It is argued by some people that to become a successful sportsperson, one should have access to modern technology and the latest equipment, while, on the other hand, it is commonly believed by others that these are not mandatory for a sportsperson’s prosperity.
Modern technology and equipment, like wearables, smartwatches, treadmills, bowling machines, and simulators, are helping sportspersons to practice more efficiently. For example, a cricket batsman practicing with a bowling machine, which can throw the ball as fast as bowlers, can also vary the bowling style, such as swing, yorker, or spin. As the player feeds this data into the machine, it will start bowling. By this, the batsman can practice where he is lacking; for example, if he wants to improve his batting against a spinner, he can practice and overcome the struggle.
Although it is believed by some other people that it is not necessary to become a successful sportsperson, these technologies and equipment make the sportsperson lazy, and this equipment may help to practice but cannot teach techniques that can be taught by a coach who has real-time experience. Sometimes, malfunctions of the equipment may cause injuries to the player. For instance, a woman practices badminton with her coach, and the coach teaches her ball-serving techniques and how to predict her opponent’s movements. This makes her gain knowledge, as well as practice, to overcome a situation, whereas this is not possible if she is training with an up-to-date instrument alone.
In my opinion, to become a successful sportsperson, one needs access to the latest technology and modern equipment, as well as a coach to mentor them. Also, there is a probability that technology, like Artificial Intelligence, may replace coaches.