Soccer player – Jason Brown

Hi Jason, which soccer team do you play for?
I play for a team in northeast Aberdeen, currently in Division 1 of the Scottish league called Peterhead F.C.

What position do you play?
I’m a defender. I’d love to say that I’m a silky player, but I’m more of a no-nonsense type. I’m the one who sticks their head in when it hurts. Someone’s got to do it, so I’m up for the challenge.

So, how long have you been wearing night lenses?
I started using night lenses at the beginning of this year. I had been thinking about it for a while and thought, “This sounds promising,” so I decided to give it a shot, and there’s been no turning back since then!

Before using night lenses, you were wearing daytime lenses. Have you ever had any issues where the lens fell out during a soccer match?
Yes, it has happened a few times. The most recent incident occurred towards the end of last season. One thing led to another, and my lens came out. I ended up having to be substituted because I couldn’t get a new lens in due to the circumstances. So yes, my daytime lenses have come out during games a few times. But after that last incident, I definitely felt that night lenses would be a better fit for me and my lifestyle.

Let’s pretend your optometrist isn’t listening. Have you ever sneakily popped your daytime lens back in when it fell out?
Well, I have to admit, I’ve done it a few times. But let’s keep that between us and not tell the optometrist!

During a match, the risk of infection from doing so doesn’t really cross your mind, right?
You’re absolutely right. In the heat of the game, you don’t really think about it because of the circumstances. You definitely shouldn’t put a dropped lens back in, but sometimes you have to work with what you’ve got, and unfortunately, most of the time, it’s not going to be clean or pretty.

Now that you’re using night lenses, how much of a difference have they made for you on the soccer field?
Night lenses have given me the freedom and eliminated one major concern on match days. Before using night lenses, I was always thinking, “How do my lenses feel today?” If they weren’t feeling right, that would occupy my thoughts. Now, with night lenses, a significant burden has been lifted. There’s nothing in my eyes, and it’s a surreal feeling that I’m really enjoying.

During a match with daytime lenses, have you ever found yourself distracted by lens issues, taking your focus away from the game?
Absolutely. Many times, my contact lens would move, and I would try to adjust it, but often, I’d make it worse. Combining that with trying to concentrate on a high-intensity game wasn’t ideal.

Considering the frequent rain in Scotland and the nature of soccer involving a lot of heading the ball, not having anything in your eyes now must be a natural advantage of wearing night lenses?
Indeed, it’s a benefit. Although I can’t blame my lenses anymore as an excuse! But yes, the ball spends a lot of time in the air, and soccer is a physically demanding game here in Scotland. However, the advantages of night lenses are straightforward. It’s one less thing to worry about on match day, and one less thing to focus on.

Why would you recommend night lenses to other soccer players?
It’s a complete no-brainer! When you tell people about them, they can hardly believe that you can see perfectly with nothing in your eyes. I shared this with my parents and other family members, and they were amazed. I can’t praise night lenses enough. I love the everyday convenience of not having to wake up and worry about inserting a lens or where it’s sitting in my eye. It truly is a surreal feeling, and I would encourage more people to give it a try. I couldn’t be more grateful for my night lenses. They’ve been fantastic for me, and I believe they will be fantastic for many others. So, my advice is to go for it!

Tell us about this season. Are you feeling confident about it?
It’s going to be a challenging season. We’re not one of the full-time teams in the league. I think about four or five teams are part-time. We train three to four times a week but not every day, so we have a tough league ahead of us. But it’s great to be a part of it, and we’ll see how it goes. It’s still early days.

Is the training going well, and is the team gelling together?
The team is coming together nicely. Preseason is always tough, and no player enjoys it, but it’s a necessary part of the process. Now we’re getting into the real games, and it’s becoming exciting. I’m enjoying it!