When The Goal Moves, How Do Goalball Athletes Adjust?

by Bill Kellick The date August 25, 2020, was circled on all the calendars of Paralympic hopefuls across the U.S. and around the world. As the day on which the Paralympic torch would be lit during the opening ceremony for the Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, it represented a goal. For athletes in the sport of goalball – a Paralympic sport played by athletes with visual impairments using a ball with bells inside -- the goal signifies everything. During a game, they cannot see the goal, but they know it’s there…right across from them at the other end of the court. Sure,…  Read More

Blind and Visually Impaired Skiers Attend 13th Annual Winter Ski Festival at Pico Mountain

U.S. Association of Blind Athletes and Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports host largest gathering in the nation KILLINGTON, Vt. (Feb. 7, 2020) – The United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) is pleased to partner with Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports to host the 13th annual Winter Ski Festival at Pico Mountain, Feb. 8-9. For more than a decade, USABA and Vermont Adaptive have worked together to coordinate an event where Americans who are blind and visually impaired can participate in alpine skiing, snowboarding and Nordic skiing. The event continues to be the largest annual gathering in the United States…  Read More

USA Women’s Goalball Celebrates National Girls & Women in Sports Day

February 5th is National Girls and Women in Sports Day, a day set aside to celebrate and encourage the involvement of females in sports, so more women can emerge as leaders in sports and life. Sports are much more than just a game or just a competition. Sports are an opportunity to learn more about yourself and develop skills that will benefit you in and out of competition. In celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day, we asked members of our women’s goalball team to share their experiences in sports and how they use their love for sports…  Read More

“The community I became a part of was one I want to be a part of for life” -Tina Muir, on her USABA experience

Tina Muir is an elite, world-class runner who has posted a personal-best time of 2:36 at the 2016 California International Marathon and competed for Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the World Half Marathon Championships. Below, Tina shares her life-changing experience as a USABA guide runner at the 2019 USABA Marathon National Championships, held in conjunction with the California International Marathon in Sacramento. For the first 14 years of my life as a runner, it was all about winning. About being my best and taking all the necessary steps (and beyond) to get to the top. My training controlled everything…  Read More

How to Become a Goalball Official

by Sierra Romero Goalball has been a sport for 73 years, each year bringing more talent and excitement to the court. As goalball continues to grow, there is also the need for more goalball officials. A goalball official is the same as a referee in any other sport. Their job is to uphold the rules and maintain the flow of the game. Goalball officials are usually volunteers who have received training or certification to ensure high-quality officiating. To gain a better understanding of what this position looks like, Linda Welborn, a goalball official, provided a peek into her life and…  Read More