There were approximately 42,000 eye-related sports injuries reported during 2008 in the United States. Of those, 1/3 happens to younger athletes. The purpose of protective eyewear is to prevent injuries, such as abrasions and further damage to the eyes. Meanwhile, contact lenses offer no protection and regular glasses and eyewear are incapable of preventing eye injuries.
Polycarbonate is the magical material used in these types of protection lenses. It’s mainly used in protective eyewear for athletes because it’s 20% stronger than other lens material used in other types of eyewear. It’s so effective that some speculate that it was created intentionally with the athlete in mind. It’s fully capable of withstanding a ball traveling at full speed or upwards of 90 miles per hour, without injuring the eye. Many professional athletes such as Kareem Abdul-Jabaar are known to wear these types of goggles for protection. In basketball, finger pokes in the eye and elbows to the eye are common. In baseball, batters are prone to being hit in the eye from a wild pitch. Although a large number of hockey players wear a face mask, not all do, and the puck traveling at such high speeds is almost asking for an eye injury to the non-mask wearers. For sports that require a facemask or helmet with eye protectors, athletes are recommended to also wear sports goggles with polycarbonate lenses to ensure adequate protection if they have previous eye problems. All helmets should fit properly and have a chinstrap.
Ophthalmologists and other eye care professionals can properly fit the appropriate sport-specific protective eyewear and headgear that will not interrupt the performance of the athlete in any way. Plus, athletes today can choose from various types of lightweight and sturdy protective eyewear and headgear that look and fit better than those used in the past.
Sometimes, athletes are given special considerations when they have good vision in one eye and not the other, or if they have a history of eye injuries or previous eye surgeries. In this case, athletes are encouraged to wear masks and goggles for additional protection.
Types of Protective Eyewear
There are many forms of protective eyewear for athletes. As mentioned before, this day in age athletes can choose from a wide range of gear that is lightweight and sturdy. Some of the options athletes have are:
Goggles
Face masks
Shields
Sunglasses
Underwater masks
Most Popular High-Risk Sports
Sports with high-risk eye injuries include:
Baseball
Basketball
Fencing
Football
Hockey
Lacrosse
Paintball
Racquetball
Soccer
Water Polo
Boxing, Martial Arts and other full-contact sports offer no type of protective eyewear. If an athlete is known to have prior eye injuries, surgeries or eye conditions, it’s recommended they participate in a sport in which proper eyewear can be worn, or not participate at all. In Canada, it was reported that after certified full-face protectors that are attached to headgear were made mandatory in organized amateur hockey, the amount of eye injuries decreased by 90% for the year.
Protective Eyewear for Younger Athletes
Young athletes especially need protective eyewear. As mentioned above, 1/3 of the 42,000 reported eye injuries of 2008 happened to young athletes. This is due to the fact that many children's sports leagues, schools and teams do not require young athletes to wear masks, goggles, shields or any kind of protective eyewear. Helmets are worn in football and hockey, but that’s about it. No other sports require a child to protect their eyes from accidental injuries. Parents can help with this problem by either encouraging or forcing a child to wear protective gear during high-risk sports. Parents can also set an example by wearing protective gear themselves, regardless of their eyesight. Our sight is our most important sense, so it’s important we take all precautions to ensure great vision on and off the field of play.
