If you’re looking to improve your soccer skills, the American retailer Soccer Post may be able to help. It has just entered a partnership with the VR training platform Rezzil, providing players with in-store training technology. You can now improve your game without stepping foot on a pitch.
Level up your game
Available at six stores and coming to 14 more by the end of 2020, Rezzil uses a virtual ball and short drills to help improve a player’s development plan. The drills test your cognitive abilities in soccer, allowing you to analyze and target areas of improvement. Drills include things like pass awareness, color combo, and a shot-or-not drill. Highlighting areas of improvement should subsequently lead to smarter play in live matches.
Rezzil is currently being used by soccer organizations in 9 different countries, including professional squads. For advanced players, there is also an “Elite” program that features post-match analysis. A “Recovery” program can record a team’s physical properties to assist in decision-making, as well. Teams using the programs can also create their own drills and import data from several other platforms.
We previously covered Rezzil back in its infancy when it was being tested on the HTC Vive Pro. Parent company MiHiePa partnered with elite squad Manchester United out of the gate. It allows players to be more efficiently trained at every level. This includes the Under-23 squads, potentially allowing them to move up more quickly. An emphasis was put on reducing lag in order to make the virtual ball as realistic as possible.
Soccer players are quickly getting the same attention in VR that we’re seeing in several other sports, mostly notably baseball and American football. Recent attempts have also been made to reduce or better treat injuries through VR technology, including guided physical therapy programs. Thanks to devices like Oculus Quest, these are possible in more locations, as well.