The goal of this thesis is to find out if goal wall shooting has the potential to make the transition from a game to a recognised sport, as in the case of darts. For this purpose, a profit calculation was performed to assess the profitability of the goal wall arena and estimate the return for investors. The performance of the players was measured throughout the first league season using the motion sensors in the goal wall arena and analysed by regression analysis and the method of least squares to find out which factors are critical for their performance. A probability analysis was carried out to determine the level of difficulty and show that the game offers the possibility to quantify perfection. Darts and squash were analysed with regard to their governing bodies, rules, circuits of tournaments, and ranking systems, to identify similarities and differences with the game modes and derive recommendations for KickUp:5. The dartboard sequence was analysed to assess the difficulty level of darts and a Python programme was written and executed to find the possible paths for a nine-dart finish.
The results show that goal wall shooting is a challenging yet accessible sport for people of all ages and genders. Mental toughness is a decisive factor, but players can improve their shooting accuracy through regular exercise. Even though the level of difficulty is not as high as in darts, hard work and commitment is necessary to climb in the rankings and reach a certain level of experience. Excitement is guaranteed due to the importance of the centre hole, which doubles the score and often decides a match with the last shot. The goal wall arena is a well-designed and implemented concept that offers a profitable investment with competitive returns, but adjustments in certain areas could help KickUp:5 speed up the transition process.
Uwe Schneider is not only a successful entrepreneur, but also a passionate footballer who had a dream of making goal wall shooting a sport in its own right when his shooting accuracy won him several prizes and trophies in goal wall shooting events across the country. It took him years to realise his dream, but the invention of a fully automatic goal wall arena is just another proof that anything is possible if you believe in yourself and are willing to work hard to achieve your goals.
Table of Contents
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 RESEARCH BACKGROUND AND MOTIVATION
1.2 DESCRIPTION OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM AND OBJECTIVES
1.3 OUTLINE OF THE THESIS
2 BACKGROUND ON KICKUP:5
2.1 THE ARENA CONCEPT
2.2 GAME MODES
2.3 STAKEHOLDERS
2.4 ONLINE COMMUNITY
2.5 THE LEAGUE CONCEPT
3 CASE STUDIES
3.1 THE EXAMPLE OF DARTS
3.1.1 GOVERNING BODY
3.1.2 RULES OF THE GAME
3.1.3 CIRCUIT OF TOURNAMENTS
3.1.4 THE RANKING SYSTEM
3.2 THE EXAMPLE OF SQUASH
3.2.1 GOVERNING BODY
3.2.2 RULES OF THE GAME
3.2.3 CIRCUIT OF TOURNAMENTS
3.2.4 THE RANKING SYSTEM
4 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR KICKUP:5
5 CONCLUSION
Research Objectives and Focus
The primary objective of this thesis is to assess whether "goal wall shooting" possesses the potential to transition from a casual game into a fully recognized, mainstream sport, drawing parallels to the developmental trajectory of darts. This research aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the KickUp:5 startup concept, analyzing its technical infrastructure, economic viability, and the strategic requirements for organizational growth.
- Technical evaluation of the automated goal wall arena and sensor-based performance tracking.
- Economic analysis regarding profitability, investment returns, and operational expenses for arena providers.
- Comparative case studies with established mainstream sports (Darts and Squash) regarding governance, rules, and ranking structures.
- Strategic recommendations for future expansion and professionalization of the KickUp:5 league structure.
Excerpt from the Book
1.1 RESEARCH BACKGROUND AND MOTIVATION
I have always been interested in sports, but football has been my favourite one since I was a young boy. The player I fell in love with and who inspired me the most was Brazilian legend Pele because the way he played was pure art and beautiful to watch. He is considered by many as the greatest player the world has ever seen, and, as the English title of his 1977 autobiography My Life and the Beautiful Game indicates, he is one of the reasons why the phrase "The Beautiful Game" (from Portuguese: o jogo bonito) has become synonymous with football not only in Brazil but also in many other countries and languages. Pele is the only player to have lifted the World Cup on three occasions (1958, 1962 and 1970), which makes him the most successful player of all time.
The cradle of modern football is England, where it enjoyed great interest and quickly spread to continental Europe and other areas of the world. No matter the age, gender or skill level, amateur or professional, anyone can play football. It is an easy game that only requires a ball, two goals and a pitch to play. Maybe that is the reason why it has become the most popular sport with an estimated four billion followers, which is more than half of the world's population.
No one can deny the impact of football on our culture and society. Football contributes to regional and national identity and is closely linked to political, economic and social developments. An example for this connection is the Miracle of Bern, when Germany unexpectedly won the World Cup thanks to a 3-2 final victory over the "invincible" Hungarians, who came to the tournament as runaway favourites after an unbeaten run of four years. The success of 1954 put German football back on the map and unleashed a wave of euphoria across the country, which was still suffering from the aftermath of the war.
Summary of Chapters
1 INTRODUCTION: This chapter outlines the motivation for the study, focusing on the cultural impact of football and the transition of goal wall shooting into a professional sport.
2 BACKGROUND ON KICKUP:5: This section details the technological and conceptual development of the automated goal wall system, its game modes, stakeholder structure, and the online community.
3 CASE STUDIES: This chapter provides a comparative analysis of Darts and Squash, examining their governing bodies, rules, and tournament structures to derive insights for KickUp:5.
4 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR KICKUP:5: Based on the preceding research, this chapter offers actionable recommendations to optimize the arena operations, rules, and league structures.
5 CONCLUSION: The final chapter summarizes the research findings and provides an outlook on the future potential of KickUp:5 as a mainstream sport.
Keywords
KickUp:5, Goal Wall Shooting, Darts, Squash, Sports Management, League System, Performance Analysis, Regression Analysis, Business Model, Sports Marketing, Professionalization, Technical Infrastructure, Tournament Circuit, Ranking Systems, Sports Technology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this thesis?
This thesis investigates whether goal wall shooting has the potential to evolve from a recreational game into a recognized mainstream sport by evaluating existing sports business models and applying them to the KickUp:5 project.
What are the primary thematic areas?
The study centers on the arena technology of KickUp:5, economic profitability for operators, performance data analysis, and benchmarking against established sports like Darts and Squash.
What is the primary research objective?
The goal is to determine the viability of goal wall shooting as a sport and provide recommendations for structure, growth, and organizational transition.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The research uses quantitative methods including regression analysis, profit and payback period calculations, probability analysis, and qualitative benchmarking of organizational structures in comparable sports.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The main body covers the development of the arena concept, detailed explanations of different game modes (Classic, KickDown, Powerkick), financial feasibility studies, and detailed case studies on Darts and Squash.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include KickUp:5, sports professionalization, goal wall shooting, performance statistics, comparative sports analysis, and league management.
How is the difficulty of "perfect games" in goal wall shooting quantified?
The thesis utilizes binomial probability and multinomial coefficient formulas to calculate the statistical rarity of achieving a perfect game across different game modes.
What specific improvements does the author suggest for the "Powerkick" game mode?
The author suggests revising the serve rules to prevent unfair advantages, implementing a replay/let system similar to squash to handle interference, and clarifying regulations regarding fouls and ball-to-player collisions.
- Citar trabajo
- Markus Giesecke (Autor), 2019, KickUp:5 and the potential of goal wall shooting as a mainstream sport, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/459328
