Adidas

Inventions and Technology in Sport

  • Alexander Courtwright Invents the Modern Baseball Field

    Alexander Courtwright Invents the Modern Baseball Field
    Alexander Cartwright (1820-1892) of New York invented the modern baseball field in 1845. Alexander Cartwright and the members of his New York Knickerbocker Base Ball Club, devised the first rules and regulations that were accepted for the modern game of baseball. Alexander Cartwright formalized the modern rules of baseball. Yes, others were making their own versions of the game at the time, however, the Knickerbockers style of the game was the one that became the most popular.
  • Invention of Shin Guards

    Invention of Shin Guards
    Nottingham Forest were the first team to wear shin guards, invented by club player Samuel Widdowson in 1874.They are used to protect the players' shins from the ball or a hockey stick in roller and field hockey, the puck or a hockey stick in ice hockey, and other players' tackles in football. They are usually secured on using velcro straps. They have been made compulsory for most school, club and professional teams in order to reduce injuries.
  • Invention of the Jockstrap

    Invention of the Jockstrap
    The jockstrap was invented in 1874 by C. F. Bennett of a Chicago sporting goods company, Sharp & Smith, to provide comfort and support for bicycle jockeys riding the cobblestone streets of Boston. In 1897 Bennett's newly-formed Bike Web Company patented and began mass-producing the Bike Jockey Strap. The Bike Web Company later became known as the Bike Company. Today, Bike is still the market leader in jockstrap sales.
  • Invention of Golf Tee

    Invention of Golf Tee
    How a Golf Tee is Made:The word "tee" as it relates to the game of golf originated as the name for the area where a golfer played. In 1889, the first documented portable golf tee was patented by Scottish golfers William Bloxsom and Arthur Douglas. This golf tee was made from rubber and had three vertical rubber prongs that held the ball in place. However, it lay on the ground and did not piece (or pegged) the ground like modern golf tees.
  • Invention of the Mouth Guard

    Invention of the Mouth Guard
    An early mouthguard was developed in 1890 by Woolf Krauze, a London dentist to protect boxers from lip cuts and lacerations. They were made of a material similar to rubber and the boxer would grip the device between their teeth. Later, his son took this design and developed a stronger version using rubber.
  • James Naismith Invents the Game of Basketball

    James Naismith Invents the Game of Basketball
    In early December 1891, Dr. James Naismith, a physical education professor and instructor at the International Young Men's Christian Association Training School (YMCA) (today, Springfield College) in Springfield, Massachusetts was trying to keep his gym class active on a rainy day. He sought a vigorous indoor game to keep his students occupied and at proper levels of fitness during the long New England winters.
  • Invention of Steel-Framed Tennis Racquet

    Invention of Steel-Framed Tennis Racquet
    The Dayton Steel tennis racket was by no means the first steel tennis racket but it was a clear improvement on it's predecessors. Designed by William A. Larned (1872 - 1926; seven times champion of the U.S. Open), the Dayton Steel Racket proved to be quite popular with schools and tennis clubs for it's obvious durability.
  • Invention of Soccer Cleats

    Invention of Soccer Cleats
    The origin of soccer cleats date back to the 1930s. Adolf (Adi) Dassler, a German shoe factory worker, and his brothers started making spiked shoes for olympic track and field events. In 1948, Adi and his brothers went separate ways, and he started a company called Adidas. In 1949, Adi made the first soccer shoe with rubber studs or cleats.
  • Invention of Instant Replay

    Invention of Instant Replay
    Tony Verna, invented a system to enable a standard videotape machine to instantly replay on 7 December 1963, for the network's coverage of the Army–Navy Game. While one camera was set up to show the overall “live” action, other cameras, which were linked to a separate videotape machine, framed close-ups of key players. Within a few seconds of a crucial play, the videotape machine would replay the action from various, close-up angles, in slow motion.
  • Robert Cade's invention, Gatorade, is first used at a Florida Gators vs LSU Tigers game

    Robert Cade's invention, Gatorade, is first used at a Florida Gators vs LSU Tigers game
    Gatorade - Evolution: During 1965 & 1966, Cade, together with his team of research doctors Dana Shires, James Free, and Alejandro M. de Quesada, conducted a series of trial-and-error experiments with his glucose-and-electrolytes rehydration drink on members of the Gators football team of coach Ray Graves, first with members of the freshman squad, and after initially promising results, with starting members of the varsity team. The drink w