Goalball: The Greatest Sport You Never Heard Of

Goalball, a sport that most people haven't heard of, was created specifically for athletes with visual impairment. "It was developed after World War Two. A lot of veterans all over the world as a recreational rehabilitation tool for men who had gone blind" says goalball paralympian, Andrew Jenks. While the game incorporates elements from well-known sports like soccer and bowling, it is not merely an adaptation; rather, the entire game is tailored for blind athletes. The balls used in goalball have bells in them so players can hear them approaching, and there is rope under the tape on the court to help players feel their way around. Additionally, since not every visually impaired athlete experiences blindness in the same way, all players must wear eye masks to completely nullify their vision.

The objective of the game is to score points by rolling or bouncing the ball into the opposing team's net, while the other team attempts to block the ball using their bodies. "You're throwing yourself down onto the ground and having to run around" says Kassandra Hernandez, who has been playing the sport for 18 years, "and it's a lot of up and down. It's a lot on your joints."

Since players cannot rely on their vision, sound becomes the most crucial sense in goalball. As athlete Josh Schwartz puts it, "You can't see, so hearing kicks in." For more information about goalball, interested individuals can visit The Blind Sports Organization's website: www.blindsports.org

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