I see 20/20, I must have perfect vision..

Many athletes believe they have perfect vision because they see 20/20. A standard eye exam measures your visual acuity while looking at a stationary chart, but how often are athletes stationary? How can this examination alone accurately determine an athlete’s visual abilities? Comprehensive eye exams are necessary for athletes - to help determine whether an athlete needs any vision correction and to check their ocular health. However, the concept of vision is much more complex.

Vision goes beyond 20/20; vision is the connection between our eyes, brain and body. Think of vision as a 3 step process: first, we gather information through our eyes, process the information with our brain, which then leads the body to form a decision and take action. Vision is a human's dominant sense, it guides our everyday actions and helps us make sense of the world around us.

From an athletic standpoint, athletes need their eye-brain-body connection to be in-sync (more than the average person), as they are required to process high volumes of information at quick speeds. What if an athlete can train themselves to scan their environment faster, react faster and make better decisions? The good news is, Sports Vision Training can help athletes achieve this outcome.

Sports vision training (SVT) is a program designed to enhance an athlete’s visual skills. Some of these skills include focusing, eye-tracking, peripheral awareness, visual reaction time, dynamic visual acuity, eye-hand-body coordination etc.

SVT starts with assessing an athlete’s visual skills, determining the areas of strength and opportunity, and designing a program based on these results. The programming is personalized to the athlete; being sport and position specific. Programming is structured to incorporate exercises to strengthen their areas of opportunity, and refine areas of strength. Vision correction through glasses, contact lenses or protective sports eye wear may also be suggested.

Athletes often focus on improving fitness, nutrition and the mental aspect of the game. These areas are undoubtedly crucial for athletic development. However, vision training is often overlooked and maybe the missing piece. Vision accounts for 80% of an athlete’s sensory input and is their dominant sense. If vision is an athlete’s dominant sense, why not train their visual system as well?

After completing Sports Vision Training, athletes often report improvements with concentration, decision-making, eye-hand coordination, overall awareness and ability to “zone-in” and ignore distracting information. In turn, the game "slows down” as the athlete’s visual processing abilities speed up. Not only can vision training improve visual performance in sport, but this can also translate to the classroom. This is especially true for individuals who struggle with symptoms related to ADHD.

Gaining a split second advantage over your opponent can determine the difference between winning and losing, as well as avoiding injury.

Customized vision training can help athletes regain their normal visual function and return back to their baseline following a concussion. Vision training can also be a preventative tool to reduce the risk for concussions. Find out more here.