| Sumario: | Athletes looking for ways to improve their performance focus primarily on physical training regimens. Sports vision therapy is a small but growing field. It has the potential to impact sports performance by enhancing visual skills used in sports and is becoming an integral component of athlete training. This study examines whether daily exercises can improve three types of visual skills: depth perception, peripheral vision, and visual reaction time. Methods: Using an IRB-approved protocol, 45 children aged 9-14 participating in sanctioned recreational sports teams were baseline tested by either an optometrist, an optical technician, or an occupational therapist specialized in vision therapy. Testing included the Wayne Saccadic Fixator board for peripheral vision, the Howard Dolman test for depth perception, and the King-Devick test for visual reaction time. Participants were divided randomly into 3 groups, each of which was trained in a single visual skill. Daily 12-minute exercise compliance was overseen by parents who were instructed in exercise performance. After four weeks of daily exercises, all parameters were retested by the same team of professionals. Results: For each visual skill group, approximately 90% of the participants experienced improvement in the skill in which they were trained. Additionally, 60% of those trained in peripheral vision showed improvement in all three skills, while fewer than 35% of those trained in depth perception or reaction time improved in the other skills. Conclusion: This high level of improvement validates the choice of the exercises for performance enhancement and supports the efficacy of vision therapy on visual skill level.
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