INSPO Fitness Journal July 2017

Winning is in
SIGHT
Optometrist reveals the
key to improving sporting
performance.
Have you ever wondered why some
people seem to have a natural
sporting edge? Almost as if the game
moves in slow motion for them, allowing
them to maintain impeccable focus and
precision.
It’s the kind of focus that allows Roger
Federer to see a ball flying towards him at
200km/hour from 20 meters away and hit
it back, when the average person would be
lucky to even see the ball coming.
While it may seem superhuman, studies
have proven that this superior visual accuracy
is often a result of a practice known as
Vision Training.
“From hand-eye coordination to peripheral
vision, sight has a huge impact on
sporting performance,” explains Paterson
Burn Optometrists Sports Vision specialist,
Ryan O’Connor.
“If you’re practising and training but don’t
seem to be progressing, an underlying vision
problem could be the cause.”
The eyes have it: Your vision could be
hindering your performance, says Paterson
Burn Optometrists’ Sports Vision Specialist,
Ryan O’Connor.
Common signs of vision problems among
athletes include inconsistent performance,
such as performance changing between day
and night, trouble focusing on moving objects,
and a gradual loss of focus during a game.
“While many athletes and coaches put
these performance problems down to a lack
of practise or an ‘off day,’ very few stop and
think that their vision could be the root of
the problem,” Ryan cautions.
“I’ve seen athletes who have been frustrated
by non-optimal performance for years and
have tried all sorts of solutions, without ever
considering having their vision checked.”
The good news for athletes is that Vision
Training works to combat these performance
impairments, often with rapid and noticeable
improvements.
“Vision Training equips athletes with
training tools to help them to identify problems
in their game and improve their visual
abilities” says Ryan, who administers sports
vision training for professional and amateur
athletes across the Waikato region.
Eye on the ball: A keen rugby player himself,
Ryan has a passion for helping athletes
optimise their vision for better performance.
Advertorial
The process typically begins with Ryan
visiting a team training session or watching
an athlete in action to see how they
perform. This is followed by a comprehensive
eye exam, the result of which guides
Ryan in developing a tailored training
programme.
“Every programme I put together is different,”
he explains. “Each exercise is tailored
to the individual’s needs, sporting code and
problem areas.”
Sessions can include pattern recognition
exercises to improve visual memory,
training for improving peripheral vision
and reactions, and completing simple vision
tasks under increased stress to replicate high
pressure situations.
Programmes typically span 10 weeks
and include a combination of sessions at a
Paterson Burn Optometrist’s practice and
at-home sessions.
“Athletes often have very busy schedules
so we do our best to ensure the programme
can fit easily into their everyday lives.”
While he won’t promise his patients
Federer-like sporting domination at the
end of their training, Ryan is confident
in the power of Sports Vision training to
improve performance and overall game
satisfaction.
“You don’t have to be an Olympic level
athlete to benefit from vision training. A 10-
week programme can make a huge difference
in performance at any level.”
BLUE
CARD
introduced to
club rugby
Concussion is currently
one of the biggest talking
points in the national
game of rugby. As a result,
provincial unions, in
association with New
Zealand Rugby, are
introducing the Blue Card
Initiative into the game.
The Blue Card Initiative is to assist and
ensure players’ welfare is a priority. If
a referee suspects a player has suffered
from concussion, that player will be issued a
blue card by a blue card-trained referee.
The player will then follow the Graduated
Return to Play protocol and must be cleared
by one of the participating GPs before they
can take the field again.
Referees have completed a thorough
training session with a medical professional
to help identify symptoms of a concussion.
“Referees are not doctors, so they are
not diagnosing a concussion they are just
suspecting a concussion to that player,” says
Waikato Rugby Union operation manager
Bill Heslop.
For some players concussion has affected
their careers on and off the park and a few
have even seen their careers cut short.
“It is a great initiative, it is clearly an
issue that needs to be taken more seriously
and our referees have been great throughout
the communication and education process,”
says Waikato Rugby Union referee education
officer Michael Winter.
“Referees will ensure player safety is paramount.
If they see a player that has suffered
a knock to the head, the referee will make the
decision to whether that player can remain
on the field or not. From June 3 referees
were able to issue suspected players with a
blue card and that player will be required
to follow the Graduated Return to Play
protocol.”
Grades affected by this initiative are the
Premiership, Championship, Division 1,
Under 85s and the Women’s competitions
throughout Waikato.
46 INSPO – FITNESS JOURNAL JULY 2017