If there is one thing that the past corona time has taught us, it is that exercise is good for us. We went out en masse for walking and cycling and we were disappointed that the gyms had to close again.
Sports adapt to the current times, notes (sports) trend watcher Remco Tervoort of sports marketing platform SPORTNEXT. With new variants where the playing fields are usually smaller, the playing time shorter, with fewer dead moments and the rules in such a way that speed is maintained.
‘King of the Court’ in volleyball, which has already shifted more towards beach volleyball, is an example of this. The version devised by the Dutch company Sportworx has since become a worldwide hit, with tournaments in Utrecht, Los Angeles and Antwerp and in Hawaii.
Branching
Basketball underwent a similar development with 3×3. Badminton got such a ramification with AirBadminton, as did baseball with Baseball5. Faster, but above all playable anywhere, on landscaped fields through the cities.
“Freedom and we want to go outside”
“Everything to make sports more accessible, to attract young people and to be less dependent on a fixed location such as the sports club,” explains Remco Tervoort. After all, a fixed location has the risk of having to close its doors in the event of a new lockdown and sports clubs provide a certain mandatory security. We want to go outside, preferably with the freedom whenever we want and can and not according to fixed training schedules.
The next trend is one that has already been set in motion, but which will continue to have an effect this year: that of technology and data. Such as the Super League Triathlon, a new format in which athletes swam in an Olympic pool last August, but cycled and ran on exercise bikes and treadmills along the side. Everything was streamed online and the results were sent via virtual reality shared.
“Sports providers must innovate”
“Technology is the driver or cause of almost all trends,” explains Tervoort. “On the one hand, technology makes it much easier to exercise, think of all the apps you can use such as Strava or Runkeeper. On the other hand, due to all technological developments, we can spend more and more time on social media, streaming platforms and apps. Partly as a result of this, the time that young people in particular spend on sports and exercise has fallen. Sports providers must innovate to ensure their survival.”
Digitization
With so-called wearables we can keep track of more and more health data and performance, right down to your temperature and glucose level in your blood. Something that can motivate extra. Countless apps help with meditation and even more platforms offer (free) workouts.
Tervoort: “We had been working on health for some time, but corona has accelerated digitization. Suddenly we had to do everything remotely. Working from home, video calling to talk to family and friends, online teaching, virtual care and also sports at home. New technologies help to make sports more attractive, interesting and exciting. Think how augmented reality and virtual reality can give an extra dimension to watching sports. Or how social media ensures that sports organizations are suddenly in constant contact with fans from all over the world.”
At the same time, we are looking for peace and quiet and we are going back to simplicity and offline sports, because we have been staring at a screen for so many hours in daily life. We find this simplicity in nature: running, cycling or boot camps.
This year’s sports trend, which started in 2021, is actually also a contrast. Much more data-driven and therefore digital, but simplicity at the same time. Unbound and individual, but last year has also made it clear that sports are increasingly becoming a social affair.
Whether we go King Courting, Teqball or old-fashioned cycling, the most important thing is that we are busy. “The biggest development is the increased attention to our health in the broadest sense of the word,” Tervoort concludes. “Physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. A healthy lifestyle is no longer just sufficient exercise and healthy food. Movement is the medicine and that is timeless.”
The trends at a glance:
Virtual vs reality
A mix of the ‘real’ and the virtual world, with Pokémon Go as an example. In a virtual world set up by companies, people are digitally encouraged to get moving. One step further: the metaverse with 3D spaces, avatars and networks. For example, Nike has its own virtual world in a game platform that is popular among young people: Roblox. Here, users who play sports and exercise in the virtual world are rewarded.
AR sports
One step further is HADO, the world’s first augmented reality (AR) sports. The concept, a combination of dodgeball with game influences and decors and the use of AR, originated in Japan and has quickly grown internationally into the sport of the future with millions of players, in addition to Japan also in America, Germany, France and Spain.
Thanks to the AR glasses, players see both the real and projected environment and compete as a team in an arena. They try to knock out their opponents with energy balls, so-called hadoken, only visible through the headset. There are no cables or controllers involved, allowing players to move freely across the field. It can also be practiced in the Netherlands this year via OneFit. As soon as the corona measures are relaxed, HADO (directly or via OneFit) can also be played here.
Body and soul
Mindful Fitness: a workout that consists of intense exercise, yoga, meditation and something spiritual. In the Netherlands, Round11 in Amsterdam is an example: a boutique gym with eleven rounds including boxing, HIIT (High Intensive Interval Training), strength exercises and mindfulness/meditation.
padel
This racket sport, which has been increasing in popularity last year, is here to stay. It is cheap in terms of material, accessible, for young and old and varied. Moreover, you hardly need a sports background.
pickleball
In America this is a popular variant of padel. A ball sport that combines elements of badminton, tennis and table tennis in a small field and in a fast manner. In the football world, the same can be said for Teqball: a mix of table tennis and football.
To climb
Thanks in part to impressive documentaries such as Free solo and the dawn wall it’s a cool sport. Not only physically, but also mentally challenging. In addition, you can do it with others and learn it indoors, but you can also climb in beautiful outdoor locations. Figures from the Royal Dutch Climbing and Mountaineering Association show that there are now 34 climbing and 21 bouldering halls, a threefold increase compared to ten years ago.