Olympic seasons are always so exciting for me—the way the world comes together to celebrate athletes at the pinnacle of their careers. As a former Division I track and field athlete, I feel a deep connection and joy for the competitors who push their limits on the world’s stage.
Last year’s Olympics had a personal significance for me that extended beyond my passion for track and field; it brought attention to a vital yet often overlooked element of athletic performance: vision. The Summer 2024 Olympics brought a notable focus on athletes' vision, adding a new dimension to the conversation.
For instance, men’s gymnast Stephan Nedoroscik iconically removed his glasses before his pommel horse routine, ultimately securing a bronze medal for the US team. Meanwhile, Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade revealed that she competes without any visual correction and struggles to even see the vault as she speeds towards it at full speed.
While athletes have their personal reasons for choosing to compete with or without corrective lenses, my concern is that young fans might mistakenly believe that subpar vision is acceptable in sports. In reality, even a minor visual impairment can be the difference between gold and silver.
Comprehensive eyecare is so crucial in sports. It isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s essential for top performance and safety. This issue is close to my heart, given my role on the 2008 Worldwide Performance Vision Council for the Beijing Olympics, where I helped develop strategies, training, and testing procedures for athletes.
So why should athletes prioritize their vision? And how might maximizing vision make a real difference in their performance?
What is sports vision?
Sports vision is more than just what we see. It's a combination of what the eyes take in, how the brain processes that information, and the motor response that follows. We often assume athletes have perfect vision, but that's not always the case.
The majority of the information we process in sports is visual, so any deficit in vision can have a significant impact on performance. Olympic-level athletes tend to have superior visual function compared to the general population, emphasizing the role of vision in elite competition.1
Whether it’s picking up the seams on the baseball as it leaves the pitcher’s hand, catching the football on a quick slant in a crowded box, or anticipating your teammate’s cut to the basket, what the athlete sees directly influences the brain’s decision-making and motor response often in fractions of a second.
How contact lenses can enhance athletic performance
It's not just about having clear vision, but about optimizing the quality of visual information athletes receive. Even small vision impairments can negatively affect sports performance, particularly in fast-paced and precision-based sports.2
For example, I often encounter parents who assume their child sees well enough for sports, even if they have 20/30 vision. But in my experience, you won't find a Major League Baseball player with uncorrected 20/30 vision because visual clarity is key to success—in fact, their average visual acuity is 20/12.3
Many people invest time and resources into strength training and athletic skills, but they overlook the importance of visual perception. The better the input, the better the output—clear, precise vision is foundational to maximizing athletic potential.
For athletes, proper contact lens fit is critical
When it comes to sports performance, especially for young athletes, proper contact lenses play a crucial role in ensuring that they see their best. In my practice, I emphasize three key factors when prescribing contact lenses: health, clarity, and comfort. Even the best lens in the world won’t work if it fails in any of these areas.
For youth athletes, I prioritize giving them the healthiest option because they’ll likely be wearing contact lenses for many years. My goal is to set them up for long-term success by choosing lenses that promote eye health while ensuring they see as clearly as possible. Studies have shown that appropriate vision correction can enhance reaction time and overall sports performance.4
This clarity is critical in sports, where quick decisions and precise actions depend on accurate visual input. Comfort is also essential. No matter how sharp the vision correction or how healthy the lens, if it’s uncomfortable, it’s not going to work for the athlete.
Many parents focus solely on vision correction, but I take a broader approach. I consider health, comfort, and clarity to ensure my young athletes are getting the best possible performance from their lenses. This holistic view helps me decide which lens modality is best suited for each patient.
To read more about contact lenses for athletes, check out Contact Lenses for the Sports Vision Patient!
Importance of early vision training
Early vision training is essential for young athletes, as getting their vision corrected early can significantly impact how they train and develop. As with anything involving children, early intervention is key.
The sooner we ensure these athletes are seeing at their full potential, the better they can absorb their sports training and perform at their best on the field. It’s all about giving them the best visual input so they can execute their skills with precision.
One thing I emphasize to parents is that “okay” vision is not good enough, especially in sports. As both a doctor and a parent, I would never send my own children onto the field with less-than-optimal vision. It's not just about enhancing performance but also ensuring safety—uncorrected vision impairments can increase the risk of sports-related concussions.5
Athletes who can’t see clearly are more vulnerable to injuries like concussions, making it essential that they are fully corrected when they play. Just like you wouldn’t send your child onto the field without proper equipment, you shouldn’t send them out without clear vision. My goal for all my young athletes is to give them the best opportunity to succeed and stay safe while doing it.
4 pearls of proper lens fitting
When it comes to proper lens fitting for young athletes, there are a few key pearls I focus on:
1. Don’t be afraid of correcting low prescriptions.
Even correcting small prescriptions like -0.25DS or -0.75DC cylinder can have a significant impact on performance, greatly improving depth perception, reaction time, and overall vision quality.
2. Embrace toric lenses for astigmatism.
It’s important to fit patients with toric lenses if they have astigmatism. There's a tendency in optometry to prescribe spherical equivalents, but in sports vision, that can limit the quality of vision.
3. Remember, every patient who plays a sport is technically an athlete.
Whether they are competing in the Olympics or playing local town soccer, every child involved in a sport is an athlete in my eyes. You don’t need advanced equipment to be a sports vision doctor—you just need to recognize that every patient deserves optimal vision.
4. Understand the contact lens benefits for kids.
Fitting kids in contact lenses is incredibly rewarding. Not only does it enhance their sports performance, but it also boosts their confidence and can positively impact their entire outlook on life.6
I recently had a young patient, a 9-year-old baseball player named Chase, who didn’t think he had any vision problems. After fitting him in MiSight 1 Day soft contact lenses and experiencing clear vision, his batting improved significantly, and his team was able to advance to the Little League World Series.
Our responsibility as optometrists
As I reflect on this year’s Olympics and my own journey as both an athlete and eye doctor, one thing stands out: vision is a game-changer in sports. Watching world-class athletes push their limits reminds me how crucial clear, precise vision is—not just for performance, but for safety and confidence, too.
For us as eyecare professionals, the impact we can have goes beyond the exam room. We have the power to help young athletes see and perform at their best, to give them the confidence to chase their dreams.
Let’s make sure that no athlete—whether on the world stage or in local leagues—settles for anything less than optimal vision. Together, we can help shape a future where every athlete sees their true potential.
