Are regular glasses safe for basketball or soccer?

No — dress frames are not built for impact. Sports frames with impact-rated lenses are the standard for ball and contact sports.

What lenses work best for swimmers?

Ortho-K is the cleanest answer: clear vision all day with nothing worn in the water. Daily disposables under sealed goggles are the fallback.

Can my child do myopia control and sports?

Yes — sport is often the reason families choose Ortho-K, and scleral-style stability makes modern options game-proof.

What should I look for in sports eye protection?

Look for polycarbonate lenses in eyewear made for your specific sport. Polycarbonate is an impact-resistant plastic that also protects against UV rays, and regular glasses, sunglasses and contacts do not protect against injury. Sports goggles with polycarbonate lenses suit basketball, racquet sports and fielding in baseball or softball, and hockey and batting call for a helmet with an attached polycarbonate face guard or mask. Most protective eyewear can be made to your prescription; sports frames and prescription goggles are fitted in the practice's optical.

Which sports cause the most eye injuries?

The National Eye Institute rates baseball and softball, basketball, fencing, hockey, mountain biking, paintball, and racquetball and squash as high-risk sports for eye injury, with soccer, tennis, golf, badminton and tackle football at moderate risk. Eye injuries are a major cause of blindness in U.S. children, most of them happen during sports, and the right protective eyewear can prevent 9 out of 10 sports-related eye injuries. An eye injury is also a common cause of retinal detachment (the retina pulling away from the back of the eye), which can cause permanent vision loss if not treated right away, so a blow to the eye that leaves pain or changed vision needs same-day care.

Medically reviewed by Dr. Bijan Cohenmehr, OD Last reviewed October 24, 2026

Sports & Performance Vision

Your sport asks more of your eyes than your desk does.

Athletes live on contrast, depth and reaction time — and lose all three to the wrong correction. This page covers the choices that matter: protection that meets impact standards, lenses that survive sweat and motion, and Ortho-K for game days with nothing on the eye at all.

Book appointmentOr call 310-828-2010 Accepted insurance

Protection: Impact-rated sports frames
In motion: Daily lenses that stay put
Lens-free days: Ortho-K — worn at night
For kids: Myopia control built around sport

The choices

Match the correction to the sport.

Impact sports: Sports frames with impact-rated lenses protect eyes that regular dress frames never will — fitted in our optical, prescription included.
Water and board sports: Ortho-K shines here: correction happens overnight, so there is nothing to lose in the surf or fog under goggles.
Field and court sports: Daily disposable contacts handle sweat, dust and the occasional finger better than monthlies, and you get a fresh lens every game day.
Precision sports: Small uncorrected astigmatism that desk life forgives will cost you at distance. Precise refraction is a performance tool.
Young athletes: Sport is the classic reason kids reject glasses; Ortho-K and daytime soft options keep correction and myopia control in play at once.

The athlete’s package

One visit covers the season.

Precise refraction, measured for distance and motion
Sports frames and prescription goggles from the optical
Daily-lens fitting with spares for the bag
Ortho-K for lens-free competition — $1,500 total

Book a sports vision exam

Common questions

Sports vision, answered.

Anything else, call the office at 310-828-2010.

No — dress frames are not built for impact. Sports frames with impact-rated lenses are the standard for ball and contact sports.
Ortho-K is the cleanest answer: clear vision all day with nothing worn in the water. Daily disposables under sealed goggles are the fallback.
Yes — sport is often the reason families choose Ortho-K, and scleral-style stability makes modern options game-proof.
Look for polycarbonate lenses in eyewear made for your specific sport. Polycarbonate is an impact-resistant plastic that also protects against UV rays, and regular glasses, sunglasses and contacts do not protect against injury. Sports goggles with polycarbonate lenses suit basketball, racquet sports and fielding in baseball or softball, and hockey and batting call for a helmet with an attached polycarbonate face guard or mask. Most protective eyewear can be made to your prescription; sports frames and prescription goggles are fitted in the practice's optical.
The National Eye Institute rates baseball and softball, basketball, fencing, hockey, mountain biking, paintball, and racquetball and squash as high-risk sports for eye injury, with soccer, tennis, golf, badminton and tackle football at moderate risk. Eye injuries are a major cause of blindness in U.S. children, most of them happen during sports, and the right protective eyewear can prevent 9 out of 10 sports-related eye injuries. An eye injury is also a common cause of retinal detachment (the retina pulling away from the back of the eye), which can cause permanent vision loss if not treated right away, so a blow to the eye that leaves pain or changed vision needs same-day care.

Sports vision near you

12222 Wilshire Blvd, on the Santa Monica border.

West Los Angeles Brentwood Santa Monica Westwood Beverly Hills Culver City Pacific Palisades West Hollywood Marina del Rey Newport Beach

Also consider

Next step

Season starting soon?

One visit with a Los Angeles optometrist sorts protection, correction and spares — before the first whistle.

Book a sports vision exam Or call 310-828-2010