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The U.S. Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) and USA Blind Soccer will hold a special event in Miami on Saturday, February 24. The USA Blind Soccer – Kickoff for Inclusion event embodies the spirit of inclusion, offering a unique opportunity to witness the inaugural USA Blind Soccer Men’s National Team as they redefine the boundaries of sports in South Florida. In collaboration with Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, the occasion is part of the nationwide Building Blind Soccer initiative funded through U.S. Soccer’s Innovate to Grow grant to expand the sport at the grassroots level. Building Blind Soccer sites have already been established in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Dallas, Columbus, Charlotte and Baltimore.
“Introducing a new sport in the United States is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” added USABA CEO Molly Quinn. “With the FIFA World Cup happening in 2026 and the USA Blind Soccer Team making its historic debut at the LA28 Paralympic Games two years later, the energy level is high with soccer in the U.S. We see Miami as one of the most important anchor cities in the U.S. as we build our roadmap to 2028.”
This exciting day will allow attendees the opportunity to meet seven athletes from the first-ever USA Blind Soccer Men’s National Team plus a developmental athlete from Miami, view a blind soccer demonstration and try the sport themselves. Soccer is for all, and the USA Blind Soccer Team showcases that, regardless of ability, anyone can thrive while playing the sport.
“Leading the charge, the Anthony R. Abraham Foundation, in strategic partnership with the U.S. Association of Blind Athletes and Miami Lighthouse, is proudly launching Miami’s inaugural blind soccer program, establishing it as the eighth site for the sport within our country,” said Thomas A. Abraham, the foundation’s chairman and Team USA’s ambassador for blind soccer. “This pioneering effort highlights our belief in the transformative power of sports to create opportunities, dismantle barriers, and nurture inclusivity for the visually impaired.”
Virginia A. Jacko, President & CEO of Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired agrees that it’s a significant event.
“With nearly 100,000 blind and visually impaired residents in Miami-Dade County, we’re grateful to USABA and USA Blind Soccer for their local partnership to help us create empowerment through sports and provide freedom to visually impaired athletes,” said Jacko. “We’re equally proud that one of our own Miami Lighthouse instructors, Oseas De Leon, is striving to make the 2024 USA Blind Soccer Men’s National Team and is a Paralympic hopeful for the LA28 Paralympic Games.”
USA Blind Soccer Kickoff for Inclusion Event Details
Date: Saturday, February 24
Arrival Time: 8:45 a.m. EST
Event Time: 9:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. EST
- Program #1: 9 a.m. –10:15 a.m.: For blind and visually impaired youth (18 & under) and adults
- Program #2: 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.: Blind soccer experience for stakeholders and potential coaches
- Demonstration 11:45 a.m. –1:00 p.m.: Blind soccer demonstration & meet-n-greet lunch with members of the first-ever USA Blind Soccer Men’s National Team
The event will take place at Soctainer in Little Havana, located at 820 SW 20th Ave., Miami, FL 33135. Valet parking will be provided.
Please RSVP by Feb. 16 at Blind Soccer Kickoff for Inclusion Event Experience Registration. Here’s the link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LZVBCYZ
USA Blind Soccer athletes in attendance
Noah Beckman (Columbus, Ohio)
Ricardo Castaneda (Fort Worth, Texas)
Charles Catherine (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Cody Kirchner (Columbia, S.C.)
Alvaro Mora Arellano (Phoenix, Ariz.) TBD
Ahmed Shareef (Staten Island, N.Y.)
Oseas De Leon (Miami, Fla.) *developmental athlete
Brandt Herron (Jacksonville, Fla.) *sighted goalkeeper
