From the shoes we wear on our feet to the high definition televisions in our living room, wearable devices, the sports universe is a breeding ground for technology. Writer and Photographer Rick Limpert will examine this each week on The Tech of Sports – With guests which include athletes, inventors and journalists that cover the intersection of sports and technology.
Great to talk to Jason this week. A great idea and a passion for sports has created SportsVisio. SportsVisio is a highly revolutionary Sports AI/Computer Vision startup that essentially uses cutting-edge AI tech to capture basketball stats and automatically generate highlights, simply using iPhone or Android phone cameras on tripods. All with Syverson and SportsVisio giving back!
Enjoy Jason Syverson of SportsVisio.
Syversen has grown and sold multiple multi-million dollar companies. After earning a BS in computer engineering and an MS in electrical engineering, Jason became a project manager at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). He then went on to found, and later sell, Siege Technologies. Prior to founding SportsVisio, he was GP at 10x Ventures.
Kudo CEO Ryan Lewis and NBA legend “Downtown” Fred Brown join Rick to discuss KUDO’s protein-powered snacks and nutritional gummies. Kudo products are non-GMO, gluten-free and created to help health-conscious consumers snack (and supplement) without guilt.
Kudo, The Good Conscience Snack Co., entered the functional foods market in 2022 with a product line that features 100 percent whole grain kettle-popped protein popcorn, protein “krisps” and nutritional gummies.
Functional foods are whole, fortified, enriched or enhanced foods that provide health benefits beyond the provision of essential nutrients (e.g., vitamins and minerals). It’s an industry that was valued at $189 billion globally in 2021 and is projected to reach $285 billion in 2030, according to research by Spherical Insights & Consulting.
Founder and CEO Ryan Lewis created Kudo to address a gap he found in the snacking marketplace.
“Healthy snacking always seemed like a never-ending obstacle. There just didn’t seem to be any good options that were healthy, convenient and great tasting,” Lewis said.
He had already launched two successful start-ups in the supplement and food industry before landing on the idea of infusing a perennially favorite snack — popcorn — with protein.
“I’ve never been more excited about a line of products,” Lewis said. “These products taste good. Without that, all the nutrients in the world won’t sell a product.”
NBA legend Fred Brown joined the Kudo team as a board member and adviser after meeting with Lewis and learning about his product.
“This company has a product offering that first and foremost tastes great, but secondly, each product has its own unique disruptive advantage, from boosting protein, to being sugar free, to promoting relaxation and sleep,” Brown said.
Ryan Lewis is a former collegiate athlete and entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience in the supplement and food industry. He started two companies that have combined revenues of over $350 million. He is a two-time President’s Award recipient for a billion dollar company and has been recognized as the co-founder of a Top 100 direct sales company during four consecutive years by Business for Home. He also holds a Master’s in Business Administration and has experience opening in more than 25 global markets, including South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Canada and Mainland China.
Fred Brown retired from the Bank of America (formerly Seafirst Bank) after 15 years of service. As a Senior Vice President with the bank, Brown managed a team in the Northwest Small Business Banking Group. He served as a member of the bank’s Leadership Team in Washington, as well as the bank’s national committee for diversity. Prior to joining Bank of America, he was Vice President of Marketing for the 1990 Goodwill Games. A color commentator for Channel 13 in Seattle for Pac-10 basketball, Brown played with the NBA’s Seattle Supersonics from 1971-1984. Brown was the first player taken by the Sonics in the 1971 NBA draft and was the sixth player taken overall.
Wilber’s book How Far? explores the incredible friendship that blossoms between a baseball player from Southern California and a hockey player from Minnesota. How Far? is an inspiring story that isn’t just for sports fans — it’s for anyone who wants to be motivated to keep working toward their goals and overcome life’s inevitable setbacks.
Plot:
As the son of a major league baseball player and a former baseball player himself, author Bob Wilber has lived the athlete life, and in his new book, How Far?, Wilber weaves the compelling story of two disparate athletes who meet and form an unlikely bond. His creative use of first-person writing, having his fictional protagonists appear to write the book themselves in their distinct voices, immerses readers in every thought and word of the two characters.
Brooks Bennett is a gifted baseball player (and the son of artist hippies) from Southern California, and Eric Olson is an undersized hockey player from Roseau, Minnesota — where hockey is king. The two men come from vastly different worlds and couldn’t be more dissimilar. And in one spontaneous moment, their paths cross, and their lives change forever.
How Far? follows their serendipitous meeting and what happens as they each experience the emotional and physical highs and lows of their careers. Wilber takes readers on deep dives into the worlds of amateur and professional sports, down to the richest and most evocative details. On the ice, on the field, in the locker rooms and while facing life’s many personal challenges, the two characters tell the tale as it really is.
How Far? is a story that will appeal to sports fans as well as anyone who appreciates an inspiring story of personal growth and perseverance.
“When asked if it’s a sports book, my answer is, ‘It’s a life book, told through a sports lens,’” Wilber said.
Bob Wilber is no stranger to the world of sports. The son of Major League player Del Wilber, Bob Wilber grew up playing baseball. He graduated from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville with a bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism, then went on to play several seasons of minor league baseball for the Detroit Tigers and the Oakland A’s. When his playing days were over, Wilber spent time as a regional scouting supervisor for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Wilber also grew up with a passion for writing, and ended up journeying through the world of international sports marketing before he was a senior executive for three professional indoor soccer franchises. An interest in NHRA drag racing led to his 22 years as a public relations representative and team manager for professional racers. Wilber published his autobiography Bats, Balls, & Burnouts in 2017. How Far? is his first work of fiction.
Phenix is a real-time streaming tech provider who has worked with major sporting events and organizations around the world to stream their events with sub-half a second latency. Jed Corenthal elaborates on how ultra-low latency allows for exciting interactive features and personalization options like augmented reality with instant data overlays, real-time stats, and multi-angle viewing so fans can choose exactly how they want to watch the game. Additionally, with real-time streams, there are endless opportunities for micro-betting and sports betting at large with longer betting windows even on fast-paced sports.
More importantly, he discusses the state of sports streaming today and the need to implement stronger tech to avoid frustrating delays, buffering, and cutting out on streams that consumers pay too much for.
Rick talks with one of the bright young stars in college basketball, Chris Youngblood of Kennesaw State. Chris has a chance to be one of the top Mid-Major players in the country this year for the Owls.
Honors
2022-23 – ASUN Preseason All-Conference
2020-21 – ASUN All-Freshman Team
As a Sophomore (2021-2022)
Started in 30 games … Ranked 11th overall leading scorer in the ASUN, averaging 13.9 points per game … Placed 20th overall best rebounder in the ASUN averaging 5.3 rebounds per game … Ranked 10th in made three-pointers in the ASUN with a total of 70 … Ranked 14th in most minutes played for the ASUN with 30.8 minutes per game … Lead the team in four categories: total points (417), points per game, FG % (47.6%), 3 point % (40.5%), and minutes played (30.8 per game … Completed a season high of 22 points and 5 steals against Toccoa Falls (Dec. 30) and 12 rebounds against Nebraska (Dec. 22) … Hit 5-of-9 from three-point range, including the game-clincher with 29 seconds left in KSU’s 75-70 win at Bellarmine (Feb. 5) on the way to a team-high 17 points … Second leading owl in free-throw shooting averaging 80%.
As a Freshman (2020-21)
Appeared in all 24 games, earning 20 starts … averaged 32.1 minutes per game … second on the team averaging 12.3 points per game … hit double-digits in 17 games.
Rick is joined by former World No. 7, Australian Open champ and longtime tennis coach, Brian Teacher.
Have a listen as Brian has a new tennis coaching app.
A groundbreaking new tennis instructional platform may revolutionize the way tennis players learn, and coaches serve athletes. Full Court Tennis, a collaborator of the WTA & ATP Coach Organizations, has launched its new training app, now available through the app store, to all coaches, athletes, and tennis players of all skill levels. The new app allows tennis players to instantly access the worlds’ best coaches for in-app virtual lessons.
Developed by Australian Open Winner, Brian Teacher, with Advisory Board Members John McEnroe, Katrina Adams, and AI scientist Dr. David Fogle, the app provides numerous options for tennis training, including hiring a coach for stroke analysis and a live video consult lesson. Coaches can set their own rates and availability for in-app lessons. Players can also compare their strokes side-by-side to the pros through the app’s stroke library.
“Growing up playing tennis at a public park, I found it challenging to learn the game without access to world-class coaches,” said Teacher, Founder and CEO of Full Court Tennis. “After winning the Australian Open and becoming an ATP and WTA Coach working with Andre Agassi, Greg Rusedski, and other top pros, I was looking for ways to make world-coaching instantly accessible around the globe – even for children who would not otherwise have access to top coaching talent. After many years of work to streamline the experience, we are excited to make this technology available to all coaches and to all levels of tennis players.”
The app offers its users access to a global community with free tips, drills, and analysis on the Full Court Feed where players can follow, learn, and interact with coaches and players.
Established in January of 2017, the WTA Coach Program has been designed to professionalize, standardize, and recognize the important role of coaching on the WTA Tour. The official collaboration between Full Court Tennis, WTA, and ATP Coach Programs looks to bring even more accessible training opportunities to both coaches and players in the future.
The Full Court Tennis App is a free download on the Full Court Tennis website or the App Store.
