finally, it is to be understood that one
can place cones or other similar marking devices at every ten (10)
yard increment in order to set up forty (40) yard sprint, sixty
(60) yard, or one-hundred (100) yard sprint.
[0023] With respect to FIG. 5, there is illustrated an L-Cone drill
setup. As shown in FIG. 5, tape measure 16 is unrolled to the
desired length 50a and tape measure securing rod 18 is secured at
middle hole 20 (FIG. 2) by conventional stakes (not shown). A cone
52 or other similar marking device is placed adjacent to staked
tape measure securing rod 18. Tape measure 16 is then simply
pivoted around staked tape measure securing rod 18 in either the
right or left direction and extended along length 50b in order to
form an "L" shape or right angle. It is to be understood that in
order to set up multiple stations for this drill, simply repeat the
process.
[0024] It is to be understood that (SAQ) skill measurement set-up
assistant 2 may also include a storage bag (not shown) wherein
marking items such as cones, bases, flags or other suitable marking
devices and hold down stakes can be stored for usage in marking
desired distances that have been measured off by skill measurement
set-up assistant 2. Also, because of the lightweight material and
the ease of use, this device can be used in any location, field,
asphalt lot, gymnasium, as long as there is a suitable amount of
space to run drills.
[0025] Finally, because many of these SAQ drills are sport
specific, the skill measurement set-up assistant 2 may be utilized
in order to measure various SAQ skills desired for other sports,
such as, baseball. It is well known that some of the desired SAQ
skills for baseball players are the ability to quickly run a sixty
(60) yard dash, the ability to move quickly from one base to
another base, and the ability to throw a baseball for distance and
to throw for accuracy. With this in mind, skill measurement set-up
assistant 2 can be set-up to measure these desired SAQ skills, as
well as others. For example, skill measurement set-up assistant 2
can be set up, similar to the ten (10) yard sprint set-up
illustrated in FIG. 4, so as to mimic a ninety (90) foot distance
or the distance between the bases on a baseball field.
[0026] The foregoing disclosure of the exemplary embodiments has
been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is
not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the
precise forms disclosed. Many variations and modifications of the
embodiments described herein will be apparent to one of ordinary
skill in the art, in light of the above disclosure.
[0027] Further, in describing representative embodiments, the
specification may have presented methods and/or processes as a
particular sequence of steps. However, to the extent that the
methods or processes do not rely on the particular order of steps
set forth herein, the methods or processes should not be limited to
the particular sequence of steps described. As one of ordinary
skill in the art would appreciate, other sequences of steps may be
possible. Therefore, the particular order of the steps set forth in
the specification should not be construed as limitations on the
claims.
[0028] Once given the above disclosure, many other features,
modifications or improvements will become apparent to the skilled
artisan. Such features, modifications or improvements are,
therefore, considered to be a part of this invention, the scope of
which is to be determined by the following claims.
* * * * *