Thursday, 23 January 2025
2:00 pm
In this workshop on football and sports vision performance, we will explore the unique visual demands associated with various positions on the field, grounded in the five pillars of the game: Throw, Catch, Block, Tackle, Kick. We will discuss how enhanced vision can significantly contribute to both injury prevention and overall performance improvement, highlighting the importance of visual skills to specific positions.
Additionally, we will demonstrate specific exercises and activities designed to train and enhance these visual skills across all positions and different levels of football from youth to the NFL, ensuring players are better equipped to meet the challenges of the game. By integrating sports vision training into practice, athletes can optimize their performance and reduce
the risk of injuries, ultimately unlocking their game.
Dr. Watt graduated from Brigham Young University with a BS in Exercise Science. He attended optometry school at Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was actively involved in the school programs, intramural sports and activities. He was the president of the Sports Vision Club, the Colorado State Club, and the National Student Liaison for OEPF. Dr. Watt did his externships at Child and Family Eyecare in Wichita, Kansas, and the Medical Group Hospital at Air Force Academy.
Dr. Watt never enjoyed reading growing up and school never came very easy to him. He saw his optometrist every year growing up, he never needed glasses and always had 20/20 vision. At the beginning of every school year he would rededicate himself to staying on top of the reading assignments given to him from his teachers. By the end of the first month of school he was behind in his reading assignments and deflated because once again he did not achieve his goal. Anytime that he would go to read or study he would typically fall asleep within 10-15 minutes of starting. These issues continued throughout middle school, high school, undergraduate, and halfway through optometry school.
It was in optometry school that he became aware that maybe it could be his eyes that were causing the problems with reading. During a class on binocular vision was the first time he saw a symptoms checklist that described much of what he experienced when reading. Right then and there he realized that he had an issue that had affected him through most of his life. At the age of twenty-six and halfway through optometry school he did vision therapy to correct the Convergence Insufficiency that he struggled with. It was right then when he committed to helping children and getting involved in vision therapy. No child should have to wait until they are twenty-six years old to resolve issues that can be corrected at a much earlier age. Dr. Watt is committed to helping children, so they do not have to struggle as he did.
