COLORADO SPRINGS- The United States Association of Blind Athletes of Colorado Springs works to provide resources and opportunities for blind and visually impaired people.
Their newest effort is providing a first-ever blind soccer development camp to Colorado Springs.
"Blind soccer is a relatively new sport in the U.S. You might be thinking to yourself, how in the world does that work," said Kevin Broussard.
Broussard was born legally blind and had much success competing internationally for the United States, including being a 3-time world champion in track and field.
After over a decade of competing in multiple sports, Broussard is retired and works alongside USABA to inspire others to pursue their dreams.
"We're here to provide those resources, those opportunities to make sure those adaptations are there and every blind person can have a healthy lifestyle.”
The game includes a ball with barriers, so players can hear the noises when the ball is kicked. Players except for goaltenders will have blacked-out eyeshades on to make things fair.
"The purpose of that, the players on the field have varied levels of visual visibility. But when you put the blacked-out eyeshades on, everyone is on the same playing field with no vision whatsoever. "
The USABA is actively looking to fill spots for their camp to recruit players for their national team.
"As of 2028, the U.S will host the Paralympic Games in Los Angeles so that the U.S. will have an automatic bid into those games. So, this is the beginning of the process of building the team in Los Angeles for Team USA" said Bill Kellick.
It's the beginning of blind soccer, and USABA invites the community to be a part of the experience. The application deadline is July 1st.
