FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — The U.S. Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) has announced the 2023 USABA Goalball National Championships are returning to Turnstone Center in Fort Wayne.
Goalball is similar to soccer and played like reverse dodgeball, but designed for athletes who were born blind or lost their sight. It is a 3 on 3 sport played on a volleyball court. The ball has bells embedded inside of it. All players are blindfolded, so instead of seeing the ball come at them, they can only hear it.
The lines on the court are tactically available so players can feel where they are. A good game usually has a combined score of 3-5 points.
Turnstone Center, which is a U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Site, is also the training base for the USA Goalball resident program and is supported by a community of goalball enthusiasts and volunteers who will once again bring a high level of excitement to this annual event.
This is an exciting year for the sport of goalball across the country. Our USA Goalball men
Molly Quinn, USABA CEOs and womens teams are in qualification mode for next years Paralympic Games in Paris and this years National Championships falls between the two big qualification events of the year, the IBSA World Games in August and the Parapan American Games in November.
The USABA Goalball National Championships are happening this weekend, starting September 22 – 24. Events start around noon on Friday. Turnstone is still looking for volunteers to be apart of this event. If you would like to show your support, you can visit their website.
