While football is being kept under wraps, with no sports being played locally since the Covid 19 pandemic, some players, especially those who were not part of the national set up would either be getting fat or getting rusty. But with the Virtual Reality Software, players can remain sharp as the program enables its users to develop their cognitive abilities, and they can do so indoors, away from the fields and from police officers who may want to ‘jumbie’ them.
Developed by Rezil, the program takes the player through a wide range of drills that can test his or her cognitive abilities and it also helps to develop cognitive abilities such as space awareness, reactions and different cognitive capabilities. Darren Cowie, who is a former national hockey player and currently a coach is the man who is heading this program in Trinidad and Tobago, based in Mucurapo Road, St James. “Those drills, while they kind of aim towards developing the cognitive attributes, it also helps with the technique. It is not something you have to drive with power, it is just to help you to build on that technique, also build awareness”.
The program, while being a football program will also benefit other sports. Cowie noted, that as a hockey player and coach, “I would probably put one of my hockey players on this because hockey is a sport that is similar to football, where you need to have a lot of space awareness on the field of play. There are times when space gets crowded and you have to be able to be aware of what is going on around you and what options you have and to react quickly to it.”
NATIONAL PLAYERS TAKING ADVANTAGE
“What we found”, Cowie asserts, “because we are fairly new, is that we’re actually going to individual players, so that they can recognize that this is something that helps with their own development. We are still plug away at the TTFA and various clubs to try and buy into the program because it is an important aspect. Clubs like Manchester United, Manchester City, Paris St Germain and various Major League Soccer clubs are using this. I mean (West Ham striker) Mikhail Antonio has a whole system in his house and that is something that he took very serious and has invested in”. Cowie reasoned that if these are the players and organisations that are using this program they will continue to get TT Pro League clubs and the TTFA as well to see if this is something they can use to benefit the players.
The Program is available for use at Pro Sport, Santa Maria Plaza, Mucurapo road, St James.
