Vision is the most underrated skill that is being trained in elite athletes. In most sport (probably all sport), vision is the dominant sense. One would usually think that seeing clearly is all that is needed to make vision dominant. However, the vision skills that are needed to perform optimally in soccer are much more involved than only being able to see clearly. Think about it…Your eyes, and only your eyes, tell you where the ball is in space. Making use of visual information only, you have to judge the speed of the ball and its flight path, you then have to make some kind of projection or estimation of where the ball is going to be when it gets within catching distance of your hands. This all has to happen within a matter of milliseconds. You then have to get your feet to where the ball is estimated to be in space and get them around the ball so that the ball stays there. Elite athletic performers must therefore have an elite ability to process visual data quickly and make accurate predictions about what is about to happen. Pioneering coaches and Neuro Athletic certified coaches have opened their eyes to the brain’s untapped potential and are starting to implement strategies to help players increase their visual acuity.  

 

- Louisa Nicola, Clinical Neuroscientist & Neurophysiologist