Weird question about glasses and cross country/track

[Anonymous]

My 10 th grade high schooler is just starting out doing cross country and also wants to do track in winter and spring. He’s not amazing but improving and really enjoying it. He doesn’t wear contacts and despite my almost two years of my pushing it, refuses to. It kind of freaks him out.

So when I saw him at his cross country meet, he was running and his glasses were all askew because I’m sure he was sweating. They looked like they were going to fall off!-it was very obvious! I asked him afterwards if they were bothering him and he said not really.

I’m thinking with track, glasses would get in the way even more since your goal is to run as fast as you can. I have glasses and if I wear them when I’m sweating or hot, they are always sliding down my face and I hate it.
He wants to try out for track and wants to improve and get better at cross country. The non-athletic part of me can’t help but think glasses are a distraction. This may be the motivation to get him to wear contacts but if I’m completely wrong, I’m not going to push it.

So, what say sports moms or dad or runners: glasses are not an impediment?

[Anonymous]

You can get him sports glasses. I hate contacts personally (yes I tried) but lightweight sports frames could be your answer. I got mine from zenni

[Anonymous]

Yes to sports goggles. Also, I say this gently, it’s his decision whether the glasses bother him, not yours. He’s old enough to understand consequences, if in fact there are any.

[Anonymous]

Does he need to wear them while running or can he put them in his pocket?

[Anonymous]

My husband refuses to wear contacts and has “wrecks specs” for exercise. They look like goggles.

Definitely get a pair that neither has a strap or are fitted well to his nose and don’t slide down. You can get them for today optometrist office.

[Anonymous]

He can get sports goggles. The ones my son has are not cheap (he has an astigmatism). They cost around $400.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't do anything. I doubt the glasses will be a problem - I wear glasses and have had no issues running with them. If it does become a problem, you can do something about it then.

[Anonymous]

I ran track with glasses, and now jog with them. If they fit and are adjusted well, it's totally fine. There are also straps you can get for them--some keep them in place and some will just keep them from falling on the ground if they get loose. But if it doesn't bother your kid, don't bother trying to fix a problem that doesn't exist!

[Anonymous]

You asked him if they were bothering him and he said no. I'd probably throw in an "okay - there are probably options, outside of contacts, if they every do start to bother you, just let me know." And then I'd drop it.

He's in 10th grade and this is extraordinarily low stakes. I think you can leave it to him.

[Anonymous]

I'd recommend sports goggles, or if he doesn't have glasses with the adjustable nose piece, try those.

I have glasses that don't have the nose pieces, and when I'm sweating my glasses slide down.

[Anonymous]

Sometimes kids will say "not really" (bothering them) because they're a bit embarrassed, or because they don't want to be bothered with the effort to do something about it. And we all know how much boys love to go to the optometrist and to pick out new frames.

So I'd definitely mention options to him.

[Anonymous]

Maybe get a pair of glasses with silicone or flexible plastic frames and a strap to go around his head. If he is interested. I'd think something a bit more slip proof would be fine. Rec Specs are insanely expensive and are often for sports where a ball or shoulder/elbow might come towards your face. Cross country doesn't involve that type of contact (I am assuming haha).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You asked him if they were bothering him and he said no. I'd probably throw in an "okay - there are probably options, outside of contacts, if they every do start to bother you, just let me know." And then I'd drop it.

He's in 10th grade and this is extraordinarily low stakes. I think you can leave it to him.

This is exactly what I was going to say

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You asked him if they were bothering him and he said no. I'd probably throw in an "okay - there are probably options, outside of contacts, if they every do start to bother you, just let me know." And then I'd drop it.

He's in 10th grade and this is extraordinarily low stakes. I think you can leave it to him.

This is exactly what I was going to say

I was a national champion in high school and an NCAA D1 All American. Found a good fitting pair of sports glasses in high school. Often, but not always wore contacts in the NCAA. The school paid for them. If I was running a 1500m race in the rain, I just put up with my nearsightedness. If running 5k, which I did not enjoy, I invariably wore contacts as I needed to see well for 13 and half minutes. Ditto for XC races - needed to see for 10k over hills and mud -NCAA cross country bears little resemblance to high school. For high school, get a good pair of glasses. Look up Gary Martin a 3:38 frosh at UVA and see what he wears. I will see him tomorrow at a big invite in Charlottesville.

[Anonymous]

Get a strap for his glasses for about 5 bucks