European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 18, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Not eyes need a shield amid flying elbows fast balls and whizzing rackets req in be by Jane e. Brody the new York times Ach ear hundreds of thousands of sports enthusiasts recreational Amateur and professional athletes alike suffer sports related be injuries. Yet Only a Small fraction a ear c a is or face guards that can protect the most ans. Ash p j,.t-rs Are Row c ten de to   Gardi. Gut term s   p a fast do. Face Shields that can keep fingers from poking eyes Are becoming increasingly popular in the National football league but among basketball players goggles seem to be worn Only by players who have already suffered an Eye injury. And now with the baseball season in full swing fans will be hard put to find a a ers who properly protect their eyes   at Bat and facing balls travelling at More than 90 Mph along often unpredictable coupes.  they All forgotten the Fate of Tony Conigliaro an outstanding outfielder and borne run hitter for the Boston red sox  career  Cut Many youth baseball leagues including some in Europe Are adopting the face protector. Research indicates the devices do not hamper performances Short by a fastball that broke his cheekbone and severely injured his Eye in 1967? despite the fear voiced by Many players that goggles will impair their performance there is absolutely no evidence for that just ask Kareem Abdul Jabbar the National basketball association s All time leading scorer who wore goggles on the court for two decades. Or ask Richard Hilton who coached the East Marietta ca., team that became the 1983 Little league world champions. All his batters and base coaches wore helmets fitted with Clear plastic face Shields. Hilton reports that the Shields improved not harmed the youngsters performance by reducing fear and building Confidence. He explained that Many youngsters were afraid of the Ball coming at them at 60 or 70 Mph and they froze which Only increased their Chance of being hit. But once they can put that fear aside and concentrate on the game some of them can do wonders he is quoted As saying in the journal sigh saving. Little league parents and coaches take note. The East Marietta team improved its Home run performance from an average of 20 a. Season to 65 the first year its players used face Shields. Partly because of the Large number of participants baseball ranks among the top activities for sports related Eye injuries. But the International federation of sports Medicine says the eyes Are at considerable risk in any sport that involves the use of a High Speed Ball or puck a Bat Racket or stick or aggressive play with body Contact intentional or otherwise. Thus Eye Protection should be essential for those playing hockey ice Field or Street Racket sports like Squash racquetball Tennis and Badminton Lacrosse handball baseball basketball football soccer and volleyball. By properly protecting the eyes even a one eyed player can safely participate in such sports. But for the combat sports that put eyes at the greatest risk boxing and full Contact karate there Are unfortunately no effective devices for protecting eyes. Of 166 boxers examined by or. David j. Smith of the wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia 3-1 were found to have significant Eye problems including cataracts and retinal damage. And while swimming is considered a Low risk sport for potentially blinding injuries those who swim in pools without watertight goggles risk a Host of bothersome problems. Closer look Don t Cut Corners when choosing Eye guards Here Are a few guidelines for choosing the right Type of sports Eye Protection. Let s Start with what does not work. Your eyes Are not protected by Ordinary prescription glasses or sunglasses whether the lenses Are Glass or plastic. In fact the relative ease with which eyeglass lenses can be broken Only increases the risk of injury if you should be struck in the Eye say by a Ball or Racket. Likewise Ordinary eyeglass frames Are not Strong enough to withstand a High Impact like that of a pitched or hit Ball. Also useless Are Lens less or open Eye guards. Even though the openings Are smaller than a Ball a Ball moving at Only 50 Mph can squeeze into the Frame and hit the Eye. The american society for testing and materials and the Canadian standards association have developed standards for Eye guards for Many sports. Look for the atm or Cha Seal although other products that have not been submitted for certification May be equally protective. Virtually All approved Eye guards use Clear or tinted polycarbonate a plastic used in the canopies of Jet aircraft and in police riot gear. When folded into lenses two or three Millimetres thick polycarbonate can withstand the Impact of a Bullet. This is not an arbitrary Standard. Because of its greater mass a Squash or racquetball Ball struck by a Novice can hit with the Force of a .22-caliber Bullet. To assure Good peripheral vision look for wraparound one piece frames which should be made of Strong plastic. Secure the Eye guard on your head with a strap that attaches to the ends of the earpieces. Polycarbonate lenses can be made with your eyeglass prescription or they can be worn Over Contact lenses. If you will be using the Eye guards in sunlight be sure to get ones with ultraviolet Protection to prevent Sun damage to the eyes which can result in severe irritation immediately and cataracts in the Long run. Tennis and Badminton players can Uso the Eye guards marketed for Squash and racquetball players. Polycarbonate face guards for baseball players were initially developed by Lorine s. Caveness to help counter her son s fear of Tho bail and later marketed to protect Tho eyes of Young players. For information on commercial availability of the Eye guards Contact face guards inc. At 21 West main st., Salem a. 24153 or at 800 336-9683. Jane Brody tuesday May 18, 1993 the stars and stripes 17