SAN DIEGO – The men’s paralympic soccer team for the U.S. Association of Blind Athletes visited sailors on Naval Air Station North Island in Coronado.
The players, originating from around the globe, were present alongside their coach and representatives from local organizations to provide an introduction into blind soccer.
“This is an opportunity for Navy Wounded Warriors to see that there is life after a specific trauma or circumstance in your life, to really compete at a high level,” said Navy Wounded Warrior Program Director Marcus Pace, who organized the event and introduced the attendees.
Blind soccer teams consist of five players per team, one of whom is sighted. The field is much smaller than normal, and sideboards are present along the length of the field with sighted guides placed at thirds—both changes implemented to assist with orientation and player positioning during game play.
Due to the spectrum of vision, all players wear eye shades to eliminate the possibility of light perception, and for overall eye protection. A smaller soccer ball is standard, with rattle pockets placed within the ball for players so players can identify its location on the field.
“It’s not necessarily just all about the sport, but it’s also about that community and connection and understanding what they’re going through on a day-to-day basis and how to really be able to connect on that level with some of the experiences and frustrations they have, either being blind and visually impaired or whatever disability they have,” said Katie Smith, the USA Blind Soccer Men’s National Team head coach. “Some of them have been blind their whole life, but others also have had tragic accidents, so a lot of these veterans can connect on the same level or a similar level to these athletes.”
Adaptive sports can be traced back to post WWII, when many service members returned home with disabilities. Today, organizations such as Wounded Warrior Program create opportunities to connect service members with an adaptive athletic program to continue rehabilitation and improve quality of life.
Blind soccer originated in Spain in the 1920s, and in 1996, was recognized by the International Blind Sports Federation. Although the sport has been part of the Paralympic Games since 2004, the U.S. will be competing for the first time as the host country in the upcoming 2028 games in Los Angeles.
