Fall is here and sports season is officially in full swing.

Cleats are laced, uniforms fit and countless hours have been logged practicing in the backyard or driveway. But before the first whistle blows, it’s worth asking: Did we check everything?

We spend plenty of time making sure young athletes are physically ready. We schedule sports physicals, buy the right gear and map out strength training. But their eyes deserve that exact same attention.

Why Vision is the Ultimate Gear

An athlete’s eyes are hard at work the second the game starts. They are tracking a fast-moving ball, judging distances, scanning the court or field and reacting in milliseconds. According to the American Optometric Association¹, clear distance vision, depth perception, peripheral awareness and eye-hand coordination are just as important as any physical skill². This is precisely why kids need to learn to speak up for their vision.

If something changes, they need to know it’s not normal. Maybe the ball looks a little blurrier than last season. Maybe it’s harder to track under the lights or judge how far away a teammate is. Because vision changes happen slowly, kids often assume it’s just the way things are. Teaching them to notice when something feels off – and to tell a parent or coach – is a huge part of teaching them how to take care of their bodies.

Protecting the Vision They Rely On

For athletes who already wear glasses or contacts, the job isn’t done. Everyday glasses aren’t built to handle the impact of a game, and contact lenses offer zero physical protection. The American Academy of Pediatrics³ recommends sport-appropriate protective eyewear, tailored specifically to the demands of the game. Your optometrist’s office can help fit your athlete for the perfect protective eyewear.

We ask a lot of young athletes. We train them, strengthen them and teach them to listen to their bodies when something hurts. Let’s make sure their eyes get the same level of care.

This season, let’s keep vision in the playbook. If you haven’t already, book an annual comprehensive eye exam with an optometrist near you, and find the protective eyewear that will make a slam dunk.

For more information on the visual skills athletes rely on and how to keep their eyes safe, check out the American Optometric Association’s Sports & Performance Vision Resource Page.

References 

1. https://www.aoa.org/practice/specialties/sports-and-performance-vision
2. https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/vision-and-vision-correction/visual-acuity?
3. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/tips-tools/ask-the-pediatrician/Pages/does-my-child-need-eye-protection-for-sports.aspx

To the people answering questions, greeting patients at the door, helping them feel comfortable in the exam room, fitting glasses, teaching patients how to wear contact lenses, explaining insurance benefits and more… we want to thank you… not just today but all month! Paraoptometric Appreciation Month is a time to recognize all that you do. 

As a Paraoptometric, you are often the backbone of an optometric practice. You work behind the scenes and alongside Doctors of Optometry, helping each patient experience run smoothly from the moment they walk through the door. 

Your work deserves recognition, but it also deserves understanding.

Too many people do not realize that Paraoptometry is a skilled and valuable career within the world of eye care. Paraoptometric Appreciation Month is not only an opportunity to say thank you, but also to educate others about the important role paraoptometrics play in patient care and the profession of optometry. 

The American Optometric Association defines paraoptometrics as allied health professionals who assist Doctor of Optometry in providing a high level of eye and vision care. Their responsibilities can reach across nearly every corner of an optometric practice. Their role is varied, skilled and invaluable to an Optometrist. 

To get started in this important career, there are many pathways to becoming a paraoptometric.

The first begins surprisingly simply: start working in eye care. For the AOA’s entry-level Certified Paraoptometric (CPO) credential, eligible candidates can begin building the experience and knowledge necessary to pursue certification. From there, paraoptometrics can continue developing their education, experience and professional credentials as their careers grow. 

Certification can benefit both the paraoptometric and the practice in which they work. It demonstrates knowledge, professional development and a commitment to the field while helping build confidence in the care patients receive. 

The AOA Commission on Paraoptometric Certification offers four certifications:

1. Certified Paraoptometric (CPO) 
   An entry-level certification demonstrating an understanding of basic optometric terminology, practice procedures and patient care. 
2. Certified Paraoptometric Assistant (CPOA) 
   An intermediate certification for paraoptometrics with greater knowledge and experience in clinical and practice procedures. 
3. Certified Paraoptometric Technician (CPOT) 
   An advanced certification demonstrating proficiency in more technical and clinical aspects of optometric care. 
4. Certified Paraoptometric Coder (CPOC) 
   A certification focused specifically on coding, billing and reimbursement within an optometric practice. 

During Paraoptometric Appreciation Month, the Colorado Optometric Association encourages practices and patients to do more than simply say thank you. Take a moment to recognize the skill, care and dedication paraoptometrics bring to their practices and patients every day. 

To Colorado’s paraoptometrics, the work you do matters. The care you provide makes a difference. The profession of optometry is stronger because of you. 

If you are currently reading this through the haze of lingering back-to-school checklists, half-eaten snacks and a laundry pile that has declared its own sovereignty in your living room…take a deep breath. Other parents are right there with you.

In the mid-flight frenzy of preparing our children for the academic year ahead, one quiet, vital window into their development can so easily slip through the cracks: their vision.

We naturally assume we would notice if something were wrong. But here is the profound, heartbreaking truth keeping parents up at night: Children do not have another set of eyes for comparison. What they see every single day becomes their total, absolute normal – even when that normal is broken.

Imagine an earnest second-grader sitting in the middle row of a classroom. The letters on the smartboard are soft, blurred watercolor smudges. But she doesn’t raise her hand to complain. Why would she? She genuinely believes that is how the world is written for everyone.

Or consider the middle-schooler who comes home exhausted, rubbing his temples, quitting his reading assignment after ten minutes. He doesn’t say, “Mom, my binocular vision is struggling to converge on this page.” He internalizes the struggle. He quietly assumes the worst…I am just not smart. Reading is hard for me.

Kids Don’t Know What They Don’t Know

The American Academy of Pediatrics emphasizes that children rarely report visual deficits simply because, from their limited perspective, nothing has changed. If we wait for a child to ask for help, we are waiting for them to identify a problem they do not even know exists.

Uncorrected vision problems can affect more than a child’s ability to see clearly; they may affect learning, classroom participation, behavior and self-confidence.

Many of us check “vision exam” off our mental list when our child passes the brief 30-second distance screening at school or the pediatrician’s office. While public health vision screenings serve a noble purpose as a basic filter, they were never intended to replace a comprehensive medical evaluation.

The American Optometric Association highlights a critical distinction: a child can possess 20/20 visual acuity on a distant wall chart and still suffer from debilitating functional vision deficits.

Why Children Need a Comprehensive Eye Exam

Vision is an intricate, dynamic neuro-developmental process. A comprehensive examination conducted by a Doctor of Optometry evaluates the complete orchestration of the eye:

• Refractive Error: Correcting nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism.
• Binocular Vision & Alignment: How seamlessly the eyes team together as a dynamic pair.
• Accommodation: The speed and accuracy with which the eyes shift focus between desk work and distant screens.
• Ocular Health: A deep structural examination of the internal and external tissues of the eye.

To rely solely on a basic screening is to glance at the cover of a book and declare we have read its entire story.

As our children grow, the visual tax we place upon them scales exponentially. Middle and high schoolers navigate hours of complex digital interfaces, shifting between smartphones, laptops, and whiteboards – all while taking on the serious responsibility of learning to drive. Visual tracking, depth perception and peripheral awareness are not just academic tools. They are matters of safety and independence.

Eye Exams Are for the Whole Family!

And in the middle of pouring into our little ones, please remember: You matter too. Adult comprehensive eye care is a vital piece of preventative health, catching silent ocular conditions before they progress. When our children see us prioritizing our own health, we model a lifelong culture of self-care.

We cannot smooth out every rough road our children will walk this year. They will face difficult exams, heartbreaks and moments where growth requires painful struggle. But they should never have to struggle simply to see. A comprehensive eye exam is more than an appointment on a chaotic calendar. It is an act of fierce advocacy. It is giving your child the clarity they deserve so they can approach every moment with confidence.

Take a deep breath, clear the clutter, find an optometrist near you, and schedule those comprehensive eye exams for your family today. Because when our children see their best, they are empowered to be their best.

Clinical References

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “Keep an Eye on Your Child’s Vision.”
• American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), HealthyChildren.org. “Health Screenings at School.”
• American Optometric Association (AOA). “Why a Comprehensive Eye Exam Should Be First on Your Back-to-School Checklist.”