New Jersey Bill Passes Legislature to Help Inform Parents About What to Do For Eye Injuries!

http://longvalley.patch.com/groups/eye-matters/p/bill-passes-legislature-to-help-inform-parents-about-what-to-do-for-eye-injuries_fed7d156

Please click link to read more about this important piece of legislation. Let’s get the word out!

Welcome Grady Mercer, our first Liberty Sport Advocate for 2014!

Grady Mercer is a 9 yr old 3rd grader from Seminole, OK. He is a 3rd generation dirt track racer who drives a Jr Sprint car and a 125cc Outlaw go-kart. The Jr Sprint is powered by a Briggs & Stratton, driven on a dirt oval at speeds that range from 45-55 mph (depending on the size of the track). Age range for this class is 6-13 years of age. The 125cc Outlaw go-kart is also driven on dirt at speeds ranging from 55-65 mph. Age range for this class is 10 & up however, Grady has been allowed to race in that class since he was 8 1/2 due to his reputation as a solid, capable driver.

When not racing, Grady enjoys playing football, baseball, and video games. He also excels academically making straight As and recently qualifying for his school’s Math Olympics team. Grady enjoys his Rec Specs for the protection they provide while racing and playing football and baseball. He also likes the sun protection the transition lenses provide while participating in any outdoor sport or activity. His Rec Specs are sort-of his trademark at the track!

On the track, Grady is known for his skill and “clean” driving. He recently competed in the 29th Annual Tulsa Shootout in Tulsa, OK, which is the largest mini sprint race in the country with over 930 entries in 8 different classes. There were 23 states represented as well as a few Canadian Provinces. 49 Jr Sprints in the were entered in Grady’s class, all vying for 1 of only 20 spots in the A Feature. After 2 days of qualifying races, Grady’s points earned put on the outside pole. He drove the best race of his young career and finished 2nd!!

WAY TO GO, G-MAN!!

An Important Note to Consider Concerning Eye Protection and Hazardous Toys this Holiday Season!

http://chroniclenewspaper.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20131211/NEWS01/131219988/Ophthalmologists-warn-about-toys-that-can-hurt-eyes

Introducing the November Advocate of the Month – Emma Schott

Emma Schott is an active 9 year old who lives in Yardley, Pa. She plays on the YMS travel U-10 team as a striker.

Emma is in 4th grade, plays the viola and rides horses. She loves her RecSpecs for protection in all her outdoor activities- whether she is heading a ball, charging a defender, or dribbling towards the goal, she says she doesn’t even notice that she is wearing the glasses. She loves how comfortable they are!

Emma enjoys art, music and cursive writing. When not playing sports, she loves to play with her American girl dolls and bounce on the trampoline.

Congratulations Emma!

Play Hard & Play Safe!

Introducing the September Advocate of the Month – Tyler Willard

Tyler Willard is a 12-year old seventh grader from South Burlington, Vermont. Tyler began wearing glasses in first grade. Besides being a very active athlete, Tyler is a huge sports fan! A typical day for him begins with a big bowl of cereal and reading the local sports section of the daily newspaper. He plays soccer, basketball and baseball competively. Tyler began wearing sports glasses about five years ago right before his little league season. Our local eye care specialist carried Rec Specs and he is now on his third pair.

Tyler’s first year in middle school started by making the soccer team last fall. After his soccer season he joined the local CYO basketball team for his second year, made the 6th grade basketball team & joined an AAU basketball team. After playing on three teams all winter, Tyler’s AAU team, the Vermont Cats, won the sixth grade division 2 state title. During the spring he started his eighth season of little league baseball. Currently Tyler is working hard on the South Burlington Little League 11 Year Old All-Star team. He is a pitcher and also handles second base duties. Tyler also participated this past May in the Key Bank Vermont City Marathon for the first time, running the first 3.3 mile leg of a relay team.

In addition to sports, Tyler is an honor roll student, enjoys camping, playing video games and swimming. Tyler is very happy with his Rec Spec glasses. What he likes most about these glasses is they do not fog up on him. He finds them comfortable and likes how they transition when playing sports outdoors. He likes having the peace of mind that he can play as hard as he wants to without the fear of getting hit and having the glasses break on him. Thanks Rec Specs for an A++ product!!

Introducing the June Advocate of the Month – DJ Bernard

 

DJ is 10 years old and active in soccer, basketball,
and martial arts.  He started wearing non-prescription Rec Specs goggles
recently to protect his eyes after suffering an eye impact injury during a
soccer game.  His eye injury, a result of simply getting hit in the face
with a soccer ball, caused  blurred vision, painful  light
sensitivity, and inflammation.  Luckily DJ’s symptoms were temporary and
his vision has returned to normal, but it definitely taught us the importance
of eye protection during field sports and contact sports!  He is excited
to now be wearing Rec Specs for all his sports, especially sparring during
martial arts!  His goggles fit comfortably under his sparring helmet and
he loves the “silver flash” lenses, as his opponent can’t see where
he is looking.

Play Hard and Play Safe!

Introducing the April Advocate of the Month – Rebecca Gottschalk

Please join us in welcoming and congratulating Rebecca Gottschalk as our April Advocate of the Month.

Rebecca Gottschalk plays freshman basketball in Texas.  She began wearing glasses in 4th grade. While playing on a neighborhood basketball team she began to see the hazards that sports could present for her eyewear.  When she began to play on Middle School basketball and volleyball teams, the competition and physical contact increased.  Rebecca liked it, but her glasses didn’t!  A few hands/elbows in the face and falls to the ground and her parents finally followed some advice they’d received and ordered her some RecSpecs!  At first, she was nervous that people would make fun of her for her “goggles”, but quickly found the opposite to be true!  They became a trademark and earned her the nickname “Specs.”  Opposing players have even asked her about them, commenting on how cool they are.  At one point she tried contacts, but found them too frustrating .  RecSpecs are easy to wear, fit great, and provide more protection on the court than contacts.   
 

Rebecca is a loyal friend and team player!  On or off the court, she is invested in seeing her teammates do well and encouraging them – loudly!  Her goal is to play varsity basketball.  Rebecca also is a very good student, plays the cello, is a fabulous baker, enjoys a range of music and is an adventurous skier!  Rebecca is looking forward to getting transition lens in her RecSpecs for increased visibility on the slopes as she skis!  

Are You Wearing Protective Eyewear When Playing Baseball? You Should!

http://www.news-medical.net/news/20130328/Children-are-vulnerable-to-eye-injury-while-playing-baseball-expert-says.aspx

 

Introducing the March Advocate of the Month – Connor Gagen

Welcome to Connor Gagen, our March Advocate of the Month! His mother was kind enough to provide the following testimonial about Connor and how Rec Specs are helping him optimize his game….

My son Connor is 9 years old. He started wearing glasses at the beginning of Kindergarten and has fairly bad astigmatism. He has always loved sports and has played soccer, baseball, basketball, football, track and most recently flag football. He always had a hard time keeping his glasses on his face when he was playing, and sometimes just had to play without them (not sure how he managed that). The breaking point was when he got hit in the face with a basketball, which mangled his glasses and cut his nose. We decided we had to get him some sports glasses, but our regular eye doctor did not carry them. We searched and found that America’s Best Contacts and Eyeglasses carried Rec Specs. Connor is now on his second pair of Rec Specs and it’s one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. He can play with confidence that his glasses will stay put, and we have the comfort of knowing his glasses won’t cause an injury (I had an incident when I was younger where a softball hit my glasses and cut my head open, resulting in stitches). He was hit in the face with a soccer ball last season and wasn’t fazed. The Rec Specs did their job 🙂

Congratulations Connor.

Play Hard and Play Safe!

Another Reason Why Sports Protective Eyewear is KEY to Safety!

http://slapshot.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/06/eye-injury-to-ranger-raises-issue-of-helmet-visors-again/