The ShadowBall Scientific Passing and Catching Accuracy Improvement Program

The ShadowBall Sports Science Team is excited to be breaking new ground in our quest to improve the level of rugby passing and catching skill in South Africa. On 13 March 2014 at the esteemed rugby institution of Jeppe High School For Boys  in conjunction with Gcobani Bobo  the former Springbok 15’s player, Springbok 7’s captain and commentator on Supersport’s Super Rugby we have launched  The ShadowBall Scientific Passing and Catching Accuracy Improvement Program.

For The ShadowBall Scientific Passing and Catching Accuracy Improvement Program, we will for the very first time in the world be using the ShadowBall Pro Size 5 solo rugby passing and catching training aid to scientifically improve the rugby passing and catching skills of 40 grade 8 boys in a very short period of time. The improvement in skill will be achieved without using any formal rugby practice time and without any members of the testing group needing a training partner to practice their passing and catching skills with. The goal is to improve the passing and catching accuracy of these 40 grade 8 pupils by a substantial amount in a 4 week period, using only a ShadowBall Pro Size 5 and the drills designed for the ShadowBall by the Stellenbosch University’s Center For Human Performance Sciences.

This ground-breaking rugby passing and catching skills upliftment program is being conducted under the auspices of DR Ray Finch. Dr Ray has a long standing record of service in the sports industry. Dr Ray has been of service to the world’s top cricketing teams including the South African, New Zealand and Australian national sides. In his work with the South African cricket team DR Ray has developed the individual players hydration strategy used to deal with the rigors placed on the body when competing in extreme playing conditions such as India and Pakistan. DR Ray’s work has been integral in increasing the concentration levels of players on the field and enabling them to keep focused during long batting and fielding innings in hot and humid conditions where the players suffer badly from dehydration. Ray currently serves the New Zealand Governments sporting Body, helping to manage carded athletes, his experience isinvaluable in ensuring the scientific significance of the test.

Sponsors of the ShadowBall Scientific Passing and Catching Program are Nativa, South africa’s leading scientific, alternative and natural health care company. Nativa have generously sponsored energy boosting vitamin packed Turbovite energy sweets to keep up the energy levels of the testing subjects during the rigors of testing and training.

Results of the initiative will be published in a leading Sport Science Journal for critique by other industry leaders.

The objective of the ShadowBall Scientific Passing Improvement Program Launch is to create confidence in schools and critics and to showcase what tangible results the ShadowBall can create in very short periods of time.

DR Ray Finch briefs the ShadowBall Sport Science Team before the boys arrive to be tested on day 1. We have created 4 passing tests and 2 catching tests to measure passing and catching skills.

The team eagerly awaits the arrival of the test subjects.

We have randomly selected 60 boys from the PE class. The test subjects comprise of players of all sporting codes, not just rugby.

Dr Ray faces the camera.

Explaining the historic significance and scientific relevance of the tests to the boys.

Each test subject gets a running passing, standing passing and 2 catching tests.

Gcobani interviews the boys to get their opinions of the ShadowBall before, during and after the tests.

Gcobani Bobo interviews Dr Ray Finch and Iain Shippey of Peak Sports SA.

On day 2 the boys are given a 1 hour long ShadowBall motivational session with a  motivational speech from Gcobani Bobo,Sport Psych chat from Peak Sports SA and an in depth drill training session from the ShadowBall Sport Science Team.

Janse Van Der Ryst the director of rugby at Jeppe High Schoo For Boys is very happy with the impact ShadowBall will have on improving rugby skills in the school