COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Four years ago the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC and Special Olympics Colorado created the first-ever Unified Soccer Team of the USL. This partnership provides opportunities for people with disabilities to be included in sports.
Unified Team Coordinator, Yariv Ben-Naim has been apart of the team since the very beginning.
"What I love about the team is that they're a good team, they have the best athletes, peer partners and coaches," Ben-Naim said. "They focus on the ability and not the disability."
The 2024 team made its grand entrance at Weidner Field on Monday night. In addition to the new players, there's a new face on the coaching staff; former USWNT member, Jennifer Grubb.
"My real motivation is giving back to the game," Grubb said. "We have a coaching staff that's come together to figure out how to get the best out of every player, and you can just feel the excitement."
The official Switchbacks Unified schedule will be released soon.
