Moran Eye Center supports Utah Goalball Teams

Imagine wearing a blindfold that lets in absolutely no light. Together with two other blind teammates it's your job to prevent a three pound rubber ball from being thrown past you into a soccer-like goal. The only sense you can use is your hearing to detect the small bells inside the ball. In eight-tenths of a second you must determine its location, direction and speed as it streaks toward you, and then throw your body in position to block it. If you're successful, you then have 10 seconds to locate the ball, stand up, orient yourself and throw it back at your opponent's goal. That's the excitement of goalball!

Goalball is a sport that was created after World War II in an effort to give blinded veterans a physical activity. Because athletes who play the sport today have varying levels of sight ability, they all wear an eye covering so that everyone in the game is totally blind. It's usually played on a basketball court with taped or raised lines so players can feel the markings and know where they are on the court.

Today Goalball is played by thousands of blind children and teens around the world. According to Tony Jepson, a member of the board of directors of Utah Foundation for the Blind and Visually Impaired, "Blind kids don't have a lot of opportunities to get out and exercise and socialize." This sport gives them the opportunity to enjoy the thrill of competition and the camaraderie of being part of an athletic team.

When asked what its like to watch his daughter play Goalball, one of the parents at a recent Salt Lake tournament said, "It's like watching her do reverse basketball dunks while wearing a blindfold - over and over again!"

The John A. Moran Eye Center is pleased to support our championship Utah goalball teams by helping supply players shirts. Utah teams have been successful in national competitions, with two national titles for the boys and a second-place finish last year for the girls. Utah athlete Chris Dodds competed and won a bronze medal with the U.S.A. Paralympic Goalball Team. If you've never watched goalball, you should go to a game. For those of us without heightened senses, it's fascinating to watch athletes tap into seemingly super-human powers of non-visual perception and ability.