ENGLAND’S VISION COACH
Smartphones bang against skill levels
The hand-eye co-ordination expert warns of deterioration across all sports
London — England’s new vision coach believes modern rugby players spend so much time looking at smartphones that they are less skilful and not as aware of what is happening on the pitch around them. The expert hired by the Rugby Football Union to improve hand-eye co-ordination among England players ahead of this year’s Six Nations says she has seen a deterioration across all sports over the six years in which phone use has rapidly increased. "We have seen in the last five or six years when we assess elite players in different sports, that there is a decline in skill levels," Sherylle Calder, a South African vision specialist who has also worked in golf, motor racing and gridiron, told The Guardian newspaper. "We are losing the ability to communicate well and all those skills are declining. We will be working on awareness because it helps you make effective decisions under pressure." Although players will be allowed to keep their phones, they will be encouraged not to overuse them. "...
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