Dr. Hannigan Attends Sports Vision Seminar
Dr. Hannigan attended a regional seminar earlier this month titled, “Assessment of the Athlete’s Visual System: Looking at Vision and Sports Performance.” This two-day seminar looked at the role vision plays in sports to give optometrists and vision therapists a better understanding of how they can evaluate visual development in athletes to help maximize their performance.
A small group of vision professionals gathered in Southport, Connecticut for the interactive event, which included evaluation and testing protocols for both teams and individual athletes. A college tennis player was brought in to provide a real-life example of testing and vision treatment options, which included a demonstration of vision exercises that teams can perform as a group. These exercises utilized low-tech vision therapy tools such as yoked prisms, bean bags, balance boards and blocks for the purpose of improving spatial awareness, perception, hand-eye coordination, peripheral vision and visualization – critical skills for athletes in any sport.
Attendees also learned about the importance of concussion pre-testing – a method of evaluating players on the field immediately after a head injury to determine whether it’s safe for them to return to the game.
Northampton Vision Specialists looks forward to incorporating more sports vision into our practice by working with both individual athletes and local teams in and around Western Massachusetts. Part of this work will include the baseline testing of players so that coaches are better able to assess their return to play readiness after a head injury.