It’s one of my favorite times of the year, the NFL combines, which are being held in Indianapolis.  This is where we get to see how well NFL prospects compare with each other on specific tasks and drills.

One thing still missing is “the eyes”.  I really believe in the next 10 years you will begin to see an eye test on the list, and my feeling is that the particular test will be the Detailed Vision Zone.

The NFL combines test how fast a player runs, how much he can lift, how quick he can go through a drill, how high he can jump up from a standing position and how far he can jump out.  Some players are blessed with more speed, some with more strength and some with more quickness.  Click here to see some results.

Vision is a great predictor on which athletes have the tools that it takes to compete at the next level, professional sports.  In See To Play, I break vision down to the basic components.  Visual acuity is the first big factor and detailed vision zone is the next.  The athletes that win in these comparative tests will be more likely to move to the next level.

The readers of See To Play are learning about this first and will understand it even more than others as it unfolds in the sports world.  Nike is so in tuned to vision that they’ve even developed a whole system geared to train athletes visually.

See first, be first!

That's right, professional soccer has returned for another season in Raleigh, just like it has throughout the country.

Today I had the honor of checking the eyes of the Raleigh Railhawks during their preseason physicals.  It looks like we've got a great group of athletes to compete this season!

Many of these athletes also have the hopes of passing through this minor league stop as they move up to the MLS.  As a matter of fact, the are several past Railhawks that are currently up in the majors.

Check out the teams website on this link to learn more.

I hope everyone had a great Valetine's Day.

So the big question...did your love's eyes' pupils dilate when he or she looked at you?

Researchers have tested that exact question.  Most studies have suggested that when we look at something or someone that we find appealing or attractive...be it food or our love..our pupils dilate (or get larger) ever so slightly. 

The majority of opinion is that, not only do the people who we are attracted to notice that our pupils dilate when we look at them, but they also find us more attractive because, by our pupils, we found them attractive to begin with...bringing us to the age old Belladona effect which you can google to find out even more.

One of my favorite classes in undergrad was non-verbal communication.  The body tells a lot.  The eyes tell even more.

Happy Valentines!

I’m very excited that Rod Brind’ Amour sent me something today to add to the “What They’re Saying” section on my website.  He is the most dedicated and hardest working athlete that I’ve had the privilege of knowing.  Not only that, he is such a good human being because he makes everyone around him become their best.

But, far greater than getting his words about working with me was the fact that he let you know about his eye condition, keratoconus, which is astigmatism “gone wild”.

Astigmatism occurs when the cornea, the front outside dome over the colored part of our eye, has a cone shape, like a football instead of rounded like a basketball.

Keratoconus occurs when that cone shape continues to push forward.  (I liken it to the story of Pinocchio’s nose that continued to grow forward when he told a lie.) Keratoconus can stay quiet for a long time or not move at all.  Most begin to change because that is their nature.  Eventually, the cone can push so far forward that the cornea starts to scar and ultimately requires a corneal transplant surgery to avoid blindness.

When we diagnosed Rod’s keratoconus, we fit him with special contact lenses that were designed to keep his corneas from moving forward.  In most people, we use hard or gas permeable contacts.  We couldn’t use those with Rod because he is an athlete and they would fall out every time he got hit.  So, we chose a lens for him that was hard in the center and soft on the outside.  This gave him lenses designed to keep his corneas stable while also allowing for him to play hockey.

Like most keratoconic patients, Rod’s condition continued to change before stabilizing, making it stressful on him and his eye doctor.  Now, he is like the large majority of keratoconic patients who can live life with good vision and have avoided transplant surgery.

When he hoisted the Stanley Cup over his head on June 19, 2006, I felt like a part of me was lifted too because of how fortunate I was to be a person in his life, like others, who had helped him reach that moment.  I knew how much he had to go through.  It was a true celebration!

Order your copy now!! There is only a limited amount of pre-release copies available right now.  Once they are gone, you'll have to wait to the official publication date of June 12, 2012.

Help your athlete learn what it takes to make it to the professional level!!

Super Bowl week and we know how the players are preparing! Only the strong survive!

They're pouring over game films so they will visually recognize what the opponent is trying to achieve in each play.  Every split second a player can gain on the other is vital.  Knowing where the opponent is headed gives the athlete the edge.

The athletes are using their mind's eye to rehearse their part of each play. They are practicing over and over in their mind's eye realistic outcomes...not fantasy or negative results...just realistic outcomes so that they are prepared for every variation which they may experience..... and how to use those outcomes to their advantage.

This mental preparation is a must because of all the visual noise that is bombarding them. It's the biggest stage in the biggest sport.  They can get swept away with everything they see...or get sidetrack by what looks appealing to the eye or psyche.  So, their goal has to be to stay mentally focused through this spectacle then they can reach their ultimate goal....holding the Lombardi trophy!!