Have Improvements in Equipment Changed the Sports Industry
or Are Athletes Simply Getting Better?

In its entirety, society has developed immensely. In almost all things, people have found ways to improve the effectiveness of just about anything. This is extremely prevalent in sports. The development of equipment has drastically changed the world of sports in many different ways. Technology and scientific advancements have allowed companies to provide the best possible products for their customers. Whether it be a more protective helmet, a double barrel bat, a sports heart monitor, etc. there are hundreds of different tools and products for every sport. Athletes of the past can never be compared to those of the present. Why? Because they thrived with what they had at that specific time. Who is to say that if Michael Jordan had the shoes with the support that is provided today, that he would have been less prone to injury and could have performed better.

    The ever evolving world of technology has allowed people to adapt and enhance the capabilities of the equipment that these athletes use. People are able to look at the science behind almost anything. This can help with athletes fixing their shots, swings, and perfecting their craft in their respective sports. In depth analysis has shown large amounts of development and advancements that have helped to establish athletes.

    One of the main reasons behind the astonishing development of sports equipment is due to competition amongst sport companies. Large companies work to provide the equipment with the highest quality performance rates so that they can make money. In an article written by Nicky Wilson, Avril Thomson, and Philip Riches, called “Development and presentation of the first design process model for sports equipment design”, they talk about the extensive process and ongoing effort of working, “with the sports equipment manufacturers to develop technology that is user-friendly and will support and improve the performance of the athlete”. They decided to look at all types of equipment. Whether it be indoor, outdoor, or leisure sports equipment, they looked at the process used to improve their development. While they claim that this “is a young and evolving discipline of engineering”, the growth that they have made is unbelievable, resulting in the sports industry itself growing from an average of $60.4 billion dollars to $73.5 billion dollars in one year. The conditions of individuals’ desired equipment encourages people to want to continuously buy “the next big thing”. This way, they are always using the best equipment possible, leaving no doubt that they are the most successful they can be. 

    With the continuous development to better the equipment, this leaves many wondering whether or not these improvements are ethical or not. In the article, “Is the Use of Advanced Materials in Sports Equipment Unethical?” written by F.H. Froes studied the physical scientifics behind specific equipment like shoes that runners wear, the pole vault, the bicycle, the tennis racket, aluminum baseball and softball bats, and more. One primary example is prevalent in pole vaulting. Along with advancements in technology and statistics helping to find the best possible angles and methods, Froes found that in “the 1896 Olympics saw a height of ten feet, six inches achieved with a bamboo pole in the pole-vault event. In the 1960s, after the pole-vault record had inched upwards for 60 years, records began to fall as aluminum poles were introduced. Today, the world class pole vaulter utilizes a highly sophisticated composite pole, resulting in a 1996 record of 19 feet, five inches.” This is because the poles have become much for sturdy, bendable, and made with several different materials so you can find the one that works best for you. 

Froes also spent a portion of the article arguing that on some level, these advancements are becoming too advanced. For example, studies have shown that although aluminum bats are banned in the major leagues due to the number of homeruns that would be hit, “both new aluminum bat concepts (such as the ultralight bat with a double-walled barrel construction) and titanium bats are revolutionizing softball. These bats have bigger sweet spots and lead to greater velocity off the bat. However, the Softball Association is concerned particularly with an increase in injuries to in-fielders who cannot react fast enough to this higher velocity.” So, because of this development, balls are getting hit at players much harder than ever before and they are not able to protect themselves. 

All of this leads me to my main point. Athletes of the current, and future can never be compared to athletes of the past. Why? Because there is no way for anyone to know how these athletes would perform in the specific circumstances. In Larry Norris’s article, “Can We Compare Athletes From Different Times?”, he talks about the commonly used term, “greatest of all time.” There are many athletes in all sports that are considered to be the greatest of their time. However, they can not be compared. In Norris’s article, he discusses the fact that Jesse Owens won an olympic gold medal in 1936 for 100 and 200 meter races. His times were 10.3 seconds and 20.7 seconds. However, Usain Bolt raced in three olympic games, in the same events with a time of 9.63 seconds and 19.32 seconds. Both of these athletes are considered to be the greatest of all time, but their scores are different. 

Overall, there have been many factors that have definitely advanced the life of sports in all aspects. Equipment is modernizing itself constantly while companies do their best to provide their consumers with the best possible products. That is why athletes of the past can never be compared to athletes of the present and future. We should appreciate the phenomenal show that all of these athletes have been able to put on for us through all of these years and how much they have shaped the world.

Our society runs on competition and outdoing the ones next to us. We thrive on success and working towards our goals. That is why companies are constantly working to improve their equipment and outdo their competitors. They want to please their consumers. Many different companies work to improve their equipment so that their customers do better than those who do not use their equipment. 

    A prime example of this process is the concept of a double barrel bat. The ghost softball bat specifically has completely revolutionized the game of softball. Composite bats themselves have taken over and completely revolutionized the game. Because of this, athletes have seen the first to try out the ghost bat hitting the ball hard, and end up getting that bat. Since the release, whether it be specifically Easton ghosts or double barrel bats themselves, the game of softball has completely changed. Exit velocities and the distance of the ball have increased immensely. The general population has migrated towards the double barrel bats. More and more players have begun choosing these bats. It has become the new norm. This is what happens with sports equipment. Athletes see other athletes succeeding and they follow the trend and “keep up with the Jones.’” 

While there are concepts like the double barrel bat that revolutionize the game, there are also other cases where technology has gone too far. In the case study, “Industry sustainability under technological evolution: A case study of the overshooting hypothesis in sports” by Stuart Thomas and Jason Potts, they researched the study of windsurfing and the evolution of the technology behind it. According to the study, “ BiC Sport among other European manufacturers continued to follow the populist route, with an emphasis on simple, low-cost equipment and primarily flat-water, sailing-based participation.” These companies came together and changed the entire windsurfing essence. A large part of this change is due to the term “overshoot”. This industry was ultimately overshot and became so technologically advanced that it was impossible to ever compare past athletes accomplishments to present. They said that they look at overshooting, “as a predictable phenomenon of evolutionary instability, in the sense that there will be winners and losers, rather than an outright pathology. Plainly, overshooting in sports technologies does harm those who have invested in that particular sport.” This idea has killed any level of competition in specifically newer sports.  Technology outdid all aspects of windsurfing and eliminated any possible errors that could interfere with users performances. 

    In an article titled, The Influence of the Design and Manufacture of Sports Equipment on Sports, Zhenyu Qiu looked at both the general idea of sports equipment and the specific details that go into the manufacturing and design of equipment. Qiu said that manufacturers use the term “faster, higher and stronger” to progressively improve the performance of their products. With this mindset, the process of designing sports equipment uses many different concepts. Some being, “Safety based on lifting movement process”, “Avoiding or slowing down sports injuries”, “Improving the appreciation of sports competitions”, “Scientific design and innovation”, “Use of high tech materials”, and many more. These concepts make it almost impossible to design a product that does not have the highest performance ratings, along with the most safe and protective materials. Later on, Qiu talked about what role the equipment plays in development and factors that may make an impact in the design process. Some of these factors include the “development of special sports technology”, “adaptability of athletes’ physical quality” and rule changes. Rule changes need to be highly monitored. Some sports have extremely specific rules for certain leagues. For example, some bats are allowed at certain ages, or in specific leagues, while others are not. Some softball bats are allowed in ASA tournaments but not USSSA. These sound foreign to most people, besides those in the softball world, and sports manufacturers who need to make sure they follow specific guidelines. 

Overall, the evolution of sports equipment is absolutely unbelievable. Some advancements have even made games and competitions so competitive that they could never compare to games of the past. The newest and best equipment has been put through the test in almost all aspects. The numerous concepts and the motto of “faster, higher and stronger,” companies constantly work to outdo their competitors by giving people the highest and most efficient products possible. The long hours of studying and analyzing every possible aspect of cleats, helmets, bats, balls, shoes, clubs, rackets, and so many more allow people to become experts at improvement. It is important that we appreciate the sport as it is and appreciate those who work to provide consumers with the best technology and materials to please their customers. They have completely changed the sports world and have allowed athletes to do unbelievable things.

Because of these advancements, sports have revolutionized our society as we rely so heavily on the sports world. We have all been known to root for athletes and teams as we watch them compete in their respective sports. While it is understandable to compare current athletes to former athletes, the situations would never be reciprocated the same way. Almost everyone knows about the legendary days of Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan, Diego Maradona, and so many others. They excelled during their time period and with the competition at that time. You can not argue that athletes of the past are comparable to athletes of the present simply because of stats like touchdowns, goals scored, three point shots, and more. 

Stephanie Filbay, Tej Pandya, Bryn Thomas, Carly McKay, Jo Adams, and Nigel Arden conducted a study regarding the “Quality of Life and Life Satisfaction in Former Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis” The study focused on comparing both the physical and mental components of each person, they took poles on almost 7000 different athletes. They looked at their overall quality of life as well as their lifespan and focused on people from the ages of twenty one to sixty six. In the study, they looked at the different aspects that sports can impact like a high contact sport versus a low contact sport. The results showed that former athletes had generally similar physical and mental components to one another. Yet, ranked much lower than athletes of today. Their lower quality of life rating was because they were not treated as effectively and efficiently as injured athletes of the present. This resulted in some athletes needing to retire earlier than they would have liked to. Athletes’ mental stability and strength determines how they perform, and overcome problems that occur during their seasons and lives. When athletes are forced to retire because of an injury, they often go into dark, mental states. 

So, the question being asked is, are athletes better than they were in the past or are they simply more challenged and managed, so they think they can do more? In an article with David Epstein, titled “Are Athletes Getting Better or Are We Learning How to Push Human Limits?”, a study showed that four time olympic gold medalist, Jesse Owens had to run a wood ash surface while Usain Bolt had an engineered carpet below him while he ran. He was also given a starting block while Owens had to dig himself a hole to start his race with. Things like this put previous athletes at a disadvantage because it takes them much longer and much more time to press themselves out of a sand hole as opposed to a sturdy block. If Owens had the same equipment and ran in the same race as Bolt, “it is estimated that Owen’s would have been within a stride of Bolt instead of 14 ft behind him.” 

Another example was from the 100m freestyle record. Here, they found that drops in swimming times can be “directly correlated to the introduction of flip turns, the gutters surrounding the pool that absorb ripples and the addition of full body swimsuits.” Things like this are the reason that we can never compare former athletes. It is not fair to say that Usain Bolt is better than Jesse Owens when they raced in the 1936 olympics compared to the 2018 olympics. 

    David Epstein asked the question, are people getting better or are they more successful because of their “specialized bodies being fit into specific niches?” What he means by this is, specific body types allow athletes to be more successful in certain sports. For example, one in seven people who are over 7 feet tall play basketball. Those who play basketball tend to have a wingspan that is three feet bigger than the average person. Height does not have as large of an impact in sports like baseball, tennis, or soccer. Of course, there are perks to certain heights, as there are with most things in life, but being taller, you are encouraged to play certain sports. 

    It is also extremely interesting that the longest cycling record in an hour was in 1972. This changed in 1996 when a highly efficient, engineered bike was used to break the record. A rule was enforced to make sure that in all competitions, competitors have a similar, if not identical cycle to ride with. This way, the level of advantages are much lower than being able to use any kind of bike at all. 

Epstein argued that people’s bodies have not changed or evolved, they have simply been pushed to limits further than ever before. In the episode where he spoke about basketball players, he used the sLike the equipment advancements, technology has played a huge role in this. For example, if you have an injury, you can very quickly get x-rays, mris, cat scans, whatever is needed to help the athlete as quickly as possible. There are also tests like the MaxV02 test that can show you very specifically how you can increase your endurance and specific exercises that can help you. 

With technology advancements constantly on the rise, it only makes sense that athletes appear to be getting bigger, faster, stronger, and better. Because of this, we can never compare athletes from different generations. While you can compare people’s stats and numbers, any situation could be handled differently if even the slightest change would have happened. David Epstein does a great job at explaining how much of a difference technology can play in the success of athletes. Doctors have become more specialized in areas than ever before. Equipment developments are at an all time high. It only makes sense for the athletes to consistently break records and accomplish goals that are pretty much impossible. It is times like these that we must appreciate athletes for who they are and their incredible work ethic and dedication to shatter world records. 

References

Are athletes getting better or are we learning how to push human limits? Infofit. (2017, February 7). Retrieved April 19, 2022, from https://www.infofit.ca/athletes-getting-better/

Filbay, S., Pandya, T., Thomas, B., McKay, C., Adams, J., & Arden, N. (2019, August 19). Quality of life and life satisfaction in former athletes: A systematic review and meta-analysis – sports medicine. SpringerLink. Retrieved April 18, 2022, from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-019-01163-0

Froes, F. H. (n.d.). Is the Use of Advanced Materials in Sports Equipment Unethical? Is the use of advanced materials in sports equipment unethical? Retrieved March 8, 2022, from https://www.tms.org/pubs/journals/JOM/9702/Froes-9702.html

Norris, A. the A. L. (2019, April 29). Can we compare athletes from different times. Sporting Chance Press. Retrieved March 8, 2022, from https://sportingchancepress.com/can-we-compare-athletes-from-different-times/

Norton, K., & Olds, T. (2012, November 2). Morphological evolution of athletes over the 20th Century – Sports Medicine. SpringerLink. Retrieved April 19, 2022, from https://link.springer.com/article/10.2165/00007256-200131110-00001Wilson, N., Thomson, A., & Riches, P. (2017, April 8). Development and presentation of the first design process model for sports equipment design – research in engineering design. SpringerLink. Retrieved March 8, 2022, from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/S00163-017-0257-4