This is Australia’s year for sporting success. As we don our green and gold in support of the Matildas – carrying our hopes and dreams with them through the FIFA Women’s World Cup –  this country is ready once again to demonstrate our competitiveness on the world stage. This exciting opportunity comes off the back of the Australian women’s cricket team retaining the Ashes for 2023. The remainder of the year looks set to be just as thrilling, with the NAB AFLW competition recommencing on September 1st for its eighth season and our men’s and women’s teams busily preparing for the FIBA Basketball World Cup from August 25th.

But no athlete has ever started at the top, and though our national teams make us proud, so too do the sporting achievements of the next-generation Sam Kerrs and Ash Bartys. Aspiring athletes deserve the best possible chance to achieve their dreams, including the best vision. Clear vision helps young sportspeople focus on their goals with clarity. If the netball hoop is looking a little blurry, or it’s become difficult to determine friend from foe on the soccer field, then it might be time to book a bulk billed eye exam at The Optical Superstore to see what we can do to make your vision match-ready.

You’re Not Alone:
What do cricketer Daniel Vettori, swimmer Mack Horton, footballer Mason Cox, and basketballer Horace Grant all have in common? They didn’t let poor eyesight hold them back in pursuing their sporting ambitions.

Glasses are an integral part of normal life for a large number of people across the world, so why are they so absent in active environments? Do most athletes just have magically perfect vision? No! Luckily for glasses-wearers, there’s a secret solution – a near-invisible lens which can correct vision without the added complications of bulky specs on the sports ground. Contact lenses are used by sportspeople across the board; from volleyball to baseball, from amateur to professional. Perfect for levelling the playing field and ensuring you can focus entirely on the game ahead.

We Love Glasses, But…:
Although clear vision is essential, there are some significant challenges that come with running your favourite pair of specs around the basketball court or soccer field.

• Weather conditions can be a huge factor in outdoor sports. Whether raining and muddy, hot and dusty, or freezing and bright, your performance is continually helped or hindered by elements outside your control. One thing you can control? Your prescription eyewear. While glasses lenses might reflect glare, catch dust or be obscured by raindrops – leaving you continually cleaning them rather than keeping careful attention on the contest – contact lenses require no such in-game maintenance. With contact lenses, you can play your best, undaunted by rain, hail, or shine.
• Sport is all about movement. Unfortunately, sometimes vigorous activity can jostle or even dislodge glasses from your face, leaving your vision compromised mid-game. As well as this, sweat might cause the frame to slip much easier, an annoying distraction to contest with. With contact lenses you can be confident your vision stays stable, unaffected by any running, spinning, and jumping your sport requires.

• In the midst of a high-action game, a good perspective on what’s going on around you is vital for making quick and clever strategic decisions. This is easier with clear peripheral vision; however, such vision is often obscured by bothersome glasses rims. With contact lenses, an obstruction-free field of view means opponents can’t be hidden behind intrusive frames, elevating your game and increasing safety as you’re sure not to run into unnoticed danger.
• Anyone who’s ridden a bicycle – child or adult – knows the importance of helmets. In fact, many sports have similar protective gear to ensure fun isn’t had at the cost of your safety. However, wearing glasses with this equipment can prove uncomfortable, and discourage use of these vital pieces of gear. Contact lenses are the perfect solution to this dilemma – eyewear which doesn’t impede on important sports gear. Not to mention earphones and headphones too, one of the most essential items for going for a run or to the gym.

• Breaking your favourite pair of glasses is the worst feeling in the world. Not only have you lost a key element of your style and your ticket to crystal clear vision, but the time, effort, and money invested in acquiring the spectacles. Sports – both contact and non-contact – pose many risks for damaging and destroying glasses, as well as risking injury for yourself, teammates, and competitors from impact or sharp edges. Whether it’s the rough and tumble of a contact sport, or simple accidents during non-contact activities, contact lenses help alleviate the danger of a battered pair of glasses.

So, glasses are perfect in most situations, but, as we’ve learnt, sports fields are not often one of them. Along to save the day are contact lenses. Don’t let hesitation to try something new get in the way of pursuing your sporting ambitions. Whether you’re trying to take your game to the next level or just in it for fun, book an appointment at The Optical Superstore today to see if contact lenses are the key to unlocking your best performance.

All Eyes on You: 
Athletes might feel invincible in their chosen field, but poor eyesight has the potential to become a significant complication when relying only on glasses. The benefits of contact lenses for sports are vast: better peripheral vision and vision stability, less interference from the weather and safety equipment, avoidance of glasses-related damage and injury, and an overall better experience.

At your next appointment, ask the optometrist if contact lenses might suit your chosen sport, keeping in mind that some – such as water sports – might require alternative solutions. And even if your sight seems perfectly clear, a regular bulk billed eye test is essential for early detection of vision issues. Healthy eyes ensure aspiring athletes have the best possible chance of achieving their goals.

So, as you tune into the FIFA Women’s World Cup this month, don’t be fooled by an apparent lack of prescription eyewear. Contact lenses are the invisible option, used by professional sportspeople all over the world, demonstrating that poor vision should never stand in the way of your dreams.

Book a bulk billed eye test at The Optical Superstore and speak to an experienced optometrist about whether contact lenses are the answer to fulfilling your sporting ambitions.