A Look Back on the Road to Paris…2016 Rio Paralympic Games

The USA Goalball men’s team captured its fifth Paralympic medal and third silver medal at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. Led by head coach Mike Legé, the U.S. squad was comprised of a balanced mix of Paralympic veterans and newcomers in three-time Paralympian Tyler Merren (Coral Springs, Fla.), two-time Paralympians Joe Hamilton (Sacramento, Calif.) and Daryl Walker (Jacksonville, Fla.), and first-time Paralympians Andy Jenks (Wilmington, Del.), John Kusku (Commerce Township, Mich.) and Matt Simpson (Smyrna, Ga.). A packed Maracana Stadium hosted the opening ceremony on September 7 as Rio welcomed Latin America’s first Paralympic Games. After a long wait to…  Read More

A Look Back on the Road to Paris…2004 Athens Paralympic Games

Following three straight Paralympic Games without a podium appearance and coming off an 11th-place finish in the 12-team tournament at the Sydney 2000 Paralympics, the USA Goalball men’s team came into the Athens 2004 Games set to reverse its fortunes. John Mulhern was the only returning team member from the Sydney Games. He was joined on the squad by first-time Paralympians Chris Dodds, Daniel Gallant, Tyler Merren and Donte Mickens, as well as Eddie Munro who had competed in two previous Paralympic Games as a track and field athlete but was making his Paralympic debut in goalball. For the first…  Read More

A Look Back on the Road to Paris…1988 Seoul Paralympic Games

As the USA Goalball men’s team journeys along on the Road to Paris, during the month of April we’ll be taking a peek in the rearview mirror at past Paralympic Games where the U.S. men’s team reached the podium. This week we reflect on the 1988 Paralympic Games in Seoul, Korea. The USA Goalball men’s team competing at the 1988 Paralympic Games in Seoul, Korea, returned all three starters from the 1984 gold-medal squad, so hopes for a repeat podium appearance were high. Future USABA Hall of Famers Reni Jackson (Louisville, Ky.) and James Neppl (Rock Island, Ill.) joined center…  Read More

A Look Back on the Road to Paris…1984 New York Games

As the USA Goalball men's team journeys along on the Road to Paris, during the month of April we'll be taking a peek in the rearview mirror at past Paralympic Games where the U.S. men's team reached the podium. This week we reflect on the 1984 Games in Nassau County, N.Y. The 1984 USA Goalball Men's Paralympic Team. Front row (l to r) Coach Stephen Kearney, James Neppl, Kevin Szott, John Cutliff and Trainer Val Lindbloom. Back row (l to r) Winford Haynes, Reni Jackson and George Morris. The first Paralympic Games held on U.S. soil occurred June 16-30, 1984…  Read More

A Look Back on the Road to Paris…1980 Arnhem Games

As the USA Goalball men's team journeys along on the Road to Paris, during the month of April we'll be taking a peek in the rearview mirror at past Paralympic Games where the U.S. men's team reached the podium. We start with the 1980 Games in Arnhem, Holland. The 6th Olympics for the Physically Disabled (later known as the Paralympic Games) took place June 21-July 5, 1980, in Arnhem, Holland. The event spawned from the annual Stoke Mandeville Games for the disabled, the brainchild of Sir Ludwig Guttmann who had established the world-famous Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville, England,…  Read More