Sports and Performance Psychology

VICE released a documentary, Chasing Perfection, that captures the Texas Tech Red Raiders' use of virtual reality as the football team trains for 2016.

Matt Ryan's most important muscle is his brain.

The Atlanta Falcons quarterback uses a TV-size device called NeuroTracker that he says has helped him sharpen his cognitive skills, providing an edge when he targets receivers or chooses plays. The focus has helped fuel an MVP-caliber season that culminates Sunday in the Super Bowl, where Ryan faces the New England Patriots juggernaut.

Ryan reportedly puts on a pair of 3D glasses at least three times a week and attempts to follow eight yellow spheres that move frantically across a screen. As he tries to keep tabs on them, NeuroTracker requires him to simultaneously concentrate on a tiny green dot in the middle of the screen. The goal: improved peripheral vision."

The quarterback position might seem simple to the uninitiated. On any given play you're either handing the ball off or throwing it to a receiver, right? Gi