While different sports demand different visual skills and present new challenges under varying conditions-snow, wind, haze, glare, sudden physical impact and clouse encounters with small fast moving objetcs-sports vision specialists agree that soft or rigid gas permeable (rgp) contact lenses ar the best vision correction option for the athlete, now matter what the sport.
The following highlights the environmental chalenges of many different sports and the visual skills required to meet them.
Basketball: Players need Eye-hand coordination and visual stability under dinamic condition such as bright court-side lighting.
Participants need peripheral awareness and must be able to measure distance from the
ball to the hoop. Players must also be able to follow the ball clearly as it must from
player to player.
Soccer: Soccer players need excellent peripheral vision to determine where they are
in relation to an opponent and the soccer ball. They also need good/foot coordination.
Football: Football players must be able to measure accuracy of aim and need to see object on the move. They also require good eye-hand/foot-body coordination to maintain stability and improve reaction time.
Speed Skating: Itīs very important that speed skaters wear eye protection to guard against sharp eyes chips flying off the eyes.
Hockey: Hockey players need good cordination and peripheral vision to determine where they are in relation to opponents and the hockey puck. Eye protection is specially recommended for hockey players.
Golf: Near vision is important to read a score card but distance is very important to determine measurement. Golfers need to focuse and the distance and must have good eye-hand coordination.
Tennis: Sharp visual acuity and a broad field of wiew are essential. Most racquet and ball contact is about tree feet from the eye. Proper protection is needed from racing balls.
Boating, Canoeing, Sailing: Participants need to measure true water depht and must also be able to read detailed radar scans. Glare protection from the sun is crucial.
Fishing: Near vision needs are considerable for example tying a line. Since near work is very small, itīs essential to see downward without blur when moving in boats, fishing from shore or wading through streams.
Figure skating: Figure skaters require strong eye-hand/body-foot coordination to maintain stability.
Running: Runners and joggers need good distance vision when identifying distant focal points.
Bowling: Bowlers need good distance vision. They need to clearly see the head pin on the pocket when aiming the bowling ball.
Archery: Archers have unique visual needs that dipend on the sophisticated sighting methods. The front sight is at armīs lenght and most archers need to see it clearly. Near vision is also important to inspect arrows and equipment.
Skiing: The skier faces a unique set of visually demanding environmental challenges. These include factors such as cold, wind, rain, dryness, bright light condition and intense ultraviolet exposure. Less oxygen at hight altitudes also meance skiers must wear contact lenses with high oxygen transmissibility.
Biking - Cycling: Bikers and cyclists utilize and unusual head/eye position. They need to glance at instrument, maps, watches or inspect equipment. Eye protection is specially important to keep out wind and debris.
Hiking, Mountaineering: Althrought focusing and acuity are minimal for hikers and climbers, participants must have proper acuity to avoid obstacles and follow a trail. Maximum ultraviolet protection is also essential specially at high altitudes.