System and Method for Optimizing Sports Performance and an Improved Means for Coaching Children in Recreational Sports

Abstract

Method and a system for providing a skill training and reward program is provided. The method comprises steps for registering a player for particular sport or skill, associating a coach or other sponsor with that user, permitting the creation of one or more challenges that are intended to improve the skill, importing information regarding the user's completion of the challenge, enabling a coach or other user to confirm completion of the challenge and initiate a badge or reward for appropriate completion. The system includes a database for storing information, a challenge software module for enabling the assignment or configuration of a challenge, a data import module for receiving and storing data associated with at least one selected challenge and a software awards module for triggering an award (if any) associated with completing the challenge. The software award module is configured to issue both virtual awards (such as badges) or to transmit an application programming interface call to an online store or vendor for issuing a physical award.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A system for enabling enhancement to the performance of at least one skill of a player comprised of:
 a. a database for storing data affiliated with a player and at least one coach;   b. player registration software, logically connected to such database, for enabling submission of one or more fields of registration information by a player via an electronic interface;   c. coach registration software, logically connected to such database, for enabling a coach to submit one or more fields of registration information via an electronic interface including identifying information for at least one player that is affiliated with the coach;   d. challenge management software, logically connected to the database, that provides an electronic interface for a coach to create a challenge and assign the created challenge to at least one player that is affiliated with the coach;   e. communications software, logically connected to the challenge management software, that communicates the assigned challenge to the Player;   f. A data import module, logically connected to the challenge management software and database, that can be used by a player to upload data regarding achievement of the assigned challenge;   g. a challenge review page for enabling the coach to review any videos or data that have been uploaded by the player in response to the challenge assigned by the coach; and   h. awards management software, logically linked to the challenge management software and database, for identifying any awards that were earned by the player and storing them in at least one field associated with the Player in the database following successful completion of the challenge.   
     
     
         2 . The System of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic interface provided by the registration software is a web page. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the challenge management software includes a set of pre-configured challenges that can be activated by a coach. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the communications software includes software that can send an alert to a mobile phone. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the data import module includes an application programming interface for enabling a player to upload video from a mobile phone. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the data import module includes an application programming interface for enabling the import of speed, velocity, rotation and related geospatial information from a soccer ball. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the challenge management software further includes
 a. an electronic interface for enabling a player to create a challenge; and   b. a challenge approval page for getting approval of the challenge by a coach.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the awards management software includes an application programming interface for initiating a shipping request for shipping an award to the address associated with a player that has successfully completed at least one challenge. 
     
     
         9 . A method for enabling enhancement of a skill comprising the steps of:
 a. delivering an electronic interface to a player to enable user registration;   b. creating a record in a software database that stores information received from the player in response to registration;   c. retrieving at least one pre-configured skill challenge and presenting it to the player via an electronic interface;   d. importing data provided by a player in response to the receipt of such challenge;   e. requesting feedback on the imported data by presenting at least one user that is not the player with the imported data and pre-configured skill challenge;   f. in response to receipt of user confirmation that the presented data demonstrates that the challenge has been met, updating player data in the database to reflect that the challenge has been met and achieved.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising the step of, following receipt of user confirmation that the challenge has been met, communicating the successful completion of the challenge to the player. 
     
     
         11 . The Method of  claim 9 , wherein the method includes the additional step of:
 a. delivering an electronic interface to a user to enable registration as a coach and identification of at least one user that is registered as a player who is affiliated with the coach;   b. creating a record in a software database that stores information received from the user in response to registration including any affiliated registered players;   c. providing an electronic interface for enabling the user to configure at least one skill challenge; and   d. presenting the configured challenge to at least one player affiliated with the coach via an electronic interface.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises the step(s) of:
 a. Responsive to the receipt of data from a player who has accepted the configured challenge, presenting such data to the user that configured the challenge; and   b. In response to the user reviewing the received data, requesting confirmation that the challenge has been completed by the player.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the request for confirmation that the challenge has been completed includes the provision of one or more fields for providing text or video responses for the player. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the method further comprises the step of, responsive to receipt of confirmation that the challenge was completed, issuing a virtual or physical reward to the player. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the issuance of an award comprises giving points to the player and stored in the database that can be used to acquire one or more additional awards.