CEO of AlbotSports thoughts on the Sports tech industry

Does technology affect skills?

According to the CEO, a frequently asked question about his product was "Would this improve my skill?" or "Would my stickhandling get better?" He stated that the answer isn't an easy yes-or-no question. Although "It won't make you McDavid in a week." However, technology like the stick-handling device can train players' fundamental skills and is, overall, just a fun way to train and compete with a friend on how fast you can perform a specific skill, and what the CEO would like to say, "great way to get a feel of the puck." Overall, Mr. Albot explains that to get better at a skill in a sport that you can transfer into an actual game-like setting, you can't rely solely on fundamentals; you also need in-game experience. 

Can technology influence sports in general, and is there any technology in the future that can be developed?

bgo1027, 50 years of Ice Hockey Skates, March 14, 2019

Mr Albot's answer to this question was straightforward: yes, technology does influence sports, and there is definitely technology that can be invented in the future to bring a new era of sports. He explains that, throughout history, technology has affected both casual fans and players of the sport. The CEO exclaimed, "Things like VAR and coaches' challenges are a perfect example of how sports in general have changed for people watching and people playing. For starters, before replay was an option, we heavily relied on refs' judgments, which might not always be right, which could be frustrating for the teams affected. The audience might get excited for a play review that might change the course of their favorite team." Mr Albot also explained that numerous companies have been researching for the past few decades on what might give players an advantage, for example, the evolution of hockey sticks (flat-curve) and skates. As for the future, according to the CEO, he is really confident that new technology will usher in a new era of sports. An idea that came to his mind was an "AI Linesman" for hockey, though there might be considerable bugs initially, and it might even ruin the game. However, in the long run, he thinks it would be better for the sport as the AI develops into this job.

What role does sports play in Technology?

According to Albot's CEO, sports play a pretty significant role in the world of technology. He stated, "It's the reason why I created the company Albot Sports." He said that without hockey, he would most likely not have created the company. The CEO also stated that although the influence of sports is significantly less than that of technology, "the sport tech industry has always been growing," and that sports have a significant impact on technology, since for most people sports are "The highlight of people's childhood, and a lot of motivation and resources are put into this industry."