Proposal for Project One

Alyssa Baker

How does less-than-perfect eyesight affect athletic performance

in children and young adults?
Motivation

As a child, I loved to play outside with my siblings. We played basketball, softball, football, and
a variety of made-up games. This admiration grew with me, leading me to join little league and
multiple basketball teams. Although I thought I was a versatile athlete, basketball coaches
regularly critiqued my tendency to favor one side. I always assumed that this habit was related to
my skill level.

One day at high school basketball practice, my coach commended my constant head movements
as a good technique. However, I was moving my head a lot to see what was going on right next
to me. I then made the connection that my vision played a large role in my sport-related habits.

I have monocular vision as the result of amblyopia; moreover, I can only see out of my left eye.
Amblyopia occurs when the brain blocks out the messages sent from a bad eye. With this
impairment, I regularly preferred the right side of the basketball court. By playing on the right
side, I aligned my blind-side with the sideline. This habit gave me full vision of the court.

Although I found ways to cope with my vision, I still believe that it affected my ability to
perform.

Pre-Research

With a simple Google search, I discovered that multiple academics, the American Optometric
Association, and studies discuss this topic. As they tend to be less opinionated, scientific journals
were the first sources I evaluated. “Vision and sports: a review of the literature” particularly
caught my attention. This study establishes a connection between vision quality and athletic
performance. It also discusses that athletes have better perceptive ability than non-athletes.

Additionally, there were many websites that connect vision and sports; however, these sites are
managed by opthamologists. While the opinion of specialized doctors is important, it may not be
free from biases.
Research Plan

To effectively research this topic, I will focus in on peer-reviewed scientific sources. I trust these
sources the most, as they generally rely on a scientific method. I intend to look for at least five
relevant sources in this category. Once selected, I will review the sources to identify the best
three sources.

Next, I will interview at least five friends via phone or text to see if they have experienced
vision-related difficulties in sports. I will conduct a relatively close-ended interview to help
identify patterns or possible correlation.

Interview:

1. Hi [name], may I ask you a few questions? I would like to interview you about
your sports history and possible vision issues.
2. Have you ever played sports?
3. Did you play sports as a minor (18 years of age or under)?
4. Have you ever had your eyes examined by a professional?
5. Do you wear prescription lenses or contacts?
6. Do you know what your visual impairment is?
7. Did you wear prescription lenses or contacts when you played sports?
8. Did you have trouble identifying teammates or numbers?
9. Did you experience trouble with determining distance?
10. Did you run into other people?
11. Did you avoid a certain area of the field/court?
12. Thank you for your time!

Following my close-ended interview, I will reach out to my eye-doctor at Kellogg Eye Center to
ask for their professional opinion. This will be done via email to limit errors. I intend to include
this email in my research paper.

While conducting this research, I anticipate that I may not get all of the answers from the people
that I interview. I will note this information to make sure nothing is left out. My doctor’s opinion
may also be skewed, so I will ask them a few questions about their personal history to control for
possible bias.

Once I have compiled data from the interviews, I can compare it to the academic sources that I
have selected. I will also compare and contrast my doctor’s opinion with academic sources.
I think this process will provide enough information to answer my inquiry question. I intend to
use academic sources, personal experiences, the experiences of others, and a professional
opinion to answer my inquiry question.

Experience

I am well-suited to carry out this type of research. I am in my fifth year of university, and I have
written at least twenty research papers. Additionally, I have carried out a psychology study that
included statistical analysis, informed consent, identification of biases, and controls.

I also work as a public relations research analyst, and this job requires me to be detail-oriented
and organized. I have been in this position for more than two years, demonstrating my ability to
carry out research tasks successfully.

Furthermore, my input on this research is acceptable. I played basketball for more than twelve
years, including recreational teams, club teams, travel teams, and varsity sports. My vision
impairment was identified around the time that I began playing organized sports, so my
experiences can be corroborated by my medical history.