LONGVIEW, Texas — Sport performance, physical therapy, and preparing for pressure -- these are just some of the topics that kinesiology students and professors have been researching at LeTourneau University using virtual reality.
What originally began as a way for student athletes to enhance their practice schedules, now has gotten the attention of Major League Baseball.
"That’s what makes you better, it’s practice. But this is just another tool to add to your practice," assistant professor of kinesiology Jordan Schools said.
This technology is much more than just a tool that allows the baseball team to simulate on-field batting practice on a rainy day. In addition to what it can do for sports performance, Schools and her students have really been tuned into what therapeutic benefits it can bring.
"But when we’re using imagery, we’re actually firing our muscles at a microscale. They’re the same muscles that would fire if I’m going through an imagery routine of shooting a free throw. Those same muscles in my body that would fire if I’m physically shooting the free throw, happen when I’m using imagery," Schools said.
Schools said it can help athletes feel more motivated and regain confidence during their recovery. Once they are recovered and ready to get back in action, virtual reality even allows them to simulate high-pressure game situations, so that when an athlete inevitably enters one, they’ve been there before.
"Our athletes get a chance to learn, to grow that confidence by putting them in stressful situations right, making them make decisions in an instant, and then teaching them how to control that. Things like sematic breathing and being able to control their breath rate," Schools said.
Last weekend, Schools and a team of student researchers were invited to the MLB offices in New York City to present their work, in which they were the only college students presenting.
"I think it was awesome just to see that there’s also a younger generation out there that’s really looking forward to get involved in sports," Kelsy Traylor, a masters student studying teacher leadership, said.
The Kinesiology Department has only been using VR in its research for a year and a half, but Schools said she plans to double the research team next year.