After a long, arduous winter, we all feel ready to get back into the “spring “ of things, especially our children. Outdoor sports for both kids and adults are is a key component of enjoying the warmer weather with such activities as baseball, soccer, lacrosse, etc.Peak performance in sports and other outdoor activities is dependent upon solid visual skills. The visual skills of top performers can include:

• Dynamic Visual Acuity – Which allows you to see objects clearly while in motion
• Eye Tracking-the ability to keep “your eyes on the ball”, no matter how fast it may be travelling.
• Eye Focusing- changing focus quickly and accurately from one distance to another
• Peripheral Vision – seeing people and objects “out of the corner of your eye” while concentrating on a fixed point.
• Fusion flexibility and stamina- the ability to keep both eyes working together even under high speed, physically stressful situations.
• Depth perception – quickly and accurately judging the speed of objects.
• Visualization- Picturing events with your “minds eye” or imagination.

If certain skills are not up to par, you may unconsciously compensate , and weak spots may develop in your game that can also include slowness or inconsistencies in one or more areas of performance, or even result in a sports injury, such as concussions.

Per the American Board of Sports Chiropractic Physicians, 5.6 % of sports related injuries are concussions; however, a full 65% of these injuries may go unreported, and as a result, untreated. The benefits of strong visual skills increase performance, and are invaluable in preventing injury during such activity. It can be the all important factor that pushes a good athlete into the next level of excellence.

Location: Hunterdon Vision Therapy Center, 1465 Route 31 S, Annandale. For more information, call 908-730-6774 or visit HunterdonVisionTherapy.com.