Workout for the Eyes

Reported October 2008

HOUSTON, Texas. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- To the average person, 20-20 vision is just fine -- but for athletes to succeed, their vision must be much sharper. That’s why many are turning to sports vision therapy to stay on top of their game.

For athletes to win, they’ve got to keep their eye on ball.

“The average baseball player’s eyesight tests at 20 over 12.5," Kevin Gee, O.D., an optometrist at the University of Houston's Eye Institute in Houston, Texas, told Ivanhoe.

Many don’t know maintaining that sharp vision takes work.

"You go and you lift all day long, and you can go and get … the most expensive bat out there, [but] it's not going to do you any good if you don’t have good vision," Dr. Gee said.

That’s why Dr. Gee uses sports vision therapy to help athletes at the University of Houston. It’s a workout for the eyes that‘s just as intense as a workout on the field.

"You leave very, not only mentally, but physically tired from it," Kyla Holas, the head coach of the University of Houston's softball team, told Ivanhoe. "Your eye is a muscle just like everything else in your body."

In the workout, peripheral vision and hand-eye coordination are tested on a peg board. Reaction time is tested by fast-moving lights.

"As the lights light up down the track, we are able to track the vision of the players and give them feedback," Dr. Gee said.

Since each player holds a different position on the field, each test and workout can be customized; and it’s not just the pro who can benefit from sports vision therapy.

"Whether it be your weekend golfer, or your runner, or the next 'A-Rod' who is in little league, this will definitely help the average person -- because the average person is involved in sports in some way or another," Dr. Gee said.

Holas says her team has improved since starting the program. Along with gaining team spirit and hard work, they ended the season 54 to 11 -- beating last year's season of 44 and 18.

"The details are what separates the great athletes from the average any jump," Holas said.

Dr. Gee says if you are interested in finding a sports vision clinic for yourself, look for a place that has a licensed optometrist on-site.

Click here to Go Inside This Science or contact:

Kevin Gee
University Eye Institute
4901 Calhoun Road
Houston, Texas 77004
(713) 743-0738
kgee@optometry.uh.edu.

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