Fall sports season is right around the corner, and if your student athlete has been putting off switching from glasses to contacts, now's the time. A contact lens fitting isn't something you can knock out the week before the first game — it takes a visit or two, and starting early means your athlete is ready to play, not still adjusting to lenses during the first week of practice.
Glasses and sports don't mix well. They fog up, slide down with sweat, break on contact, and don't fit under helmets, goggles, or protective eyewear the way they're supposed to. For anything involving contact — soccer, football, volleyball, wrestling — glasses can even be a safety issue. Contacts move with the eye, don't fog, and won't shatter on the field.
This trips a lot of parents up: a comprehensive eye exam tells us the prescription, but it doesn't tell us how a contact lens will actually sit on the eye. A fitting measures the curve and surface of the cornea, checks tear film, and determines the right lens type, size, and brand for comfort and eye health. Skipping this step is exactly how people end up with lenses that are uncomfortable, don't fit right, or cause problems down the road. It's a separate visit for a reason.
The process usually looks like this: fitting appointment with trial lenses, a few days to a week of wear at home, then a quick follow-up to confirm the fit is right and vision is sharp before finalizing the prescription and ordering a full supply. Plan on two visits total, so the earlier you start, the more buffer there is before the season opener.
For first-time wearers, we usually recommend daily disposables — brands like CooperVision's Clariti and MyDay. No cleaning solution, no case to keep track of, a fresh pair every day. That's a much easier routine for a teenager managing practice, games, and everything else, and it's easier for parents to trust from a hygiene standpoint too.
Between the fitting, the trial period, and the follow-up, this isn't a same-day process — so waiting until the week before tryouts means starting the season still adjusting to lenses instead of playing in them. Elite Eyecare Nashville is currently accepting new patients and most major vision and medical insurance plans. Call (615) 249-4926 or book online to get a fitting on the calendar before practice starts.
