Power Soccer in town this weekend
By Rick Henly on Thursday, March 25th, 2010 |
A new and unique event will be in town this weekend. The Division I Midwest Regional competition of Power Soccer will be held at Huntington North High School in the gymnasium. The games begin at 9 am both on Saturday and Sunday. The championship game will take place at 3:15 pm Sunday afternoon.
Power Soccer is the first competitive team sport designed and developed specifically for power wheelchair users. These participants include persons with quadriplegia, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, head trauma, stroke, spinal cord injury and other disabilities. Power Soccer combines the skill of the wheelchair user with the speed and power of the chair itself, to participate in an extremely challenging game similar to soccer. The game is played in a gymnasium on a regulation basketball court. Two teams of four power chair users attack, defend, and spin-kick a 13-inch soccer ball in an attempt to score goals. Power Soccer is a very active and growing sport, both nationally and internationally.
The local event this weekend will include 52 athletes in wheelchairs, approximately 200 people in town including coaches, family and friends. It is sponsored by the United States Power Soccer Association. USPSA is the governing body for Power Soccer in the United States.
Rose Meldrum, director of the Huntington Visitor and Convention Bureau, was instrumental in bringing the event to Huntington. "Next year we hope to expand to have two Divisions competing. It will be very exciting" she told Huntington Free Press on Thursday.
The web address is: www.powersoccerusa.net
There is no charge for spectators. Anyone interested in learning about playing on a future team can call Drew Achenbach at 260-483-2100.
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