Contact Lenses

[crosscountry55]

Years ago when I was an ambitious young official, I attended a camp wearing glasses. Clinician says, “I might have hired you, but you wear glasses.” The next week I got fitted for contact lenses and have been wearing them on the court ever since.

I just got an updated prescription and went to buy a fresh 6-month supply (I only use them for basketball, so I can stretch them out for 12-18 months). I experienced some significant sticker shock! The cost was $188. Two years ago it was half that. I suppose this industry is an acute victim of pandemic-based supply & demand issues.

So my question is: If they know how much contacts cost, is the era of assignor disdain for bespectacled basketball officials—at least in high school—coming to an end?

I note that Ron Torbert in the NFL wears glasses these days, and some NFL officials are even starting to get away with facial hair. Maybe football is leading change here?


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[BillyMac]

[BillyMac]

Glasses? Facial hair? Tattoos?

Times change.

[Raymond]

Contact lenses when you're working college games or going to college camps.

Glasses for everything else.

Would that extend the use of your contact lenses?

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[BillyMac]

We had an truly outstanding high school official who wore glasses with thick "Coke Bottle" lenses.

Thirty years ago he did a high school game (fund raising event for college scholarships for Hartford high school students) in the Hartford Civic Center (now the XL Center, home of many UCONN basketball games, former home of the NHL Hartford Whalers and the home-away-from-home of the NBA Boston Celtics), a great honor for any high school official.

The first foul he called he "reported" to the press table, across the basket line from the scorer's table. We remind him of that every time we see him.

I was also fortunate enough to once do a game at this site. First thing I noticed was how bright the lights were, far brighter than any high school gym I had ever worked in. Unlike most high school gyms where there is usually only one "table", at the Hartford Civic Center a line of tables may be located on both sides of the court. I can easily see how one's first time on this court can lead to some confusion.

[crosscountry55]

Originally Posted by Raymond

Contact lenses when you're working college games or going to college camps.

Glasses for everything else.

Would that extend the use of your contact lenses?

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Considering all I work is HS and below these days, theoretically I’d never have to buy them again.

But I like the contacts. No sweat droplets on the glasses, no frequent adjustments to the frames, and a decidedly more professional appearance. Even if not mandated, I have a feeling my schedule might slightly suffer if I was known to wear glasses. For example, if I’m an assignor and I’ve got a key February game against ranked teams in a packed gym, and I’ve got two equally capable officials, one of whom wears glasses…. It’s an easy tiebreaker, isn’t it?

Still, if it gets to the point where I’m shelling out four varsity game fees for 12 lenses, I’m thinking I’m going to just reluctantly give them up. I’m wondering if some other HS officials…and perhaps even some D3 and JUCO officials, and pondering the same math?


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[bob jenkins]

Ask the DR for a different lens. Maybe, for example, get monthly rather than daily or weekly lenses. OR, lenses from a different manufacturer.

Look online for pricing.

[crosscountry55]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

Ask the DR for a different lens. Maybe, for example, get monthly rather than daily or weekly lenses. OR, lenses from a different manufacturer.

Look online for pricing.

That *IS* the cheapest online price for a monthly lens. I wear toric lenses due to astigmatism, so I understand these are costlier than typical far/near-sightedness lenses. But still…. Sigh.


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[Mike Goodwin]

Originally Posted by crosscountry55

That *IS* the cheapest online price for a monthly lens. I wear toric lenses due to astigmatism, so I understand these are costlier than typical far/near-sightedness lenses. But still…. Sigh.

Have you ever been fitted for 'ordinary' lenses? I, too, have an astigmatism but can adequately use regular lenses. A box of six for me is around $20. I only wear them for officiating so mine last a very, very long time.

[JRutledge]

I wear contacts for everything. Just makes life easier. Do not have to clean off glasses or have people comment about them. I wear daily lenses that I mainly only use for officiating. The price is similar as it has been and I have a different prescription for each eye. So it works out and I also get a 90-pack which cost me over $100. But as an official, this is a tax write-off because I only really use them for officiating. It takes me pretty much the entire season of basketball and into the summer before they are gone. Throw them away when I am done and move on.

Peace

[crosscountry55]

Originally Posted by Mike Goodwin

Have you ever been fitted for 'ordinary' lenses? I, too, have an astigmatism but can adequately use regular lenses. A box of six for me is around $20. I only wear them for officiating so mine last a very, very long time.

No. I didn’t know that was possible, so may have to look into that in the future.


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