Air travel is an often unwanted requirement of professional sports; it is essential for teams from across the country to compete, and is both uncomfortable and tiresome for athletes. Let’s not forget how cumbersome flying can be for us regular, average-sized folks – imagine how the super tall and super fit feel sitting in those tiny, cramped seats.
Nike is hoping to make things easier – and roomier – for traveling sports teams. The sportswear company teamed up with Seattle-based design firm Teague to create its very own “Athlete’s Plane,” a traveling vessel made specifically for professional players.
“Air travel often hinders athletic performance due to the impact on physical, physiological and cognitive functions,” said Teague creative director Philipp Steiner. “When professional athletes travel across multiple time zones their team is statistically more likely to lose — the Athlete’s Plane essentially levels the playing field.”
The Athlete’s Plane is modeled after four key areas that Teague and Nike believe athletes need for efficient and injury-free travel:
- Recovery: Home court advantage exists because travel takes a lot out of you physically and mentally. Teague wants to have a training room within the plane to help aid injury diagnosis and treatment.
- Sleep: Sleeping upright is hard, even for the best sleepers out there. Long beds will be provided to insure travelers get rest.
- Blood circulation: This is absolutely necessary for both healing and avoiding injuries.
- Mental relaxation: Movies are a great pastime for mental recovery before and after games. Nike wants to “create spaces for key mental activities, especially film study.”
Athletes, before you get too excited, the Athlete’s Plane is still only in the design phase, but that doesn’t mean it won’t become a real thing. With backing from a sports giant like Nike, and design innovation capabilities from Teague, we may be seeing the Athlete’s Plane in the very near future.
You can check out pictures of the proposed Athlete’s Plane at Business Insider.
