Sense Arena, a unique Czech product focusing on the training and diagnostics of hockey players and using state-of-the-art virtual reality technology, is out on the market. Starting today, Sense Arena is now available for clubs, school teams and training centers. The home version will be available at the end of this year, with its official launch on January 8 – 11, 2019, at the world’s largest consumer electronics show, CES in Las Vegas.
“I want to support a Czech invention and use my name to help it wins the trust of players and teams. It’s a fantastic training tool, I’ve tried it myself and I was sweating like hell! The technology and the reality of the environment are just amazing. And so far, we’ve only seen half of what Sense Arena can be further developed into,” says the double Player of the Year winner and one of the biggest NHL stars for the Boston Bruins club, David Pastrňák. Together with Aleš Volek, the owner of one of the most prominent Czech ice hockey agencies, they had invested in Sense Arena and acquired a minority stake.
A multi-license monthly fee for clubs is 1490 USD. The license provides clubs with access to over 70 training drills designed primarily for the development of hockey sense and individual hockey skills. Sense Arena is also a unique analytical tool for coaches and agents, as it evaluates player performance. It compares it within the team but also allows anonymous comparison of Sense Arena players across the world. The license includes automated updates and new versions expanding the training environment.
In the Czech Republic, Sense Arena has already been used by the pro organization White Tigers Liberec and recently by another pro team Jihlava Dukla. The diagnostical part has also served the Kladno Knights, for example. There are two installations in the United States in the Colorado Springs Tigers club, and soon to be signed deal with the Washington Little Caps.
“Apart from succeeding on the domestic market, our goal is to break through especially in the largest hockey realms in the world – in the USA, Canada and Scandinavia,” says Bob Tetiva, founder of Sense Arena, and he continues: “In addition to outstanding Czech players, coaches and personalities, we want to introduce the hockey world to a whole new dimension of sports training. In the past, everyone was learning from the Czechs, and I think it’s time to bring this tradition back to life.”
“Getting on the ice outside training hours is virtually impossible or very expensive,” says Filip Pešán, head coach and sports manager of the White Tigers, adding: “Using virtual reality, we can simulate game situations, focus on the details, work on reaction speed, decision skills, and multitasking. In Sense Arena, it’s even possible to set the drills the way, they are far more demanding than they occur in an actual game.”
Ideally, a 25 x 25 fee space is needed to install Sense Arena, but a 16 x 16 feet surface is sufficient. The platform comes in the form of a mobile computer kiosk and a set of four specially engineered hockey sticks. All that needs to be mounted are the four sensors in the corners of the room.
In the Vodafone Idea of the Year, a contest for start-up projects, Sense Arena ranked first from 192 registered companies this year. The official partners of Sense Arena are the Czech Ice Hockey Association, the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport of the Charles University, Prague and the hockey club White Tigers Liberec.
The Sense Arena Training Platform can be ordered through www.sensearena.com. The Sense Arena staff of the Prague or Boston offices will be happy to assist with the installation and training of teams in Europe and the United States and Canada.
Sense Arena is a unique, powerful, and innovative tool for developing hockey players, improving their cognitive skills and hockey sense. Using virtual reality, we bring the ice to players’ homes, gyms, and centers so they can execute drills just as on the ice but with 1000 times more repetitions.
