Agility poles and passing arcs for sports training

Abstract

An agility pole or a passing arc includes one or more receptacles adjacent to a first end of a tube. A spike assembly has one or more fittings, and a spike attached to a holder adapted to slide into the first end of the tube, in a spike-in position wherein the spike is within the tube, and in a spike-out position wherein the spike is substantially outside of the tube. The fittings engage the receptacles in the spike-in position and in the spike-out position. The agility pole or passing arc may be transported and stored in the spike-in position so that injury or damage from the spike is avoided.

1 . Sports training equipment, comprising:
 a tube having a first end;   one or more receptacles adjacent to the first end of the tube;   a spike assembly including one or more fittings and a spike attached to a holder adapted to slide into the first end of the tube, in a spike-in position wherein the spike is within the tube, and in a spike-out position wherein the spike is substantially outside of the tube; and   with the fitting engaging the receptacle in the spike-in position and in the spike-out position.   
     
     
         2 . The equipment of  claim 1  with the receptacle comprising a hole in the tube and the fitting comprising a button on the holder. 
     
     
         3 . The equipment of  claim 1  with the receptacle comprising one or more slots at the first end of the tube and the fitting comprising a lug on the holder. 
     
     
         4 . The equipment of  claim 1  further including a key on one of the tube and the holder, and a complimentary slot on the other of the tube and the holder. 
     
     
         5 . The equipment of  claim 1  with the spike at a first end of the holder, and further including a plurality of ridges on an outer surface of a second end of the holder, opposite from the first end. 
     
     
         6 . The equipment of  claim 3  with the slot having a ramp surface. 
     
     
         7 . The equipment of  claim 1  wherein the tube has four sides. 
     
     
         8 . The equipment of  claim 7  comprising a first receptacle on a first side of the tube and a second receptacle on a second side of the tube opposite from the first side, and with the holder having four sides with a first fitting on a first side of the holder and a second fitting on a second side of the holder opposite from the first side of the holder. 
     
     
         9 . The equipment of  claim 8  wherein the sides of the tube and the sides of the holder are substantially flat. 
     
     
         10 . The equipment of  claim 1  with the tube and the holder having congruent shapes. 
     
     
         11 . The equipment of  claim 1  with the spike having a length of 80 to 300% of the length of the holder. 
     
     
         12 . The equipment of  claim 2  comprising first and second resilient fingers on opposite sides of the holder, with the fingers formed via U-shaped slots cut in the opposite sides of the holder. 
     
     
         13 . The equipment of  claim 1  with the tube further including a second end, and a second spike assembly on the second end of the tube. 
     
     
         14 . The equipment of  claim 1  further including a second tube telescopically attached to a second end of the tube. 
     
     
         15 . The equipment of  claim 1  wherein the holder has a shape which prevents the spike assembly from rotating within the first end of the tube. 
     
     
         16 . Sports training equipment, comprising:
 a tube having first, second, third and fourth flat sides, with the first and second sides parallel to each other, and the third and fourth sides parallel to each other;   first and second receptacle holes in the first and second sides of the tube, respectively, adjacent to a first end of the tube having a tube opening;   a spike assembly including a holder with a cross section shape matching the tube opening, and a spike on a first end of the holder, the spike assembly having a first position where the first end of the holder and the spike are in the tube opening, and a second position where the spike is outside of the tube opening;   a first fitting on a first side of the holder, and a second fitting on a second side of the holder, with the first and second fittings engaged with the first and second receptacle holes, when the spike assembly is in the first position, and when the spike assembly is in the second position.   
     
     
         17 . The equipment of  claim 16  with the first fitting comprising a button on a flex arm cut into the first side of the holder, with the button projecting outward from the first side of the holder. 
     
     
         18 . The equipment of  claim 16  comprising a single rectangular tube. 
     
     
         19 . Equipment, comprising:
 a curved tube having a first end and a second end;   first and second receptacles adjacent to the first end of the tube;   third and second receptacles adjacent to the second end of the tube;   first and second spike assemblies on the first and second ends of the tube, with each spike assembly including a spike on a first end of the holder, a left fitting on a first side of the holder, and a right fitting on a second side of the holder, with the left and right fittings of the first spike assembly releasably engaged with the first and second receptacles, and with the left and right fittings of the second spike assembly releasably engaged with the third and fourth receptacles.   
     
     
         20 . The equipment of  claim 20  with the first spike assembly insertable into the first end of the tube in a spike-in position wherein the spike is within the first end of the tube, and in a spike-out position wherein the spike is substantially outside of the first end of the tube, and the second spike assembly is insertable into the second end of the tube in a spike-in position wherein the spike is within the second end of the tube, and in a spike-out position wherein the spike is substantially outside of the second end of the tube.