SPORTS MEDICINE PROGRAM – Sports Vision Program

There is More Than Meets the Eye

Text and photos by Phoebe Catherine Walker

As early as the 1960s, professional athletes in the thriving United States went through the thorough procedure of measuring and enhancing vision capabilities and skills, motor and cognitive skills. Considered a “trade secret” at that time, this notion of further developing sensory integration proved beneficial especially to players of target sports such as Billiards, Bowling, and Archery, amongst others. Being the first in Southeast Asia to adapt it in 1996, the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) has utilized this method of therapeutic training for the candidates of the 26th Southeast Asian Games this coming November 11 – 22, 2011. Finally under the robust administration of Mr. Jose Cojuangco Jr., the new Sports Medicine Program has officially been launched to further assist in athletes’ preparation.

The series of Sports Vision Testing headed by Dr. Charlie Ho and his team of volunteers provides a perfect avenue to eliminate these problems the athletes endure throughout their sporting career. Currently the Director of the Sports Vision Institute of the Philippines, Dr. Ho graduated with a doctorate’s degree at the Manila Central University. A sports enthusiast, he has dedicated his career to innovating, designing and developing sports vision training equipment for use of our National Athletes. Furthermore he serves as sports vision trainer of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and Ateneo de Manila University Table Tennis Varsity team.

 

In partnership with POC, the initial task is to conduct preliminary screening to all the SEAG-bound athletes, following the Olympic Standard of Testing. Besides measuring the clearness of their vision, the medical equipment used also tests peripherals, for vision distortion, color blindness, visual memory, and speed of recognition. Already the efficient services of Dr. Ho have been offered to the sports of Table Tennis, Fencing, Cycling, Wakeboarding, Swimming, Petanque, Soft Tennis, Karatedo, Gymnastics, Bowling and Sepak Takraw. The preliminary phase of sports vision testing is still on-going at the POC office in Ultra, Pasig from now until October. The succeeding steps would involve more personal sessions with the “visually-problematic” athletes in order to individually improve weaknesses that may affect their performance at the international meet.