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Focus: Conditioning and Practice
posted Sunday, 26 November 2006
The first thing that any coach can do to make sure his or her athletes are performing at their best is to make sure they are in good physical condition. This is a no-brainer and almost every organized athletic program requires a physical prior to the first practice. Once practice begins almost every coach spends some part of the initial practices doing conditioning drills. This is a very commonly accepted standard that has developed over time throughout the country.
What has not occurred is the recognition for the need to maintain the same attitude toward the athlete's visual health. The reason for this is that most people think that, if you have a visual problem, you can tell, and will seek appropriate care without intervention.
The reality is that most people lose their visual skills at such a slow pace that they do not realize the vision they have is well bellow what is supposed to be. For example, when I worked with the Cubs, every year we would do eye exams on all the players, from the Rookie Leaguers up through the Major Leaguers. Every year as many as twenty five percent of the players would need a vision correction that would improve their vision two lines or more on the standard Snellen Acuity chart.
While many of those professional athletes had the physical skill to compensate for the decreased visual ability, it still compromised their game. Imagine how harmful it would be for an athlete just starting to hone their skills if they are not performing up to their physical or visual potential.
Therefore, the first thing I recommend is that each athlete on the team be required to have an annual comprehensive eye examination. This can be done by most any eye doctor; however, the American Optometric Association does have a section that is dedicated to doctors who have a special interest in sports medicine. These doctors should be aware of any special visual skills required to play the sport and can offer additional specialized testing and analysis.
The next thing I recommend is using the I-ON Eye Trainers to teach the hitter what it feels like to be looking at the right place at the right time so that when the ball crosses the plate in a faster setting he/she will have a better chance of hitting the ball. The instructions in the manual and on the DVD show a variety of drills that can be used with and without the I-ON to improve those skills.
Another way to benefit from the I-ON is in fielding practice. Take the inserts out of the middle of the lenses and put the I-ON Eye Trainers on. Now throw some ground balls to the player and let him or her see what it feels like to follow the ball all the way into their glove. This is a great tool for the infield and teaches them to be patient and not to look away before they have the ball in their glove and under control.
Once you have established these fundamentals in your practice schedule you should be spending about as much time as you need during practice to develop these skills. If you feel a particular player needs more, then I would recommend sending him or her to a sports vision specialist for more individualized training.
Also, in addition to working with the I-ON, there are some excellent vision drills that can be viewed at Get Focused. I would recommend them for all developing baseball and softball players.
Good luck, and keep your I-ON the ball!
Gregory S. Moore OD
What has not occurred is the recognition for the need to maintain the same attitude toward the athlete's visual health. The reason for this is that most people think that, if you have a visual problem, you can tell, and will seek appropriate care without intervention.
The reality is that most people lose their visual skills at such a slow pace that they do not realize the vision they have is well bellow what is supposed to be. For example, when I worked with the Cubs, every year we would do eye exams on all the players, from the Rookie Leaguers up through the Major Leaguers. Every year as many as twenty five percent of the players would need a vision correction that would improve their vision two lines or more on the standard Snellen Acuity chart.
While many of those professional athletes had the physical skill to compensate for the decreased visual ability, it still compromised their game. Imagine how harmful it would be for an athlete just starting to hone their skills if they are not performing up to their physical or visual potential.
Therefore, the first thing I recommend is that each athlete on the team be required to have an annual comprehensive eye examination. This can be done by most any eye doctor; however, the American Optometric Association does have a section that is dedicated to doctors who have a special interest in sports medicine. These doctors should be aware of any special visual skills required to play the sport and can offer additional specialized testing and analysis.
The next thing I recommend is using the I-ON Eye Trainers to teach the hitter what it feels like to be looking at the right place at the right time so that when the ball crosses the plate in a faster setting he/she will have a better chance of hitting the ball. The instructions in the manual and on the DVD show a variety of drills that can be used with and without the I-ON to improve those skills.
Another way to benefit from the I-ON is in fielding practice. Take the inserts out of the middle of the lenses and put the I-ON Eye Trainers on. Now throw some ground balls to the player and let him or her see what it feels like to follow the ball all the way into their glove. This is a great tool for the infield and teaches them to be patient and not to look away before they have the ball in their glove and under control.
Once you have established these fundamentals in your practice schedule you should be spending about as much time as you need during practice to develop these skills. If you feel a particular player needs more, then I would recommend sending him or her to a sports vision specialist for more individualized training.
Also, in addition to working with the I-ON, there are some excellent vision drills that can be viewed at Get Focused. I would recommend them for all developing baseball and softball players.
Good luck, and keep your I-ON the ball!
Gregory S. Moore OD
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