Young athletes who wear glasses and play racket sports such as tennis, pickleball and squash need more than just rackets to play the game. They require a piece of protective gear that is often overlooked by parents and racket sport coaches. In the blink of an eye, one fast serve or one mistimed swing can strike an eye socket, shattering glasses, causing permanent vision loss or a serious ocular injury.
And the most concerning part? These ocular injuries are completely preventable.
From 2015 to 2025, youth athletes ages 10-18 in Allentown have faced a high risk of eye injuries in racket sports. This is a public health issue not only because the injuries can cause vision loss, but also because many parents are unaware of the existence of sports glasses or believe that prescription glasses will shield the eyes.
In reality, prescription glasses are insufficient protection.
Prescription glasses can break easily, sending sharp glass towards the eye. Upon impact, the nose pads on the frames can snap or bend inwards, damaging the eye. The ball speeds in youth racketball sports, especially for players with slow reaction time and less developed coordination skills, are conducive to eye injury. The greatest proportion of these eye injuries occurs in the pediatric age group, suggesting a greater risk in players at a beginner level.
Racket sports are the most common causes of sports-related eye injuries in the United States. Racket sports “have a high risk of eye injuries because of the small ball and high velocity at which the game is played,” according to a report in Clinics in Sports Medicine.
The risks to athletes ages 10-18 are serious. A 2024 review of 20 studies on preventing eye injuries in racket sports, such as tennis, badminton, squash, and racquetball, found that 93% of all racket injuries happened when athletes wore no protective eyewear.
Pickleball, which has become more popular among athletes of all ages, especially young athletes, presents significant eye risks. Between 2005 and 2024, there were “an estimated 3,112 pickleball-related ocular injuries, with an estimated 1262 ocular injuries occurring in 2024 alone,” according to report in JAMA Ophthalmology.
Tennis leads to eye injuries as well. From 2000 to 2019, the U.S. saw about 16,000 emergency department visits that were included for tennis-related ocular injuries, with the majority of those injuries occurring in boys aged 11-15. Researchers noted the largest proportion of eye injuries happened among younger players.
To protect youth athletes in the reality is simple: no child should step onto a court without the proper protection.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology now recommends youth racket sports players “…should meet the American Society for Testing and Materials F3164 guidelines outlining criteria for safe designs, optics, and materials for eye protection, including players who wear corrective spectacles.”
The guidelines insist that protective sports glasses meet ASTM safety standards and are designed to absorb impact, as they are made of “…polycarbonate, which is a highly shatter-resistant material with approximately 150 times the strength of the material in conventional glasses.” Other experts emphasize protective features to maximize safety, such as impact-resistant lenses, wraparound frames for peripheralcoverage, antifog lenses and lens tints for indoor and outdoor play.
Parents of racket sports-playing children should choose ASTM-certified sports glasses specifically designed for those games. Parents should also discuss with their children why wearing these glasses is important. Their vision is worth the time it takes to put them on.
Coaches and athletic staff should also make eye safety a priority. Encourage the young athletes to keep their sports glasses on during drills, practices, and games. Lead by example. The same practices should be carried out by racket sports facilities and programs during youth clinic drills, tournaments and open-court play.
For this outreach campaign, combining social media and posters will effectively reach youth athletes and their parents, who frequently use social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and X to see the quick, urgent and attention-grabbing message. Posters and posts should be distributed at local tennis, pickleball and racquetball facilities.
If the community acts together — families, coaches, leagues, schools, and health professionals can set a standard for youth racket sports by ensuring ASTM-certified protective eyewear is the norm. This way, every child who steps onto a court will walk off with their vision intact.
This is a contributed opinion column. Casey T. Knipe is a student at Muhlenberg College. The views expressed in this piece are those of its individual author, and should not be interpreted as reflecting the views of this publication. Do you have a perspective to share? Learn more about how we handle guest opinion submissions at themorningcall.com/opinions.
