Sports Vision Tests and Evaluations
April is the Sports Eye Safety Month, but for many athletes, they don't realize that maintaining sharp vision takes work all year long. That's why there are tests then evaluations, more tests, then more evaluations, called Sports Vision Therapy. Training can be modified to specific attributes essential in certain sports, so baseball players receive training beneficial to baseball players, golfers receive training beneficial to golfers and so on. Working out the eyes can be just as intense as a leg or arm workout in the gym. In sports vision testing and evaluations, it can mean the difference of being just competitive versus being competitive with an edge over the other players, even if their on the same team.
But not all people think sports vision testing is important. Currently, there is no governmental support for this type of therapy. However, many universities have begun offering grants towards the cost for their students. Also, some companies and sports teams are creating training programs for their employees and athletes alike.
Testing Points for Evaluating Athletes
The intention of a sports vision evaluation is to perfect the athletes' vision for their performance. After testing for a period of time, through various tests, the therapist and athlete can evaluate the athletes' performance and improvements.
Tests therapists may utilize:
- Tracking fast moving lights
- Peg board
- 3-D computer imagery
- Random dot stereo testing
- Letter and sine wave contrast
- Computerized vision testing
These tests are meant to target athletes':
- Visual acuity
- Contrast sensitivity
- Depth perception
- Reaction time
- Hand/eye coordination
Tests include tracking fast moving lights to train an athletes' reaction time. Similar to the whammy game, tapping sections of a peg board as it lights up in various areas trains many different functions such as hand/eye coordination, peripheral vision, timing and accuracy of movements. Some therapists utilize a computer screen, displaying 3-D imagery to train depth perception, while other therapists utilize computer screens to eliminate technician bias without the need of interpretation from the eye care professional.
For athletes whose vision is not 20/20, and the use of eyeglasses, contact lenses or sunglasses are a must, sports vision therapists use a form of testing called contrast sensitivity. Contrast sensitivity can be used many ways. For contact lens wearers, it's used to determine which contact lens is most beneficial during play, and whether a toric lens or the spherical equivalent is better for the athlete during that time. If an athlete performs outdoors, contrast sensitivity can be used to determine which sunglass tint and optics benefit the athlete most. Other factors such as glare also determine which sunglasses would help the athlete reach and preserve their best visual function during play.
Testing for Older Athletes
Although athletes young and old go through the same types of tests and evaluations, therapists take extra steps to ensure older athletes receive even more. Since most baby boomers are now in the presbyopic age group, bifocal contact lenses are sought after more now than ever. These lenses impact the visual performance needed in sports of all kinds. Contrast sensitivity testing can determine whether any loss in distance occurs with the bifocal lens. Older athletes particularly seek visual acuity when going up against younger athletes, and contrast sensitivity testing is extremely beneficial. They say as we age we are all destined to lose our precise vision we once had as youngsters. Depth perception, hand/eye coordination and reaction time are said to slow or deteriorate unless we take the proper steps in maintaining our visual acuity. So sports vision tests and evaluations are important even for the non-athletes of the older generations, and the list of benefits is almost endless.
[Page updated 12/2010]
