Protective sports eyewear should be a requirement for almost anyone who wants to pick up a ball, bat, racquet or stick, whether thier sport involves contact or not.

As more and more athletic clubs and organizations realize the danger to the eyes involved in many activities they are requiring the use of protective eyewear.

Little League organizations are no excepction. Kids can be resistant to the idea of "looking funny" while they play, but sports goggles are quickly becoming an accepted part of society, much as bike helmets have become the norm. And for good reason: according to the National Society to Prevent Blindness, of the 100,000 eye injuries sustained each year, the largest number are attributed to school-age athletes.

Even non-contact sports, such as badminton, hold inherent dangers to the eyes. Any sport in which balls, racquets or flying objects are involved poses a potential for eye injury because of the high rate of speed at which the objects travel.

Although they may seem to take place at a leisurely pace, racquetball, tennis and badminton can involve objects moving at 60 miles per hour (mph) and faster. A racquetball, for example, can travel between 60 and 200 mph during a game. Racquetball poses an additional danger when the racquets make contact with each other in a confined space while moving at high speed.

Beyond the objects involved in various athletic pursuits, many eye injuries are caused by pokes and jabs by fingers and elbows, particularly in games where players come into close contact with each other. Basketball and Soccer, for example, have an extremely high rate of eye injury.

Protective Goggles Features

Sports eyewear that offers maximum protection is available in both prescription and nonprescription styles. The frames are constructed of highly impact-resistant plastic (Grilamid for example) or polycarbonate, and most have rubber padding that cushions the sides of the frame where they come into contact with the head, as well as in the nose area.

Lenses made for sports eyewear must be made of polycarbonate in order to meet industry requirements for safety. Polycarbonate is the most impact-resistant lens material, and it is effective at protecting the eye from fast-moving objects. Polycarbonate lenses may also have built-in ultraviolet protection and scratch-resistant properties — pluses for outdoor sports.

Some nonprescription sports styles are contoured, wrapping around the face, which protect the eyes from the wind as well as flying debris. These goggles are excellent for biking, hang-gliding, and sailing. Contact lens wearers especially benefit from the wraparound style.

Most sports goggles are more square in shape, however, offering strong protection around the eye. Goggles of this type can accommodate polycarbonate prescription lenses.

It is important that goggles be fitted correctly for each wearer. Proper fitting is not a huge challenge for adults, but when it comes to children, there is a temptation to purchase a goggle that is much too large in order to give the child "room to grow." A small amount of growing room is acceptable, and sports goggles are made to be a bit flexible in terms of width adjustment. However, if the frame is much too large, the sides of the goggle wind up pressing against the soft flesh of the temples. Allowing the goggle to rest at this point can pose a danger to the child under impact.

Allowing a youngster to continue wearing a goggle that is too small likewise poses problems. First, it's uncomfortable, and second, it will obstruct peripheral vision. Proper fitting means that the padding inside the goggle's sides rests flush with the face and that the eyes are centered vertically in the lens area.