Athletic Training Device for Functional Strength Training

Abstract

In an athletic training device, a wheeled frame is configured to roll on a surface, and a rotatable platform is rotatably attached to the wheeled frame. The rotatable platform is configured and dimensioned to support a user's foot, feet or hands on the upper surface during usage of the athletic training device. The length of the bottom platform (the wheeled chassis) is greater than or equal to the width of the rotatable platform, and the rotatable platform and wheeled frame are configured and dimensioned such that the rotatable platform can rotate relative to the frame without obstruction by the wheeled platform or the wheels.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An athletic training device, comprising:
 a wheeled frame having a top deck, front and rear ends, a pair of side walls depending from opposite side edges of the top deck;   a front wheel assembly disposed proximate to the front end and a rear assembly disposed proximate to the rear end, each wheel assembly comprising an axle and a pair of wheels disposed at opposite ends of the axle, whereby the wheeled frame is rollable on a ground surface; and   a rotatable platform rotatably attached to the top deck, the rotatable platform having an upper surface and a lower surface, and having a length and a width configured and dimensioned to support a user's foot on the upper surface during usage of the athletic training device, wherein the length of the rotatable platform is greater than or equal to the width of the rotatable platform,   wherein the wheels and the rotatable platform are configured and dimensioned on the wheeled frame such that the rotatable platform can rotate relative to the frame without contacting the wheels.   
     
     
         2 . The athletic training device of  claim 1 , wherein: at least one wheel assembly is movable between a first position and a second position. 
     
     
         3 . The athletic training device of  claim 2 , wherein: the second position is displaced vertically from the first position. 
     
     
         4 . The athletic training device of  claim 3 , wherein in the first position, the wheels of the wheel assembly extend below a bottom of the wheeled frame such that the wheels support the wheeled frame in a rollable configuration, and in the second position the wheels do not extend below the bottom of the wheeled from such that the bottom of the wheeled frame rests on the ground in a non rollable configuration. 
     
     
         5 . The athletic training device of  claim 2 , wherein: the second position is displaced horizontally from the first position. 
     
     
         6 . The athletic training device of  claim 5 , wherein an opening is formed through the top deck, and in the first position the axle of the wheel assembly is not visible through the opening by a user of the athletic training device, and in the second position the axle of the wheel assembly is visible through the opening by a user of the athletic training device. 
     
     
         7 . The athletic training device of  claim 2 , wherein: the second position is displaced vertically and horizontally from the first position. 
     
     
         8 . The athletic training device of  claim 1 , wherein the axles of the wheel assemblies pass through mounting portions formed in side walls of the frame body. 
     
     
         9 . The athletic training device of  claim 8 , wherein mounting portions associated with at least one of the wheel assemblies define a first and second axle position. 
     
     
         10 . The athletic training device of  claim 9 , wherein the mounting portions are slots formed in the side walls, the slots defining the first and second axle positions. 
     
     
         11 . The athletic training device of  claim 9 , wherein the second axle position is offset from the first axle position. 
     
     
         12 . The athletic training device of  claim 11 , wherein in the first axle position, the wheels of the wheel assembly extend below a bottom of the wheeled frame such that the wheels support the wheeled frame in a rollable configuration, and in the second axle, position the wheels do not extend below the bottom of the wheeled from such that the bottom of the wheeled frame rests on the ground in a non rollable configuration. 
     
     
         13 . The athletic training device of  claim 1 , wherein the rotatable platform is removably attachable to a top and a bottom of the top deck, whereby the athletic training device is usable in either of an upright and an upside down orientation. 
     
     
         14 . The athletic training device of  claim 1 , further comprising a visual indicia formed on a top surface of the top deck, wherein the visual indicia corresponds in shape to a perimeter of the rotatable platform. 
     
     
         15 . The athletic training device of  claim 1 , further comprising a visual indicia formed on a bottom surface of the top deck, wherein the visual indicia corresponds in shape to a perimeter of the rotatable platform. 
     
     
         16 . A method of using an athletic training device for stride training and development, the method comprising:
 placing a lead foot onto a rotatable platform of the athletic training device;   striding from a starting position to a distance corresponding to a swinging or throwing motion;   returning to the starting position; and   repeating the steps of striding from the starting position and returning to the starting position,   wherein the athletic training device comprises:
 the rotatable platform, and 
 a frame comprising at least three wheels configured to roll on a surface, including one or more front wheels positioned toward a front of the frame in a lengthwise direction and one or more rear wheels positioned toward a rear of the frame in the lengthwise direction, wherein 
 the rotatable platform is rotatably attached to the frame, has an upper surface and a lower surface, and has a length and a width sufficient to support a user's foot on the upper surface during usage of the athletic training device, 
 each of the at least three wheels is configured to extend above the lower surface of the rotatable platform in an up-down direction, 
 the up-down direction is perpendicular to a rolling surface plane defined by locations where the at least three wheels contact the rolling surface, 
 the length of the rotatable platform is greater than or equal to the width of the rotatable platform, and 
 the one or more front wheels are spaced from the one more rear wheels in the lengthwise direction by a distance that is greater than the length of the rotatable platform, such that the rotatable platform can rotate relative to the frame without contacting the at least three wheels.