As I write for the Jack Pierce universe, I realize that I probably have some younger readers that lack context or older readers who have forgotten. Here’s a refresher, or introduction in no particular order:
In 1982:
Video-taping athletic efforts to analyze them was pretty new. Instant replay for NFL games wouldn’t begin until around 1986.
Sports massage wasn’t common. By the late 80s, it was common to have a massage booth at the end of a triathlon. Those were great.
We didn’t have YouTube or Google. A lot of the techniques we were experimenting with came from word of mouth, watching sports on TV, or reading about them in a book or magazine.
Jim Galloway’s book, “On Running” hadn’t been published yet. It was my training Bible for years.
Aluminum baseball bats were relatively new. Some guys loved them, but most of the guys I played with hated them. “Ping” isn’t nearly as satisfying as “Crack” when you hit a ball solidly. To this day, I still take my own wood bat to the cage.
Shoes have changed a lot since then. In 1982, you could buy gel inserts for your new shoes but I don’t think they became a standard part of shoes for quite some time. If I remember correctly, Sorbothane was the brand.
The book “Aerobics” by Kenneth Cooper was published in the 60s (1962, I think) but until Jane Fonda popularized the term in 1982 or so, no one cared.
The exercise physiology and dietary information “Dr. Legare” provided was absolute cutting edge. The typical high school kid didn’t have access to the wealth of information he provided. For me, this is the most important thing on this list.
SAT testing has changed several times over the years.
Cell phones were a long way off.
Everyone used maps and a Thomas Guide was essential. We all had them in our cars.
Shopping malls were popular.
Gas was about $1.20 a gallon
We had the best music.