An overview of important vision skills for Cheerleaders

and how sports vision training can improve performance

Vision Training For Cheerleading

Cheerleading is a sport which requires a great deal of physical skill and coordination. Vision skills, as well, play a major part in success as a cheerleader, and improving those skills can lead to many improvements in performance.

Sports vision training is customized training that gives athletes a major edge against the competition by improving the specific visual skills needed for the position and sport that they play.

Core Visual Skills

While there are a number of vision skills that are important for cheerleaders, some are more crucial to performance than others.

Core vision skills for cheerleaders include:

Eye-Hand-Foot-Body Coordination: A great amount of body control is required for cheerleaders, especially for the more complex performances put on by large cheerleading squads. Good coordination is important not just for performance, but also for safety.
Visual Boundaries: This vision skill increases one’s ability to recognize the size of the space around them. For cheerleaders, this is important as the area in which they perform tends to be limited in size, and it is important, especially if they are involved in complex performances including any acrobatics, to be aware of the space around them.
Visual Spatial Relations: This vision skill gives an athlete the ability to perceive the way to properly position themselves in relation to other people or objects nearby. For cheerleaders, this is an important skill when taking part in a performance with others.
Visual Attention: Visual attention is the ability to maintain visual focus amid a stressful environment. For cheerleaders, improving this skill will help better maintain visual attention during a potentially stressful performance in front of a large crowd.

Secondary Visual Skills

Secondary visual skills for cheerleaders aren’t necessarily any less important than core visual skills, though they are not quite as central to what is needed for a cheerleader to be successful.

Peripheral Awareness: For any sport involving other people in motion around the athlete, enhancing peripheral awareness is important, and cheerleaders are no exception.
Bilateral Coordination: Bilateral coordination is the ability to use both sides of the body together to perform a task. For cheerleaders taking part in more acrobatic performances and sophisticated synchronized body movements, improving this skill will also increase a cheerleader’s performance level.

Elevate your level of play and edge out the competition

with Sports Vision Training!

Book an Appointment

Dr. Zurcher

Originally from Arizona, Levi received his Bachelor’s of Science in Zoology from Northern Arizona University and his Doctorate in Optometry from Pacific University in Oregon. He is board certified in developmental vision and vision therapy by COVD. He purchased the practice from the Inversos in 2012. He likes spending time with his family (wife and two children,) mountain biking, and undertaking creative projects. He wrote the vision therapy software used by the clinic, retinal camera software, and the computerized eye-chart used for exams.