ISVA 2020 Conference

Establishing a Sports Vision Practice – Tips from the Pros

Jennifer Stewart, OD
Frederick R. Edmunds, O.D., F.A.A.O.
Jarrod Davies, OD, FCOVD
Steve Hitzeman, OD

This day long lecture and hands-on workshop will introduce emerging sports vision providers to the visual performance evaluation and performance vision training protocols, techniques, equipment and materials necessary to establish a sports vision practice. It will also provide participants with the opportunity to try various evaluation and training techniques and equipment under the guidance of experienced colleagues. Participants will perform, as well as administer, vision training techniques and equipment. Established sports vision experts will guide participants through their discovery.

Advancing Your Sports Vision Practice

Alex Andrich, OD, FCOVD
David Biberdorf, OD
Todd Daniels, MS, ATC, LMT, CSCS
Charles Shidlofsky, OD, FCOVD
Donald Teig, OD, FAAO

This day long lecture and hands-on workshop is designed for the Sports Vision professional who is ready to take his/her sports vision practice to the next level. It is recommendedfor those professionals who are already conducting specific vision skill testing and actively engagedin working with some athletes and/or teams.

Leading authorities in sports vision assessment and training will provide instruction on advanced vision testing and training concepts and techniques in sports vision practice. Participants will have an opportunity to enhance learningaboutvision testing techniques and equipment under the guidance of experienced colleagues.Additional topics covered includemarketing of a sports vision practice, vision skills for specific sports, and advanced concussion therapies.

Ocular Nutrition to Increase Sports Performance

Jeffrey R. Anshel, OD, FAAO

We all realize that in order to perform at our peak abilities, we need proper nourishment. Feeding our cells the right balance of and best quality of nutrients is important in all aspects of our lives. The “Twinkie Defense” isn’t going to fly in this instance! This is especially important when one is expected to perform at their maximum abilities playing sports. Studies have shown that proper nutrition for maximum visual abilities can improve sports performance. This presentation will review the science on ocular nutrition for maximum sports performance.

Vision Therapy for the Improvement of Athletic Performance

Paul A. Harris, OD, FCOVD, FACBO, FAAO, FNAP

Dr. Harris will present the framework within which his work with athletes, from novice to the professional level, takes place. Sports vision enhancement is grounded in the fundamentals of behavioral vision care, but takes those principles much further in the specific application of meeting the unmet needs of the athlete. What drives all of this is the fundamental understanding that the primary purpose of the visual process is the direction of action; the direction of movement. Helping the athlete take in more visual information, with less effort and energy, will lead them to take better and more efficient actions in competition, allowing them to rise up the rankings and simply be better athletes.

Athletic Trainer and Optometrist - The bridge to developing a vibrant sports vision practice

Todd Daniels, MS, ATC, LMT, CSCS

Athletic Trainer, Banner University Medical Group and University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ

Athletic trainers are often described as the “hub of the wheel” in the sports medicine team working with athletes. They are in constant communication with athletes, coaches, physicians, consultants, strength and conditioning staff, parents, teachers, and administrators. If you are interested in adding sports vision to your practice, or advancing the sports-related services you already offer, developing a relationship with your local athletic trainers can bridge the gap to the athlete’s world. Just as the athletic trainer’s role spans from injury prevention to comprehensive rehabilitation, they can help you develop a program across the entire spectrum of an athlete’s vision needs. In this session we will walk through all the entry points for working with athletic trainer to develop a comprehensive sports vision program from pre-season screening to advanced sports performance.

Essential Referral Strategies to Growing Your Sports Vision Practice

Evan Engel, VP, Sales & Marketing, EyecarePro
Adam Clarin, OD
Anne Hanna, OD, FCOVD

What are some  steps and strategies for targeted referral marketing for sports vision?  Evan will be joined by Drs. Clarin and Hanna, who will share their personal experiences and results in building up a referral network and developing  strategic relationships from the perspective of a new (Hanna) and established (Clarin) practice.  This presentation will walk through some of the steps, efforts, and resources required to effectively build your sports vision practice, while also hearing about learnings and results from these two practices.

Performance Vision - Evolving the Practice of Vision Care in a Digital World

Khizer R. Khaderi, M.D., MPH

Founder, CEO of Vizzario Inc.  Adjunct Associate Professor at Stanford; Founder/Director, Stanford Center for Performance Vision

We are living at a time where technology can enable many opportunities in eye care.  How do we evolve our practices to address unmet needs in vision performance and vision rehabilitation?  How do get more eye care providers to recognize and adopt performance vision in eye care?  How do we meet the needs of athletes in traditional sports, as well as Esports?    Dr. Khaderi will address these questions, as well as share his experiences in developing the Stanford Center for Performance Vision.

A multidisciplinary approach to optimizing athletic performance after brain injury

Tanya Polec, OD,  Mo Mortazavi, MD

Drs. Mortazavi and Polec will discuss the diagnosis and treatment for sports concussions using a multidisciplinary team approach, including case reviews. The following will be covered: visual dysfunction in athletes following concussion, vision and body assessment for optimal function and performance, exertional rehabilitation staging and vestibulocular rehabilitation, and common residual visual deficits in athletes.

Integration of Sports Vision Programs

Dyana L. Bullinger, MS, CSCS, USAW

The best programming in the world will have little effect if the athletes will not or cannot do it. The programming must accommodate the athlete or team’s needs, availability, and increase buy-in. Ms. Bullinger will discuss how sports vision is integrated for athletes and military operators at the United States Air Force Academy. There are several constraints at the Academy that guide programming. Ms. Bullinger will discuss different ways to accommodate these limitations and increase efficiency to allow as much training as possible.

Experiences with the Gold Medal Volleyball Teams: Key things that I learned that can be applied to any sport

Robert Sanet OD, FCOVD

Dr. Sanet had the honor of providing Optometric Sports Vision Enhancement Training (OSVET) for the USA Men's Olympic Volleyball teams. The Head Coach recognized and publicly acknowledged the contribution of the OSVET to the team winning two Gold Medals. Dr. Sanet will share the crucial key underlying vision concepts for what he did and will share the evaluation and VT procedures that he performed.

Vision Performance in Para Sport

Kristine Dalton, OD, PhD, MCOptom, FAAO, FBCLA

Dr. Dalton will introduce the Para sport movement including a brief history of the Paralympic games, followed by a discussion centered on the classification of athletes with vision impairments for competition. Historically all Para sport athletes competing in the Paralympic games have been classified for competition using the same criteria, regardless of the sport they play.  There is a need to develop evidence-based sport-specific classification criteria that measure aspects of vision important to performance in each unique sport.  Dr. Dalton has been conducting this research in both Para Alpine skiing and Para Nordic skiing since 2015, and will present findings from her research along with findings from research in other sports such as Shooting Para Sport.  Dr. Dalton will highlight what aspects of vision appear to be most important for performance in each sport, and how these aspects of vision differ between sports.

Talk & Trial

We are very fortunate that we now have access to some incredible technologies that allow us to evaluate and help an athlete enhance his/her visual skills and performance in their sport. Take advantage of this opportunity to spend dedicated time with our exhibitors, learning about and gaining first-hand experience with a vast array of products, programs, and services that can help you build and enhance your sports vision practice.

The Role of Dynamic Vision in Elite Performers: Assessment and Rehabilitation of the Vestibular Ocular Reflex

Shelly Massingale, PT, MPT

This presentation will address the importance of assessing dynamic vision in athletes and sports officials, both at baseline and following an injury.  Dynamic vision is the process that allows us to perceive targets clearly while the head is in motion.  When we assess dynamic vision, we are examining the function of the vestibular ocular reflex (VOR), which important for all of us as we move around in our world.  This session will explain how the VOR can be assessed both with and without computerized technology, how the VOR can be re-trained after injury and how to enhance the VOR in the healthy athlete.  It will also review recent literature studies on normative values for VOR function for those in our community and for elite level athletes.  Demonstration of testing and exercises for the athlete will be presented to attendees.