Have you ever tried to play a fast paced game of soccer with a thick pair of polycarbonate glasses on, or better yet, a pair of chunky goggles? What about trying to play baseball without good peripheral vision? Playing sports with glasses can be challenging, especially for kids.

Many kids and adults alike prefer to wear contact lenses for the convenience of easy wear, improved sharper focus, and clearer peripheral vision. Wearing contact lenses, especially while playing sports, can also prevent injury to the face if an elbow, kickball or shoe comes flying in your direction.

Although the kickball may present a threat of its own, you won’t be worrying about the damage jagged broken frames and lenses could do to your eyes and face when your glasses are crushed between your head and the ball. Running bases, jump shots, 100 meter sprints and face offs will all be much easier with contact lenses and more accurate, stable vision. Contact lenses tend to improve not only peripheral awareness, but also help with hand eye and eye foot coordination as well as depth perception.

If the athlete in your family is considering wearing contact lenses, talk your eye doctor about the best option for you. You may prefer to wear more breathable contact lenses or ones that limit protein deposits that may form when perspiration and tears mix in your eyes. Your eye doctor can perform a simple eye exam to determine your vision strength, and set you up with a contact lens prescription that will be perfect for playing sports.