By now, it’s no secret that virtual reality can serve as an extremely powerful tool for learning – with companies like Walmart, ExxonMobil, and UPS having already embraced the technology as part of their employee training regiments. But today, we’re switching our focus away from the corporate sector and towards another equally fascinating application of immersive learning: the intersection of VR and sports training. Yes, you read that right: XR for athletes has arrived, and it’s making waves across the country among teams at the high school, college, and professional levels.

Ready to find out who’s the first across the finish line in immersive sports training? Check out the cutting-edge organizations and teams featured below. ⤵️

VR Will Soon Revolutionize How Football Players Train

Developer: STRIVR

STRIVR has proven itself a leader in the VR for sports training world, and for good reason – since 2015, the Silicon Valley-based company has helped dozens of college and professional sports teams embrace the power of immersive virtual reality for player training. Boasting an all-star list of clients including the Chicago Blackhawks, Clemson Football, and Dallas Cowboys, STRIVR allows players to practice unlimited reps in realistic, simulated VR environments. Learn more about the tech powering STRIVR’s simulations in this exclusive feature from WIRED.

Imagery-Assisted Virtual Reality for Athletic Training

Developer: Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Researchers from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville—led by Sport and Exercise Psychology expert Dr. Lindsay Ross-Stewart—have developed their own VR training tools for use by the school’s baseball team. Dubbed “imagery-assisted virtual reality,” the program is designed to help players improve their in-game confidence and performance by viewing immersive 3D videos of themselves in both first- and third-person perspectives accompanied by guided reps. Learn more about the science behind this cutting-edge research in HEC’s video report.

Hockey Players Train on Virtual Reality Simulator

Developer: Sense Arena

In the below video captured at CES 2019, Sense Arena’s VR hockey training simulations are on full display – and they’re impressive, to say the least. Offering a suite of 75+ immersive off-ice training simulations, Sense Arena helps players hockey players develop and practice key skills like positioning and receiving passes in the hopes of helping players improve their on-ice game. And better yet, each drill is benchmarked and scored, allowing coaches to better evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each individual player in order to better optimize their team’s training regiments.

Want to see more examples of XR for training? Check out these resources:

How VR Changes Learning

Virtual Reality in Corporate Training

How XR Training Can Help Save Your Business Money