CONCORD, N.C.—Eye-hand coordination along with the ability to see clearly and react quickly can mean the difference between winning and losing for auto racing pit crews and their drivers. On Nov. 20, 2014,
Alcon teamed up with The "A" Team—
High Performance Vision Associates to conduct a first-of-its-kind "training camp" at the Hendrick Motorsports headquarters for nearly 50 of its pit crew athletes in NASCAR's premier division, the Spring Cup Series.
"We recognize that precise vision is absolutely essential to the success of our racing team," said Andy Papathanassiou, director of human performance, Hendrick Motorsports. "From strength and conditioning to nutrition, we put our pit crew athletes through training regimens comparable to any other professional sports team. Working with Alcon to test the vision of all our athletes will help to achieve the highest standards of performance."
The "A" Team, was formed by Donald S. Teig, OD, FAAO, at the end of May 2014 to offer specialized eyecare for athletes, law enforcement professionals, aviation personnel and people with hobbies and careers that require visual skills that go above and beyond the norm. The group has grown to over 21 practitioners who have completed Teig's 16-hour consulting program in "High Performance Vision."
Teig said, "Our high performance vision testing uses the latest technology and training to help athletes determine how well their eyes perform, beyond the basic ability to see letters and objects clearly on a standard eye chart. We start by measuring each athlete's visual acuity, eye-hand coordination, contrast sensitivity and reaction time to assess how well an athlete sees and then provide a game plan to address areas of improvement." Teig also spends time educating both athletes and trainers on the latest advancements and technology available. "Like any working professional, these athletes put in long hours and need to be completely focused on the task at hand. They cannot afford to deal with missteps or fumbles that stem from vision issues or eye discomfort," he said.
"We were incredibly excited to visit Hendrick Motorsports and its impressive team of athletes," said Robert Kinzie, brand manager, Alcon Dailies Total1. "Performance is at the heart of the Dailies Total1 brand, and we are dedicated to delivering the ultimate lens-wearing experience for high-performance elite athletes, weekend warriors or everyday consumers."
The 'A' Team and Alcon Partner With NASCAR »
Alcon teamed up with The 'A' Team to help train NASCAR pit crew athletes to achieve high performance vision.
The 'A' Team and Alcon Partner With NASCAR »
Donald S. Teig, OD, FAAO, founder of The 'A' Team—High Performance Vision Associates, addressed the media at the November 20th training camp.
The 'A' Team and Alcon Partner With NASCAR »
Nearly 50 of Hendrick Motorsports' NASCAR pit crew athletes were trained for high performance vision.
The 'A' Team and Alcon Partner With NASCAR »
Eye-hand coordination was among the skills tested.
The 'A' Team and Alcon Partner With NASCAR »
Catching a ball wearing strobe glasses helps with reaction time.
The 'A' Team and Alcon Partner With NASCAR »
Dave Biberdorf, OD, conducted a convergence test.
The 'A' Team and Alcon Partner With NASCAR »
Wireless eye-tracking glasses from SMI were used to help improve the NASCAR pit crew's performance.