USABA Announces Six Sport Ambassadors for Paralympic Sport of Blind Soccer

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…  Read More

USA Goalball Teams Medal at Americas Championships

The USA Men’s and Women’s Goalball Teams both came away with medals around their necks at the conclusion of the IBSA Goalball Americas Championships that took place Feb. 18-22 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The U.S. men’s team won the silver medal, while the U.S. women’s team came away with the bronze. Most importantly, the men’s team achieved qualification for this summer’s IBSA Goalball World Championships and will join the women’s team which had pre-qualified by virtue of their silver medal at the Tokyo Paralympic Games. The world championships will take place June 6-18 in Hangzhou, China, and will play a…  Read More

Finding Team After Blindness

Goalball player off to Brazil for tourney BLAKE SEBRING | For The Journal Gazette When Huntington's Zach Buhler was 12 years old, he started losing his sight because of the genetic disorder Stickler syndrome. His whole life outside of school was built around football, baseball, basketball, track and cross country, but everything changed. “I always wanted to be something big in sports,” Buhler said. “When I lost my vision, playing basketball is a little difficult when you can't see the ball. When that got taken away, it did a number on me, to say the least.” Understandably, Buhler figured his…  Read More

Road to Paris Begins with Experienced U.S. Team Competing at Goalball Americas Championships

The United States Association of Blind Athletes has announced the 11 athletes selected to represent the U.S. at the upcoming IBSA Americas Goalball Championships in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Feb. 15-22, an event that serves as a critical first step on the road to the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. The U.S. roster includes seven members of the 2020 Paralympic Goalball Team that competed in Tokyo, Japan, last summer and who boast a combined 23 Paralympic Games appearances. That experience will be important on the men’s side as the first-place finishers at the Americas Championships receive automatic qualification for the 2022 IBSA…  Read More