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what is sports training?

Managing the eye/vision health and performance of patients involved in sports or other physically demanding activities. Sports Vision Training can help an athlete take their game to the next level by further developing and improving the essential visual skills needed to make split-second decisions in their sport or activity.

This works on enhancing one's vision abilities, such as hand-eye coordination, tracking, focusing, reaction time, and peripheral vision. There are a number of tests that a sports vision eye doctor can do to help identify and address visual strengths and weaknesses. How well can their eyes perform, beyond a basic ability to see letters and objects clearly on a standard eye chart? The test results are analyzed to create a vision profile specific to the athlete.

what visual skills are improved?

dynamic visual acuity is the ability to move our eyes from spot to spot while maintaining focus on the object we are looking at. Improving eye tracking advances the athlete’s reaction time, speed, and fluidity within their sport. Fast, fluid, binocular vision with coordinated eye movements and smooth eye tracking skills are essential to success in sports.

eye focusing (also known as accommodation) refers to the flexibility, strength, and accuracy of the eye focusing system. Accommodative skills allow the athlete to keep objects in focus as well as quickly change focus during the game. Training can enhance focusing power, agility, and speed.

eye tracking is the ability to move our eyes from spot to spot while maintaining focus on the object we are looking at. Improving eye tracking advances the athlete’s reaction time, speed, and fluidity within their sport. Fast, fluid, binocular vision with coordinated eye movements and smooth eye tracking skills are essential to success in sports.

visual reaction time refers to the amount of time it takes for environmental stimuli to travel from our vision system into our motor system to produce a physical response or reaction. Improving visual reaction time helps the athlete quicken their response time by training the brain to work more efficiently.

peripheral vision refers to our side vision. Normal field of vision extends from the center of gaze (what you are looking at) to 90 degrees on each side of the body. Vertically, normal field of vision is 50 degrees above your center of gaze and 60 degrees below. Although it is possible for some athletes to have or develop peripheral vision beyond the normal range, improving peripheral vision and awareness helps give the athlete a wider view of the field. This allows a better perception of action, motion, space, and objects to the sides of your eyes and body without having to move your eyes in that direction.

Eye-hand coordination determines how well the athlete coordinates control of their eye movement with their hand movement. Improving this skill increases the athlete’s ability to guide reaching, passing, catching, and hitting within their sport.

depth perception refers to the eyes’ ability to perceive the relative distance of objects in one’s visual field, such as where the athlete's body is in relation to other objects or people. Improving depth perception will allow the athlete to quickly and accurately judge the distance between themselves and the object (e.g., ball, out-of-bound lines, obstacles) or people.

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Dr. Jacqueline Tran-Pastore

Board Certified Optometrist

Dr. Tran moved to Brevard County in 2003 with her husband, who grew up in Rockledge and Merritt Island.  They started their own practice, Pastore-Tran Eyecare (pteyecare.com) and have been serving Brevard County since. Her practice areas of interest are family eye care, contact lenses, and sports vision training.  She strives to give each patient the personal attention and care they need.

In addition to spending time with her family, her outside interests include traveling, boating, surfing, and playing sports. 

Education:

  • University of Florida Graduate

  • Doctor of Optometry from Nova Southeastern University

member:

  • American Optometric Association

  • Florida Optometric Association

  • International Sports Vision Association

  • Brevard Optometric Association

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