Big Soccer (Football) Dreams

Authors: Emily Coleman, Superintendent, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI)

In my office, I have a row of cabinet doors working as a dry-erase board. To be honest, the first time I wrote on them, I did wonder if I was accidentally vandalizing state property. Luckily, the markers did indeed prove to be erasable. Anyway…on my cabinet doors, I have a to-do list, a tally of a staff/student ongoing basketball competitions, and things titled “Big Dreams.” At the top of my list of big dreams is “Five-a-Side Soccer.”

Athletic opportunities specific for students who are blind, deafblind, or have low vision are rare. There are only a handful of sports specifically made for our population, and as the leading school for the blind in the United States, I believe we should always strive to provide those sports on our campus—not just to those who attend school full-time at TSBVI, but as a resource to all the students and adults around the state who would like to participate and perhaps compete professionally.

One of the leading sports for blind athletes is blind soccer, and it’s gaining momentum in the United States. Almost ten years ago, the Maryland School for the Blind installed the first International Blind Sports Federation regulation blind football (soccer) pitch at a school for the blind. Since then, many other states have pursued similar installations. In 2028, the Paralympic Games will be held in Los Angeles, and it will be the first time a USA team will compete at this level.

Recently on our podcast, A Sense of Texas, we interviewed TSBVI alumnus, Ricky Castaneda, who plays for the US National Blind Soccer Team and is a US Association of Blind Athletes Ambassador. While attending TSBVI, he recalls staff empowering him to be more independent and pursue his goals. When he was about 17 years old, he scored his first goal at an exhibition in Maryland and was encouraged to continue with the sport. Blind Soccer has given him leadership roles, a pathway to travel, and a chance to empower youth like himself to succeed.

It’s important to have a blind soccer pitch at TSBVI to fully appreciate the sport because it isn’t the same as a typical field. It’s about half the size of a regulation pitch and has walls lining the field to support blindfold play, with athletes utilizing a ball that makes sound. To freely and safely navigate the field, the sideboards are necessary to effectively play the sport and benefit from this rigorous physical activity. As Ricky stated, it also supports orientation and mobility skills as players navigate the field. 

Having access to sports, particularly team sports, provides students with innumerable opportunities to gain skills far beyond recreation. It teaches them collaboration, teamwork, leadership, and self-determination, which can support all of their own Big Dreams. As we propose funding a blind soccer pitch during the current legislative session, we’ll continue to provide our students alternative recreation and leisure activities to further their social-emotional and physical education. This Big Dream will remain on my cabinets until we reach our goal.

TX SenseAbilities invites readers to reread the Spring 2024 article about blind soccer by Mark Slavin, Director of Texas Blind Soccer, titled, “5-a-Side Blind Soccer Has Arrived.” This article includes videos of young children learning to play blind soccer. We know that it will help enhance our Superintendent’s Big Dream!   

Also please see the next article in this issue of TX SenseAbilities, “Early Access to Adapted Sports,” which continues the discussion on the importance of adaptive sports, including team sports, for students who are blind, deafblind or have low vision.

Official image of Ricky Castaneda as member of the USA Blind Soccer Men’s National Team