News

Second Blind Soccer Talent ID Camp Held in South Carolina

Coaches and athletes from across the U.S. converged on Rock Hill, S.C., July 8-10, to take part in a blind soccer talent identification camp. The event was organized by the United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) in conjunction with the Charlotte Independence Soccer Club. The camp consisted of three full days of training with two on-field sessions each day. Camp participants also attended the July 8 game between the Charlotte Independence and the Richmond Kickers. “As the newly-certified national governing body for blind soccer in the U.S., we are fast-tracking our talent identification with camps around the country,” said… Read More

National Goalball Championships Return After Three-Year Hiatus

Twenty teams from across the United States converged on Fort Wayne, Indiana, July 15-17, to compete for the coveted title of national champion at the 2022 U.S. Association of Blind Athletes’ National Goalball Championships. Due to the COVID pandemic in 2020, this marked the first national championships held since 2019. It also marked a return to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Site at Turnstone Center, the training base for the USA Men’s and Women’s Goalball Teams, for the first time since 2018. Three days of spirited competition and camaraderie ended with the awarding of team medals and individual awards… Read More

Ronald Plassman Gold Standard Award

Established in 2021, the Ronald Plassman Gold Standard Award is presented annually each fall to deserving athletes, coaches, and program supporters who demonstrate gold standard values lived out by the actions and support of Ron Plassman (1940-2022). These include excellence on the field of play, sportsmanship, leadership, and championing the sport of goalball. Ron Plassman was a passionate champion of goalball, adaptive sports, and the Paralympic movement. Ron’s passionate support, specifically for goalball athletes, led to the creation of the Goalball Center of Excellence in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the first training site of its kind in the United States and… Read More

Seven Ambassadors Selected to Help USABA Expand Endurance Sport Offerings for Runners and Guides

Colorado Springs, Colo. (June 14, 2022) – The U.S. Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) is pleased to name its third team of sport ambassadors for 2022. Five runners with visual impairments will join two sighted guide runners in comprising the USABA Endurance Sport Ambassador Team. Throughout the year, the endurance sport ambassadors will assist USABA in spreading awareness around endurance sport offerings and other initiatives via digital content, networking and in-person appearances. The five runners selected for the USABA Endurance Sport Ambassador Team include Vietnam War veteran Ramiro Contreras (Oceanside, Calif.), Paralympic triathlete Kyle Coon (Jacksonville, Fla.), reigning USABA Marathon… Read More

Eleven Tokyo 2020 Paralympians Among 16 Goalball Sport Ambassadors Named by USABA

Colorado Springs, Colo. (May 19, 2022) – The U.S. Association of Blind Athletes (USABA), recently certified as the National Governing Body for the Paralympic sport of goalball, is pleased to announce 16 individuals who will serve as goalball sport ambassadors. Throughout the year, the ambassadors will assist USABA in spreading awareness around goalball programming and other initiatives via digital content and in-person appearances. The 16 athletes selected include 11 Paralympians and nine Paralympic medalists. Ten of the 11 Paralympians competed at the most recent Paralympic Games in Tokyo last summer. The nine Tokyo Paralympians include Zach Buhler (Huntington, Ind.), Lisa… Read More