Device Particularly Useful for Training Players of a Game Such as Basketball

The present invention relates to a training or amusement device, and particularly to one useful for training one player of a game, such as basketball, to closely follow another player of the game. The invention is described below with respect to basketball training, but it will be appreciated that it could be used in other games, such as soccer and hockey, and also for other purposes, such as a simple amusement device.

Many games, e.g., basketball, require one player, usually on the defence, to closely follow the movements of another player, usually on the offence. At the present time, there is no effective way of forcing the one player (the follower) to closely follow the other player (the leader), or of providing a clear indication when the follower player fails to closely follow the leader player

An object of the present invention is to provide a training device particularly useful to force one player of a game, such as basketball, to closely follow another player of a game, and to provide a clear indication when the follower player fails to do this. Another object of the invention is to provide a device which can also be used as an amusement device for playing "follow-the-leader" type games

According to the present invention, there is provided a pair of training devices for training one player of a game, such as basketball, to closely follow another player of the game according to selected training exercises. Each of the training devices comprises: a waist belt dimensioned to be worm by one player around the player's waist; a flexible tether fixed at one end to the waist belt, the tether including an extension device permitting the length of the tether to be adjusted and fixed according to a particular training exercise; and a quickly attachable-detachable connector element carried at the opposite end of the tether for attachment to a mating connector element carried by the other training device to be worm by the other player. Thus, when each of the two players wears one of these training devices, and the connector element of one device is attached to the connector element of the other, the player assuming the "follower" role is forced to closely follow the player assuming the "leader" role in order to prevent detachment of the connector, and any failure in this is quickly indicated by the detachment of the connector elements.

In one preferred embodiment described below, the quickly attachable-detachable connector element is one element of a loop-and-hook fabric connector, such as that sold under the trademark "Velcron" (Reg. T.M.). In another described embodiment, the quickly attachable-detachable connector element is one element of a cylinder-and-piston plastic connector. Preferably, the latter connector includes a noise-maker to make a noise when the two connector elements become detached, to thereby provide an audible indication when the follower player fails to closely follow the leader player.

Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description below

The invention is herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein

FIG. 1 illustrates one form of training device constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates the adjustable element in the training device of FIG. 1 for making the tether adjustable in length;

FIG. 3 illustrates the quickly attachable-detachable connector elements carried at the ends of the tethers of two such training devices;

FIG. 4 illustrates another form of quickly attachable-detachable connector which may be used, particularlY one including a noise maker effective to make a noise when the connector elements are detached; and

FIG. 5 illustrates the manner of using two of the training devices for training players in the game of basketball.

The device illustrated in the drawings is particularly useful as a training device for training one player of a game (hereinafter called the "follower") to closely follow another player (hereinafter called the "leader"). The drawings illustrate the training device being used in training for playing the game of basketball, but it will be appreciated that it could be used for training in playing other games, such as soccer, hockey, etc., particularly where the leader is on the offence and the follower is on the defence and is to closely follow the leader.

The illustrated training device comprises a body-worn member in the form of a belt, generally designated 2, a tether cord 4 fixed at one end to the belt 2, and a quickly attachable-detachable connector element 6 carried at the opposite end of the tether cord 4. Connector element 6, in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4 is one element of a loop-and-hook fabric connector, such as the connector sold under the trademark "Velcron" (Reg. T.M.), and is adapted to be quickly attachable to, and detachable from, a mating connector element carried by another training device to be worn by another player This is shown in FIG. 5 which illustrates two basketball players each wearing a belt 2a, 2b including a tether cord 4a, 4b carrying one of the quickly attachable-detachable connector elements 6a, 6b.

Belt 2 may be a plain fabric belt formed with a conventional buckle 8 at one end to permit the belt to be applied around the waist of the respective player, as shown in FIG. 5 Tether 4 is a cord of fabric, plastic or rope material passed through an opening 10 in the belt 2, the two ends of the tether cord passing through an extension device 12 permitting the length of the tether cord to be adjusted as desired. The end of tether cord 4 opposite to that attached to belt 2 carries the connector element 6.

Extension device 12 may be of any known construction. For purposes of example, it is shown as including a housing 12a open at its opposite ends 12b, 12c for receiving the two ends 4a, 4b of the tether cord. End 4b of the tether cord is knotted, as shown at 4c, to prevent its inadvertent withdrawal from housing 12a, whereas the end 4a of the tether cord passes through housing openings 12b, 12c and carries the connector element 6 at its end.

Housing 12a of extension device 12 includes a toothed wheel 12d slidable longitudinally of the housing and guided for sliding movement by a pin 12e movable within an elongated slot 12f formed in one wall of the housing. The housing 12a decreases in width from its opening 12b to its opening 12c. The tooth wheel 12d is of a diameter such that when it is located next to opening 12b it permits free passage of the cord ends 4a, 4b in either direction, whereas when it is moved to the end of the housing (rightwardly, FIG. 2a) towards opening 12c, it wedges the two cord ends 4a, 4b between it and the inner face of the housing, thereby locking the cord ends from movement.

Accordingly, whenever it is desired to change the length of the tether cord 4, this may easily be done by moving pin 12e of the tooth wheel 12d towards the wider end of housing 12a (leftwardly, FIG. 2) occupied by opening 12b, whereupon either of the two ends 4a, 4b of the cord may be moved in either direction through the housing. When it is desired to fix the length of the tether cord, pin 12e is moved in the opposite direction (rightwardly, FIG. 2) towards opening 12c, to lock, by a wedging action, the cord ends from movement in either direction.

The manner of using the training device illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 is shown in FIG. 5. Thus, each of the two players wears one of the training, devices, each player applYing the belt 2a, 2b of his (or her) respective playing device around the waist. The length of the tether cord 4 may be adjusted, by adjusting device 12, according to the particular training exercise; thus, shortening the length of the tether cord 4 more severely requires the follower player, wearing belt 2b, to closely follow the leader player, wearing the belt 2a. After the tether cords 4 have been adjusted and fixed to the required length, the connector element 6a of one training device is pressed against the connector element 6b of the other training device, to effect the quickly attachable-detachable connection between the two training devices.

The follower player wearing belt 2b is required to closely follow all the movements of the leader player wearing belt 2a in order to avoid detachment of the two connector elements 6a, 6b. Such a training exercise is particularly useful in games, such as basketball, soccer and hockey, for training players when on the defence against a player on the offence.

FIG. 4 illustrates a variation in the construction of the quickly attachable-detachable connector elements, therein designated 106a, 106b, which may be applied at the ends of the tether cords in the two training devices. Thus, instead of using a loop-and-hook fabric connector, as illustrated particularly in FIG. 3, there is used a cylinder-and-piston plastic connector, in which one element, 106a, is in the form of a cylinder adapted to receive a sliding piston connector element 106b. When the piston element 106b becomes detached from the cylinder element 106a, a "pop" sound is heard by the rush of air into cylinder element 106a. Such a sound or noise provides a clear audible indication when the follower player has failed to closely follow the leader player causing the two detector elements to become detached. If desired, the connector may include a further sound maker, of the air-blown type such as shown at 110, to produce a louder audible sound when the two detector elements become detached.

While the invention has been described with respect to two preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many other variations, modifications and applications of the invention may be made.