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Sports
A Little Prevention Goes a Long Way
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Injuries are a risk we all take when participating in sports. Sprained ankles, broken bones, bruises – they are all par for the course.
So are injuries to the eye. In fact, it is estimated that approximately 40,000 eye injuries occur in the United States during sports or recreational activities each year, some of which will lead to irreversible vision loss. That’s an eye-related emergency room visit every 13 minutes. The vast majority of these injuries occur in athletes under the age of 25.
However, 90% of these injuries are preventable with the proper use of existing eye protection on the playing field.
As spring sports gear up, make sure you protect the sight of yourself and your team by keeping street eyewear off the playing field. Conventional frames and lenses often do not meet the minimum requirements for impact resistance in most sports, which can turn a small collision into a sight-threatening injury.
There are well-defined standards for protective eyewear for the playing field. The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) sets standards for protective eyewear in many of the top American sports. When shopping for products for your athlete, make sure the equipment conforms to the following ASTM specifications:
| ASTM Standard | Sport |
| Baseball – Batting / Base Running | ASTM Standard F910 (Face Guard Attached to the Helmet) |
| Baseball – Fielding | ASTM Standard F803 For Baseball (ASTM Specifies Age Ranges) |
| Softball – Batting / Base Running | ASTM Standard F910 (face Guard Attached to Helmet) |
| Softball – Fielding | ASTM Standard F803 for Baseball (ASTM Specifies Age Ranges) |
| Basketball | ASTM Standard F803 for Basketball (ASTM Specifies Age Ranges) |
| Field Hockey | ASTM Standard F803 for Women’s Lacrosse |
| Ice Hockey | ASTM Standard F513 Face Mask On Helmet |
| Ice Hockey – Goalie | ASTM Standard F1587 Face Mask On Helmet |
| Street Hockey | ASTM Standard F513 Face Mask On Helmet (Must be HECC or CSA Certified) |
| Men’s Lacrosse | NOCSAE Face Mask Attached to Helmet |
| Women’s Lacrosse | ASTM Standard F803 For Women’s Lacrosse |
| Squash | ASTM Standard F803 For Women’s Lacrosse |
| Racquetball | ASTM Standard F803 For Racquetball |
| Paintball | ASTM Standard F1776 |
| Air Rifle | ANSI Z87+ and/or the Military Ballistic Test For Eye Armor |
| BB Gun | ANSI Z87+ and/or the Military Ballistic Test For Eye Armor |
| Full Contact Martial Arts | Not Available / Not Permitted In The Sport (Contraindicated For Functionally One-Eyed Athletes) |
| Boxing | Not Available / Not Permitted In The Sport (Contraindicated For Functionally One-Eyed Athletes) |
| Fencing | Protector with Neck Bib |
| Cricket | ASTM Standard F803 for Baseball |
| Soccer | ASTM Standard F803 For Any Sport (No Specific ASTM Standard Yet Developed For Soccer) |
| Football | Polycarbonate Eye Shield Attached to Helmet Mounted Wire Face Mask |
| Tennis | ASTM Standard F803 or CSA Standard P400 |
| Volleyball | ASTM Standard F803 for Basketball |
| Golf | Streetwear / Fashion Eyewear with Polycarbonate or Trivex™ Lenses |
| Water Polo | Polycarbonate Swim Goggles |
| Badminton | ASTM Standard F803 or CSA Standard P400 |
| Paddle Tennis | ASTM Standard F803 or CSA Standard P400 |
| Handball | ASTM Standard F803 or CSA Standard P400 |
| Fishing | Streetwear / Fashion Eyewear with Polycarbonate or Trivex™ Lenses |
| Bicycling | Helmet Plus Streetwear / Fashion Eyewear with Polycarbonate or Trivex™ Lenses |
| Swimming | Standard Swim Goggles |
| Wrestling | Not Available / Not Permitted In The Sport |
| Skiing | Fashion Eyewear with Polycarbonate or Trivex™ Lenses |
| Diving | Standard Swim Goggles |
| Track & Field | Fashion Eyewear with Polycarbonate or Trivex™ Lenses |
| Gymnastics | Fashion Eyewear with Polycarbonate or Trivex™ Lenses |
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