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Letter: Pickleball players should wear eye protection

It's important for pickleball players to protect their eyes, particularly as they move indoors without sunglasses
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Karen Wilson of the North Shore Pickleball Club returns a shot at Little Cates Park in North Vancouver. | Paul McGrath / North Shore News

Dear Editor:

I am the head pickleball pro at Hollyburn Country Club and a part-time coach at the Whistler Racket Club.

When I am out on the pickleball courts, I witness players being hit by the ball every day. This happens at times in error and at times as a strategic shot made on purpose. While playing outdoors, the players were wearing sunglasses and as a result had eye safety. However, now that the weather has them playing indoors, I see that very few players are wearing eye protection, and this concerns me.

Permanent or partial loss of vision, torn retinas, bleeding in the eye, cuts requiring stitches, and black and blue eyes are looming if we don’t make wearing the eye protection the norm like it is in squash and racquetball.

The most common eye injuries are preventable by wearing clear, shatter-proof and anti-fog lenses. I personally wear Ryder glasses and I love how safe I feel in them. They are lightweight and I hardly notice I am wearing anything at all.

Protective eyewear can be purchased at pro shops, sporting goods stores, through online orders, or I’d be happy to sell your readers some through my personal website.

Cheryl Young
West Vancouver

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