Game intelligence, soccer IQ and soccer smarts are all great phrases, but what are they and more importantly can they be taught? The very simple answer is yes…and it is always nice when an answer is backed by science, university research, military training, medical institutions, space programs and government agencies. But you’re asking yourself where does “game intelligence” in soccer fit into all this academic, serious-sounding conversation?
Well, that is where the Soccer IntelliGym comes in.
Let’s start by saying this type of training was not developed for sports, but rather for fighter pilots for one of the premier military units in the world: the Israeli Air Force. Then the training was brought to the U.S. Air Force to further study and prove effectiveness. Pilots flying $250 million-dollar jets in battle need every advantage, every split-second decision edge they can get for high-speed situations. The training occurs in cockpit simulation modules that focus in real-time on increasing the pilot’s awareness of space around them, attention to maximum detail and final decision-making.
Fast forward 10 years and many of the same researchers, computer engineers and fighter pilots asked themselves a question. What if we develop the same software used for pilot training and apply it to sports? Their many focus was soccer and hockey, all to improve players’ in-game awareness and attention to game detail, which leads to superior decision-making skills.