2018 Soccer Tech: Beyond Sports & Telstar 18

About This Episode

On this episode of Playing with Science, hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly are looking towards the future of soccer technology. We investigate VR tech that’s sweeping the sport with Beyond Sports CEO Jeffrey Saunders, and we get an in-depth review of the new FIFA World Cup ball – Telstar 18 – from the good professor, John Eric Goff. You’ll hear how Beyond Sports is drastically improving cognitive training in young athletes to prepare them for first team play. Discover how they are using their virtual reality technology to enhance the viewing experience of professional sports (they just completed the first live VR broadcast of a pro soccer match). You’ll also learn what the future holds for Beyond Sports and their revolutionary technology. After that, John Eric Goff gives us all the details on the new Telstar 18. Find out how it differs from previous iterations of the Telstar ball, if it will greatly impact play, and how the physics of the most recent balls used at the World Cup have not favored goalkeepers. All that, plus, Eric explains how he tested the Telstar 18 in a wind tunnel – yes, a wind tunnel. 

NOTE: All-Access subscribers can watch or listen to this entire episode commercial-free here: 2018 Soccer Tech: Beyond Sports & Telstar 18.