A milestone moment occurred in Baltimore, Md., April 8-12, as the U.S. Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) conducted its first blind soccer talent identification camp since being certified by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee as the sport’s national governing body. Twelve athletes from 11 different states participated in three days of drills and scrimmages at the Maryland School for the Blind as USABA prepares to name its first-ever USA Blind Soccer National Team this October. "The level of athleticism and drive at this camp was not only impressive but inspiring,” said 19-year-old Bailey Martin of Hubbard, Iowa. “Every single…
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Colorado Springs, Colo. (April 13, 2022) – As the newly-certified National Governing Body for the Paralympic sport of blind soccer, the U.S. Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) has appointed six individuals to act as sport ambassadors. Throughout the year, the five athletes and one coach will assist the organization in spreading awareness around blind soccer programming and other initiatives via digital content and in-person appearances. Blind soccer has been part of the Paralympic Games since 2004 but the U.S. has never fielded a team in international competition. That will all change in the coming years as USABA develops a national…
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https://youtu.be/hZjl6YXzngE Colorado Springs, Colo. (January 5, 2022) –The United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) has received the highest level of certification from the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) to become the national governing body for blind soccer, globally known as blind football, a sport in which Team USA will make its Paralympic debut as the host nation of the Los Angeles 2028 Games. The certification was approved at the USOPC board of directors meeting on Dec. 16, 2021, in Salt Lake City. The USOPC also certified USABA as the national governing body for goalball, giving the organization…
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By Michael Lewis, TeamUSA.org Kevin Brown (l) and Antoine Craig take part in USABA's Blind Soccer Camp in Colorado Springs in August of 2021. Photo by Julie Larame. Jaime Garzon has dreams, some of them big ones. Not only does he want the United States to field a men’s blind soccer team for the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles, he also wants it to compete for a medal. There's one slight catch — the U.S. does not have a blind soccer team, at least not yet. But with the United States earning an automatic berth as host of the…
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By: Muhammad Waheed, USABA Member and Contributor Blind Soccer, or five-a-side football, is a popular sport around the world. Similar to futsal, each team has four players who are blindfolded with goalies who can be sighted. Teams have three guides while playing. There are side boards along the perimeter of the field that keep the ball in play and maintain flow for the game. Learn the rules of blind soccer United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) noticed a lack of teams and blind soccer players in the U.S. and is motivated to change that. Earlier this year, USABA hosted…
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