AI, BlazePod Sensors, and Head Vests Implemented in Assessments on Reaction Time and Gaze Training Program in U10 Football Game

Abstract

In the context of the development of technologies, every sports club tends to improve its training methods to obtain the best possible results in sports training. The goal of the research is to develop a specialized training program designed to enhance ball-control skills so that children can play soccer with increased confidence, therefore reinforcing their need for constant visual contact with the ball during possession. The study participants are children between the ages of 8 and 10, who have acquired at least one year of consistent and well-structured football practice, divided into two groups, experimental group I and control group II. The T-Blaze test training, the Adams test, and the registration of the degree of head tilt using artificial intelligence and visual recognition were implemented. During the training, the authors used the BlazePod sensors to measure participants’ times more precisely, thus avoiding the inaccuracy of using a classic timer. At the same time, the authors used the Vesta HeadUp to block the child’s view of the ball when he has possession of the ball or is very close to it. The recording of time spent playing head-up and head-down revealed statistically significant differences between the three test sessions in favor of the experimental group. Considering the statistically substantial influence obtained, the authors can conclude that our intervention program based on specific means and using HeadUp vests was a decisive factor in achieving improved performance.