Sports & Performance Vision (SPV)
With nearly 90 million Americans actively participating in sports, few realize how essential vision is to their performance and safety. At Dr. Obermark Eye Health Care, we focus on educating athletes, parents, and active individuals about the importance of comprehensive eye care and sports-specific visual performance evaluations in Poplar Bluff MO and Sikeston MO.
Whether you're a competitive athlete, weekend warrior, or parent of a child in youth sports, enhancing your visual system can improve reaction time, coordination, accuracy, and injury prevention. Our skilled optometrists are trained to go beyond standard vision correction and provide tailored assessments that support both peak performance and long-term eye health.
Why Eye Exams Matter for Athletes
Eye exams are not just for detecting nearsightedness or getting a glasses prescription. They are a powerful tool for optimizing how your eyes process and react to visual information—skills that are critical in fast-paced sports environments.
Our optometrists work closely with each patient to:
- Evaluate visual sharpness, focusing ability, and depth perception
- Detect underlying issues that may be limiting athletic potential
- Identify early signs of injuries, including sports-related concussions
- Recommend protective eyewear and vision training when needed
We help athletes understand how better vision can translate to better performance and reduced injury risk, particularly in contact and high-speed sports.
Personalized Vision Exams for Active Individuals
Whether you're an athlete, a first responder, or in the military, your visual demands go far beyond the average. That’s why we tailor every comprehensive eye exam to account for your specific activities and risk factors.
Our specialized evaluations can include:
- Detailed visual acuity and contrast sensitivity testing
- Visual field assessments for peripheral awareness
- Eye movement and tracking analysis
- Screening for signs of trauma, including concussions
- Sports eyewear recommendations tailored to your sport
- Basic vision training strategies or referrals to sports vision specialists
These exams are ideal for optimizing both performance and eye protection, and they provide valuable insights that extend beyond traditional vision tests.
Visual Skills That Drive Athletic Performance
Athletes rely on a combination of strength, agility, and strategy—but none of it works without a well-functioning visual system. Many athletes don’t reach their potential simply because they haven’t been evaluated for sports vision performance.
Key visual skills that influence athletic ability include:
- Eye Focusing: Quickly shifting focus between distances
- Depth Perception: Accurately judging distance and speed
- Eye-Hand Coordination: Reacting to visual information in real time
- Tracking Ability: Following fast-moving targets without delay
- Dynamic Visual Acuity: Seeing clearly while in motion
- Peripheral Awareness: Sensing action occurring at the edges of your visual field
Athletes with well-developed visual skills react faster, perform more consistently, and suffer fewer injuries. Even athletes with 20/20 vision may have deficits in tracking or coordination that limit performance—and these can often be improved with proper intervention.
Understanding Concussions and Vision in Sports
Concussions and other traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can significantly affect vision. Optometrists play a vital role in recognizing and managing visual symptoms related to head injuries.
We screen for signs of post-concussion vision syndrome, including:
- Blurred or double vision
- Difficulty tracking moving objects
- Light sensitivity
- Trouble focusing or concentrating
- Dizziness or balance problems
We follow the American Optometric Association’s guidelines and resources, including tools like the Brain Injury Electronic Resource Manual (BIERM), to support patients through recovery. Our evaluations ensure that athletes are not only cleared to return to play safely, but that their visual systems are functioning properly during recovery.
Eyewear Solutions for Sports Performance and Protection
Choosing the right eyewear is essential for both visual clarity and eye safety. Regular prescription glasses are not designed for the demands of athletic performance, which is why we offer guidance on sports-specific eyewear for training and competition.
Benefits of Sports Glasses:
- Improved visual clarity for better judgment and reaction time
- Impact-resistant lenses to protect from flying objects or collisions
- Silicone padding to block dust and debris
- UV and glare protection for outdoor sports
- Polarized and photochromic lens options for changing light conditions
Glasses designed for athletics are lightweight, durable, and comfortable—even during high-impact or fast-paced movement. Choosing the right frame material, lens coating, and fit can make a measurable difference in how you perform and feel on the field, court, or trail.
Contact Lens Options for Athletes
Contact lenses offer a wider field of view and greater flexibility for athletes. They eliminate the risk of glasses fogging up, sliding down, or interfering with protective gear.
Most recommended types include:
Soft Contact Lenses: Stable and comfortable during high-movement activities
Gas-Permeable Lenses: Offer excellent clarity and oxygen flow for specific sports needs
Custom-Tinted Lenses: Enhance contrast and visibility based on your environment
- Tinted contact lenses can improve sports performance by reducing glare and improving contrast in various light conditions. For example:
Amber Lenses: Enhance ball visibility in sports like baseball, soccer, and tennis
Gray-Green Lenses: Ideal for glare reduction in sports like golf, biking, and running
Always pair contact lenses with proper protective eyewear to reduce the risk of injury from impact or environmental debris.
Vision Training for Competitive Edge
Vision training is becoming more widely used in professional and collegiate sports. Through guided exercises and drills, athletes can strengthen specific visual skills and improve coordination between the eyes and brain.
While basic vision training can be offered in-office, advanced programs may be recommended for athletes pursuing elite performance. Skills like reaction speed, tracking efficiency, and depth perception can all be trained and improved—just like muscles.
Protecting Your Child’s Vision in Youth Sports
Parents play a critical role in protecting their children’s vision. Children involved in sports should receive regular eye exams to detect problems early, including those that may affect safety and performance.
Optometrists can help by:
- Recommending protective eyewear for contact sports
- Detecting vision-related concussion symptoms
- Offering myopia control strategies for growing eyes
- Educating families on visual risk factors for youth athletes
Early detection leads to better long-term outcomes. Investing in eye health early on can improve a child’s athletic experience and reduce the risk of preventable injuries.
Get Started with Sports Vision Care
We’re committed to helping athletes, families, and active individuals unlock their full potential with customized vision care. Whether you're competing for a scholarship, returning from injury, or simply trying to perform your best, sports vision evaluations can make a measurable difference.
Schedule your comprehensive exam today and discover how professional vision care can elevate your performance while safeguarding your sight.
Let Dr. Obermark Eye Health Care in Poplar Bluff MO and Sikeston MO be your trusted partner in achieving sharper, faster, and safer vision on and off the field.
