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

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

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

Josh Welborn Looks to Finish Impressive Summer with Gold in Lima

by Bill Kellick The three big summer holidays of 2019 appear like mile markers on Josh Welborn’s goalball roadmap. Memorial Day weekend saw Welborn’s team take gold at the United States Association of Blind Athletes’ National Championships. Over the Fourth of July week, he led Team USA as the top goal scorer during the International Blind Sports Federation’s Goalball Qualifier. Soon, the summer will come to a close just before Labor Day with the Parapan American Games in Lima, Peru, where the U.S. men’s team is looking to secure its quota spot for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Flashback to…  Read More

Eight Paralympic Medalists Dot U.S. Goalball Rosters for Parapan American Games

(July 25, 2019) -- The United States will send a seasoned group of goalball athletes, sprinkled with a few rising stars, to Lima, Peru, to compete at the 2019 Parapan American Games next month. Two-thirds of the men’s and women’s goalball rosters include medalists from the Paralympic Games Rio 2016. For the U.S. men’s goalball team, the Parapan Am Games represent the final opportunity to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games. The team will need to finish on the top step of the podium to secure their ticket to Tokyo next year. Four returning members from the silver-medal winning…  Read More