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USABA Conducts Visually Impaired & Blind Soccer Clinics as Part of PlayLA Adaptive Youth Sports Program

The U.S. Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) is supporting the City of Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Department (LA RAP) to launch the first visually impaired & blind soccer clinics as part of the PlayLA Adaptive Youth Sports Program. The free clinics are designed for blind and visually impaired youth ages 5-11 and 12-17, with all skill levels welcome to participate. Clinic participants will be taught blind soccer fundamentals, drills, game play and communication. The dates for the clinics are October 8, 15 & 22 and November 12. They will be held at the Algin Sutton Recreation Center in Los… Read More

Jake Czechowski Named 2022 Ronald W. Plassman Gold Standard Award Honoree

Jake Czechowski (l) poses with Mark and Anne Plassman, children of Ronald W. Plassman. FORT WAYNE, IN (September 9, 2022) — Turnstone Center and the U.S. Association for Blind Athletes (USABA) are pleased to announce Jake Czechowski has been named the 2022 Ronald W. Plassman Gold Standard Award honoree. The award was presented at the Turnstone Gala held September 8 in Fort Wayne, Ind. An employee of USABA, Czechowski currently serves as U.S. Women’s Goalball head coach and runs the USA Goalball Resident Program at the Goalball Center of Excellence in Fort Wayne. Nominations in support of Czechowski highlighted his… Read More

Kyle Coon and Greg Billington to Team Up for Philadelphia Distance Run Half Marathon

The Team USA Paratriathlon Team at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games (l to r) Brad Snyder, Greg Billington, Kyle Coon and Andy Potts (photo by Joe Kusumoto) Elite-level talent will combine forces on the streets of Philadelphia for the Philadelphia Distance Run (PDR) on Sept. 18. 2016 Olympian and 2020 Paralympic gold medalist Greg Billington (Spokane, Wash.) will serve as a guide runner for 2020 Paralympian Kyle Coon (Carbondale, Colo.) during the half marathon event. Coon is one of 25 visually impaired runners taking part in the annual race in conjunction with the U.S. Association of Blind Athletes (USABA). Coon,… Read More

Paralympic Medalists Huking and Armbruster Join USABA Staff

Two-time Paralympic medalist Marybai Huking and four-time Paralympic medalist Jennifer Armbruster have both joined the USABA staff. Huking was named USABA's sport program coordinator in May and Armbruster was recently appointed as blind soccer coordinator. Huking and Armbruster were Paralympic goalball teammates at the Rio 2016 Games when they teamed up to win the bronze medal...the first of two Paralympic medals for Huking and the last of four medals for Armbruster. Huking will be responsible for planning, implementing and evaluating USABA sports programming and events, with a particular focus on advancing and developing sport opportunities in the two Paralympic sports governed by USABA...goalball and… Read More

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