Sports Vision – Can You Up Your Game?

When most people think of vision therapy, they immediately picture a child who is struggling to read, an individual with an eye turn, or maybe even an adult who has suffered from a head injury on the job or in an automobile accident. One often-overlooked way to utilize vision therapy is Sports Vision Training.

Wait? What does vision therapy have to do with sports? Why would an athlete spend any time working on their visual system? Did you know that vision therapy can help an athlete process and respond to what they see more efficiently? By being able to react faster and more accurately, a player can sharpen their skills and become even better at their sport.

Here’s one obvious example. One of the most essential skills involved in many sports is the ability to track a ball, puck, or Frisbee and judge where it is in space. Without excellent eye tracking skills and depth perception a player is at a disadvantage. Even an individual who is already good at their game can improve by honing these skills to give them a competitive advantage.

Sports rely heavily on the visual. Simply stated, vision directs the movement of the body. The visual system communicates with the brain to interpret what is seen and how to respond. Inaccurate or poorly timed responses can cause a player to miscalculate, fumble, or be off on their aim. The more accurately and efficiently the eyes, brain, and body can work together, the better the performance will be. 

Some of the skills that vision therapy addresses are visual processing, depth perception, eye tracking, eye focusing, and reaction time. It can also help to widen peripheral vision, improve hand-eye coordination, and even improve the vestibular system and cognitive skills. 

Here at Indiana Vision Development Center, we can take a great athlete and give him or her the visual skills needed to become exceptional. By fine-tuning the visual system, we can give a player the competitive edge needed to excel.