How did Sports Vision Get started in the United States?
Optometry has been interested in visual function and visual performance for well over 75 years. Protective eye wear had been an issue long before OSHA came out with standards for lens quality. Racket sports and golf have created severe eye injuries for years. In the early and mid 1960’s the East German Olympic Organization started looking at ways to enhance athletic performance. One of the many areas they worked with was vision. At or about the same time United States Air Force was looking at ways to use eye tracking to enhance fighter pilot performance. By the mid to late 1970’s the United States was starting to look at athletes visual performance skills seriously. By the early 1980’s the American Optometric Association started a Sports Vision Section. Other Sports Vision Organizations arose with a few years of that date. The American Optometric Association sports Vision Section was involved in evaluating and treating U.S. Olympic hopefuls and team members. I was proud to be a member
