USABA Updates Calendar of Sports Events

The United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) has updated its calendar of events, both across the U.S. and internationally. Events range from those open to amateur competition, to elite-level competition, and everything in between. The following events are presently on the calendar. Some events, such as the marathon, are open to sighted persons, but have accessibility to the sight-impaired. Information can be obtained by going to the USABA’s website.

2013
December 8: California International Marathon
December 8: Northern California Youth Mara-Fun Run and Paralympic Experience in Sacramento, CA

2014
February 7-10: USABA/VASS Winter Ski Festival in Killington, Vermont
March 5-9: USABA/BOEC Winter Ski Festival in Breckenridge, Colorado
August 28-September 1: UCI ParaCycling World Championships in Greenville, South Carolina

2016
September 7-18: Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Goalball Calendar
2013
November 1-3: Lakeshore Regional Youth Goalball Tournament in Birmingham, AL
November 7-9: USABA High School Goalball National Championships in St. Augustine, FL

2014
February 7-9: Cascade Classic Regional Tournament in Vancouver, WA
March 1-2: John Bakos Memorial/USABA Midwest Regional Goalball Tournament in Warren, MI (dates tentative)
May 3-4: Cascade Classic Developmental Team Tournament in Vancouver, WA
May 16-17 (tentative): USABA Western Regional Goalball Tournament in Salt Lake City, UT
June 19-21: USABA Goalball National Championships in Ames, IA
June 26-July 7: IBSA World Goalball Championships in Espoo, Finland

2015
May (date TBA): IBSA World Championships and Games in Seoul, Korea
August 7-14: Parapan American Games in Toronto, Canada

2016
September 7-18: Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

About USABA: USABA is a Colorado-based 501(c) (3) organization that provides life-enriching sports opportunities for every individual with a visual impairment.  A member of the U.S. Olympic Committee, USABA provides athletic opportunities in various sports including, but not limited to track and field, nordic and alpine skiing, biathlon, judo, wrestling, swimming, tandem cycling, powerlifting and goalball (a team sport for the blind and visually impaired).

USABA was founded by Dr. Charles Buell in 1976 with the purpose of improving the lives of people who are blind and visually impaired. That year, 27 young men and women were selected to represent the United States in the first Olympiad for the Disabled in Toronto, Canada. As a result of this Olympic involvement, a group of national leaders, educators and coaches of the visually impaired met to discuss the need for an organization to structure, promote and sponsor competitions for people who are blind and visually impaired throughout the United States.

 Today, USABA has evolved into a national organization that provides sports opportunities to thousands of children, youth, adults and veterans who are blind and visually impaired.  USABA programs serve athletes of all ages and abilities from local grassroots programs to the elite Paralympic level. Information is available here.