The U.S. Association of Blind Athletes announced it selected 10 athletes for the first-ever USA Blind Soccer Men’s National Team, which includes a Chula Vista resident.
The team was selected after a four-day selection camp held Oct. 27-30 in Chula Vista. The roster features eight athletes with visual impairments which includs 30-year-old David Brown from Chula Vista. The team will also have two sighted goalkeepers.
Brown is a three-time Paralympian in track and field, winning a gold medal in the 100 meters at the Rio 2016 Games. He is also a three-time world champion and world record holder in both the 200 meters and 100 meters where he became the first totally blind athlete to run under 11 seconds. In high school, Brown participated in track, wrestling, and goalball.
The sport of blind soccer has been part of the Paralympic Games since 2004, but the U.S. has never fielded a team. That will all change in 2028 when Los Angeles plays host to the Olympic and Paralympic Games and the U.S. will receive an automatic entry into the blind soccer competition as the host country.
“It was incredible to see the growth of the athletes at this first national selection camp. It is truly incredible being a part of this revolutionary team and to have another Paralympic sport for blind athletes all over the country to aspire toward. I look forward to seeing how this National Team progresses toward our goal of the 2028 Paralympics,” said Head Coach Katie Smith in a statement.
The athletes with visual impairments named to the team are Noah Beckman (Columbus, Ohio), Cody Kirchner (Columbia, S.C.), Ahmed Shareef (Staten Island, N.Y.), Ricardo Castaneda (Fort Worth, Texas), Kevin Brown (Falls Church, Va.), Antoine Craig (Richmond, Va.) and Alvaro Mora Arellano (Phoenix, Ariz.). The two sighted goalkeepers selected are Brandt Herron (Palm Coast, Fla.) and Kyle Knott (Brevard, N.C.).
The USA Blind Soccer Men’s National Team will begin international competition in 2023, the first step to competing at the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games.
“In the next six years, the world’s two biggest sporting events will happen on American soil,” said USABA CEO Molly Quinn. “In 2026, the FIFA World Cup will be played throughout the U.S. for the first time in three decades. In 2028, the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games will take place in Los Angeles. It will mark the first time that L.A. has played host to the Paralympic Games.”
