Can Cheerleaders Wear Glasses? Can Glasses Cause Problems?

Vision problems can happen to anyone, and cheerleaders are no exception. Are you having vision problems recently and worried about whether you could wear the glasses during the cheer? You are probably not the only athlete worried about the glasses in a cheer event. This is the question troubling many cheerleaders, sportspersons, acrobats, and performers.

People with high myopia just cannot do without their glasses. So what should be done during the performance? Can glasses cause problems to a cheerleader? The answer would probably be yes.

Can cheerleaders wear glasses? Glasses are highly problematic for cheerleading. You should not be wearing eyeglasses for any sport, gymnastics, acrobats, or even performing arts. Most of the time, it’s against the rules too. Cheerleaders are better without their eyeglasses to minimize risks of accidents and eliminate discomfort and hindrances to the performance. 

Let us take a look at the issue in depth. 

Is it Ok for Cheerleaders to Wear Glasses?

No, it is not okay for cheerleaders to wear glasses. It makes them prone to accidents during the performance. An accidental blow from an adjacent performer or a tilt of the head can get your glasses flying away. Tumbling, stunts, or a backflip will also be of utmost difficulty if you keep wearing the glasses. You surely don’t want them slipping off mid-performance. 

Is it Ok for Cheerleaders to Wear Glasses
Credits: Lincoln Journal Star

What would you do when they fall off? Stopping midway to find your glasses, pick them up, and put them back would perhaps be the worst idea. A cheerleader is not allowed to break away from the cheer and hamper the entire performance. This is the major reason why most cheerleading teams prohibit the cheer girls from wearing eyeglasses. 

Moreover, there also remains the risk of an accident. Although cheerleading is not as intense as gymnastics, cheerleading involves a lot of jumps and advanced physical movements. The glasses that you may wear, can break on any impact and injure the eye. It’s best to avoid such circumstances in the first place. 

Can Cheerleaders Wear Glasses?

If your vision problem is slight, and you can see well without your glasses, there is nothing like it. In that case, you may not need to wear your glasses during the cheer event at all. If you see quite well even without the glasses, why take the trouble of wearing them?

You can wear the glasses during the practice and take them off during the actual event or competitions. You can also leave them with your coach or any known person while you are performing. 

The problem occurs when the vision problem is serious. People with high myopia won’t be able to see well without their glasses. For them, it isn’t a great idea to perform without eyeglasses. When you cannot see properly, it will affect your performance.

If you must wear your glasses, it would be best to use safety straps to secure the glasses in place. Look for tight safety straps to fasten to the temples of the glasses and secure them behind the ears. It minimizes the chances of the glasses falling off. 

You can also look for alternatives to correct your vision without wearing eyeglasses. 

Disadvantages of Wearing Glasses While Cheerleading?

Disadvantages of Wearing Glasses While Cheerleading
Credits: The New York Times

Some things are not meant to be worn in sports or performing arts. Glasses have several disadvantages for cheerleaders and can become a hindrance to the performance. Here are some of the major reasons you should better take off your glasses during the cheerleading events. 

Increased Light Sensitivity

Wearing eyeglasses under the sun can cause discomfort due to increased light sensitivity. The bright glares of the sun can make it difficult to see when you are performing. 

Physical Discomfort

It is physically uncomfortable at times to wear eyeglasses during a performance. They may be too tight near the temples, making it painful, or they may be too loose, slipping down the nose easily. Even if they fit you perfectly, performing in daylight for hours can make you sweat.

Sweating with the eyeglasses on can make things highly uncomfortable. There are chances of the specs slipping due to the sweat or the glasses becoming moist and blurry.

Foggy Vision

If you are performing for long, vapor released through the eyes or mouth can result in foggy glasses. This will affect your vision because you won’t be able to see a thing. It is not possible to wipe the glasses in between the performance every time they get cloudy. 

Fear Of Losing The Glasses Or Getting Hit

A person wearing eyeglasses during a sport remains psychologically afraid about getting hit or losing the glasses. This can affect the performance, holding back the cheerleader from giving her cent percent. The anxiety drives the focus away from the performance. 

Losing The Eyewear 

You may actually lose the eyeglasses in the middle of the performance. The stunts and dance movements can get the eyeglasses flying away. You may not be able to see anything if you lose your glasses during the performance. 

Injuries

Wearing eyeglasses during a cheerleading event can be dangerous too. It can accidentally lead to injuries. Any unexpected movement from another cheerleader can break the eyeglasses, which can injure the eye. Even if the glasses are unbreakable, a blow to the temples can break the frame, leading to sudden injuries. The sharp temples may also badly scratch the arm of any cheerleader performing next to you during a dance move or a stunt. 

Appearance

Wearing glasses in performance may make you look odd in the team and affect your appearance. Looks are important in performance because the entire event has a visual appeal for the audience. Cheer girls must concentrate on their appearance too, apart from the choreography. You surely do not want to be the odd one out.  

Alternative to Wearing Glass During Cheerleading

Alternative to Wearing Glass During Cheerleading
Credits: Eyewear News

People with astigmatism or myopia may find it difficult to concentrate on the performance without their glasses. Blurry vision leads to anxiety of not being able to see and is a major cause of mental and physical discomfort. It is indeed problematic for cheer girls with vision problems to perform without their eyeglasses.  

The best alternative to eyeglasses in cheerleading or any form of sport is contact lenses. They are the safest to wear during a game or a performance. Even though there have been several accidents wearing contact lenses, the chances are far less than eyeglasses. You may lose a lens if it pops out of the eye on accidental poking during a dance or stunt.

But, such occurrences are a rare possibility. Most cheer girls prefer wearing lenses because it gives them freedom of movement. They can tumble, flip, bend, and perform stunts without losing their glasses or breaking them.

They no longer have to worry about possible injuries or fix an eyeglass slipping down the nose or giving foggy vision. Moreover, it does not block the face and makes you appear cheerful during the performance. 

Final Thoughts

Eyeglasses are fragile items that can turn disadvantageous for any sport or performance. Even if it is a non-contact sport, eyeglasses hinder free movement and keep you vulnerable to accidents and eye injuries. 

Nobody can stop you from wearing your glasses if you are a cheerleader by profession. Wear them all the time, but it would be best to take them off during the performances and competitions to avoid hindrances. Wear your contact lenses if your eyes are too bad. Lenses make you look better than glasses during a performance, which is vital to a cheer girl.

Enhance your looks and focus on your performance by removing anything that becomes a hindrance. 

1 thought on “Can Cheerleaders Wear Glasses? Can Glasses Cause Problems?”

  1. I’m 73 years old and I remember when I was in high school a girl wasn’t allowed to even try out for the cheerleading squad if she wasn’t able to see well enough without her glasses to cheer. But this fall I took a walk to the local high school which was nearby to watch a Friday night football game. I was an optician for many years so i was very surprised to see 4 of the 18 cheerleaders wearing glasses. They were all very good and one of the glasses wearers did a long series of backflips. She did take her glasses off for that. I think due to the number of teen girls that now are wearing glasses full time they have started allowing them to wear glasses now. The real danger isn’t from the lenses breaking or shattering anymore but having the frame break and possibly cutting their face or eyes.

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