Goalball is a sport designed for the blind and visually impaired. The sport was originally created to assist in the rehabilitating of War veterans who lost their sight in WWII. It is played with two teams of up to 6 athletes. Three players per team take the court on opposing sides, they then take turns throwing a “Goalball” at each other. The object of the game is to throw a ball that gets past the 3 other players on the other end of the court and into the goal. Now this doesn’t sound to hard right? Well we have yet to discuss the most defining aspect of the game. All players on the court are required to wear a blindfold, totally blinding athletes with partial sight allowing an even playing field for all the players. This adds a twist to the game that forces the athletes to completely rely on their hearing.

Benefits of goalball

Goalball not only keeps the players who are involved physically active, but it also helps develop skills that can be used in everyday life. It helps with awareness to your surroundings, mobility and orientation, as well as communication skills. It also brings a team comradery that you won’t find in individual sports, not to mention there are many opportunities to compete on every level all the way up to the Paralympics.

Contact

For more information, you can e-mail Kou Yang at KYang2@cityofsacramento.org

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