For Immediate Release
Contact: Betsy Heckert
May 5, 2008
719.630-0422 / media@usaba.org

** MEDIA ADVISORY **

USABA Nominates Goalball Teams for 2008 Paralympic Games

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) -- The United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) is pleased to nominate to the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) the goalball athletes who will represent the United States in the 2008 Summer Beijing Paralympic Games.

Nominated athletes for the 2008 Men's team include:

Donte' Mickens, Tallahassee , Fla.
Eddie Munro, St Augustine , Fla.
Daryl Walker, Jacksonville , Fla.
Tyler Merren, Kalamazoo , Mich.
Steve Denuyl, Kalamazoo , Mich.
Chris Dodds, Logan , Utah

Nominated Athletes for the 2008 Women's team include:

The USABA National Goalball Teams, sponsored by National Industries for the Blind (NIB), submitted the athletes' names to the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) for approval on May 1, 2008. Once approved, the athletes are official members of Team USA .

These national teams have been working toward improving on their success in Athens where the Women's Team took a silver medal and the Men's team earned a bronze medal .

Coaches for the men's team include Tom Parrigin of St. Augustine, Fla.; Mike Lege of Elkton, Fla.; Team Leader, John Potts, Shiloh, Ill.; and Trainer, Dustin Williams of Provo, Utah. Coaches for the women's team include Ken Armbruster of Colorado Springs, Colo.; Sharon Gunderman of Dubois , Pa.; Team Leader, Lou Thomson of Landrum, S.C.; and Trainer, Gwyneth Short of Lakewood, Colo.

Goalball is a unique sport that empowers athletes to assert their physical capabilities regardless of blindness and serves as a testament to the overall capabilities of people who are blind in every aspect of life. There are currently more than 50 national goalball teams that regularly compete in regional, state and national competitions. At the elite level, goalball teams compete at the Paralympic Games, the World's largest sporting event for athletes with physical disabilities.

Betsy Heckert
United States Association of Blind Athletes
33 North Institute
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
www.usaba.org
719.630.0422 ph.
719.630.0616 fx.

National Industries for the Blind is non-profit organization dedicated to creating, sustaining and improving employment opportunities for people who are blind.

About USABA: USABA's Mission – to enhance the lives of blind and visually impaired people by providing the opportunity for participation in sports and physical activity.  For more information, please visit our Web site: www.usaba.org

The United States Association of Blind Athletes, a member organization of the U.S. Olympic Committee, is a non-profit organization that provides training for blind and visually impaired athletes for competition in nine sports. USABA members range from blind children developing sports skills to elite athletes who train for competitions such as the Paralympic Games, which continually draws more than 4,000 disabled athletes.