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It's not your father's brand of football anymore.

Back in the day, coaches used still photographs to breakdown technique and an overhead projector was flashy technology used to diagram plays. A clipboard or a chalkboard was about as good as it got. Now, football and fiber optics go hand in hand.

One example of training and technology coming together can be seen over the next two weeks in Paisely, Fla., where Football University's Top Gun All-Star Training Experience is taking place.

Rivals.com recruiting analysts will be on hand to evaluate the players at the event.

Top Gun is the culmination of a 30-camp nationwide tour, gathering the most elite performers from across the United States and allowing them to display their abilities together on one stage. Football University has an impressive alumni list which includes some of the top college football players in the nation. Numerous U.S. Army All-Americans and FBU Youth All-Americans will take the field over the next two weeks in Paisely. And it's the perfect opportunity for Athletic Republic to showcase their game-changing technology.

"The synergy of technique based training and world-class technology is an important factor in producing elite talent," said Rich McGuinness, the founder and creator of Football University and the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. "If we want to teach an athlete how to be the best, it's much more than just a tight spiral or running a good route. That's where Athletic Republic and their cutting-edge technology comes in."

This new relationship was added to Football University this past year to add another dimension to the training experience. McGuinness asked Athletic Republic to join forces and integrate their world-class performance sports training and testing into the curriculum. Since Football University works on an invite-only approach and accepts nominations to attend online at their website, a relationship with a company like Athletic Republic made perfect sense.

An essential component to the Athletic Republic brand of performance sports training is the philosophy of "Test, Teach, Train". Test emphasizes regular assessments for athletes to find out where they are and what they need to work on in their training. Teach means that trainers focus on improving an athlete's training IQ-athletes have a thirst for knowledge to learn how to get better. Knowledge is power. Train means to provide the best possible training experience through effective application of science, technology, and superior coaching.

Football fans are used to seeing professional players reviewing photos on the sidelines, seeing what worked or didn't work in a particular game situation. And football coaches at all levels have been filming practices for years. It's only recently, however, that youth and high school players have had instant access to such visual teaching tools. Football University and their Top Gun coaches are immediately able to critique an athlete's technique, suggest improvements, and document the results.

What this means is that the players who are at Football University and Top Gun get a unique experience. Combining top-notch instruction from coaches such as Pro Bowl wide receiver Andre Rison and Patriots' legend Chris Slade with the best technology out there, a youth or prep player receives top-quality instruction. It's this blending of technique based training with technology's ability to break apart with precision a player's form that can change a game, a recruitment and potentially a career.

"Technology cannot replace desire and hard work, but it certainly can complement the will to succeed and enhance the athlete's training experience," said Athletic Republic's Chief Science Officer, Steve Swanson. "All in all, this makes time spent training much more efficient."

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