(COLORADO SPRINGS) — A new, state-of-the-art gym was dedicated at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center on Monday, May 5, providing a permanent home for the sport of goalball.
Debuting in the Paralympics in 1976, goalball is a sport resembling soccer that is designed specifically for players with visual impairments. A unique facet in the world of athletics, goalball was designed with visual impairments accommodated, instead of fashioning an already-existing sport to fit the player.
“So other sports, like wheelchair basketball, is similar to running basketball–there is no sighted goalball, goalball is a sport that exists for blind and visually impaired athletes only,” said Nicole Kirk, Head Coach of Team USA Goalball. “It was developed for them specifically. So no modifications are needed.”
Visual impairments can make a lot of kids feel like they can’t be included in athletic play, but goalball is designed so kids and adults can get active and have fun, and maybe even achieve Paralympic greatness.
“It’s incredible. When I was younger, I loved playing sports, but with my vision impairment, I wasn’t able to compete at the level I wanted to,” said Team USA Goalball athlete Eliana Mesa. “So discovering goalball was life-changing, because it was the first time I could be an athlete first.”
The game works like soccer, but without the kicking. Two teams of three players face each other across a nine-meter wide, 18-meter long court with the intention of scoring in the opponent’s net, while protecting yours. The ball itself contains noisemakers inside, so athletes must rely on their sense of hearing to locate it on the court.
“People who throw really fast can throw that ball in excess of 35 miles per hour, so it’s coming at you pretty hard,” said Coach Kirk. “So you have to be able to find the ball with your ears and then get in front of the ball with your body.”
To help guide the players and to orient them on the court, tape and string are used on the floor for feeling, and since there are varying degrees of visual impairment, all players wear an eye shield–something players think enhances the game and deepens the skill required.
“Being on the court with the eyeshades on, it feels very empowering and freeing, to have vision eliminated from the game, and you can just work with all your other abilities to succeed,” said Mesa.
And, as of this spring, the team now has its own official court to train on in Colorado Springs. As the team looks ahead to the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games, this move solidifies a long-term commitment to high-performance excellence, athlete development, and national growth for the sport.
“The athletes are so happy because when you train in a space… often, we train in spaces that are, you know, a floor that is on, a concrete floor, or a floor that is just a wooden basketball court. And, to train a five-day, two-a-day training camp, it’s very, very hard on your body,” said Coach Kirk.
In a sport that utilizes so many other senses besides vision, goalball provides a sense of belonging.
“I don’t feel like I am at a disadvantage than my teammates or that… I’m hitting barriers, because there’s things I just physically can’t see. And so it was really incredible to find a sport and learn a sport that was meant for me,” said Mesa.
