Biofeedback and Sports Science

There is a new breed of athletic coach in the educational arena. While on speaking engagements around the world, I've en­ couraged coaches to jump "head first" and quickly into sports science. The reason is simple. With new electronic commu­ nication systems coming on the market almost daily, athletes can get valid and reliable information to help them maximize sports skills, and this information can come faster than most coaches are able to deliver. Coaches have historically rejected most sports science efforts in favor of traditional"seat of the pants" systems, but now there is a new kind of athlete who is asking questions never before presented to the coach. Professional athletes are individually seeking out sports scientists for answers to their particular problems. Stories appear daily in the media about athletes making quantum jumps in performance as a result of their association with sports scientists. The tidal wave is building and no one can stop it-not even the sporting goods industry. "High-tech" athletic equipment is now a must in nearly every sport. Large sporting goods companies have nearly gone bankrupt because of competitors' new "high-tech" prod­ ucts. ix X FoREWORD The tail is wagging the dog. Professional, amateur, and weekend athletes alike are demanding technical answers of our sports leaders, and they are going elsewhere if the correct answers aren't available. The number of Olympic athletes visiting our Coto Research Center in California is staggering.