Product: Dynamic Visual Skills for Sports
Top Line: Because information gathered through vision is thought to dominate over information from other sensory systems, it is recognized as essential to successful performance in almost every sport. A growing body of evidence confirms that visual abilities can be strengthened and enhanced by means of appropriate visual training, making an athlete’s eyesight one of the most important pieces of equipment they have.
To help athletes of all levels, sport vision specialist DeAnn Fitzgerald, OD and The International Sports Vision Association (ISVA), an interdisciplinary group of professionals dedicated to advancing the field of vision training, have launched a new section of the ISVA’s website, “Dynamic Visual Skills for Sports,”.
Close Up: This new section provides an overview of some of the most relative dynamic visual skills associated with 12 sports-related areas:
Baseball/Softball
Golf
Soccer
Basketball
Hockey
Sports Officials
Boxing
Motorsports
Table Tennis
Football
Skiing
Tennis
Other sports and areas of performance will be added soon, ISVA said.
“Every sport requires a set of dynamic visual skills that are critical to achieving peak performance,” explained Dr. Fitzgerald. “However, depending on the sport(s) you play, your reliance on those skills may differ. For example, the visual dynamics of golf require an individual’s emphasis on different visual and processing skills than that of an athlete playing a sport of almost constant motion, like basketball.”
Todd Daniels, athletic trainer and concussion specialist, University of Arizona/Banner University Medical Group, noted that sports vision is becoming more and more important in training. “These 12 profiles can help athletes, coaches, athletic trainers, and others to better understand the visual demands of different sports and what visual abilities can be enhanced by means of appropriate visual training,” he said.
Vital Stats: The ISVA website features a “Find a Sports Vision and Performance Professional” locator, a listing of ISVA members throughout the nation or in any geographic area.