We have a website...we're famous!!!!

...Okay maybe only half of that statement is true...we have a website! Thanks to the awesome work of Ron Logan to take time out of his very busy schedule and make the site.

The site will definitely help us promote the team and contains everything you could want to know about us. There is everything from player profiles, to stats, to information on the Paralympics.

The site can be found at www.back-spin.com


Also, World Championships have been set and we will be off to Holland in October. I know it will be a learning experience for us but I am really excited and will be ready to go!

No One on the Corner has a Schwagger Like Us!

Yesterday was our first training session and well usually the first day does not go well but yesterday was probably one of the worst practices we have had since I became a part of the team. We couldn't do the simpilest things and needless to say coach was none to pleased.

That being said today was a new day and a better day at that. We worked on all technical parts of the game (ball work). Everyone seemed to be more focused and paid attention to detail. It was a very warm practice but everyone remained upbeat and worked through it. Hopefully we can build off of today and progress forward.

Now to waht most of my friends seem to ask about, what kind of clothes did you get? We got some really nice "schwag" this time. We got a coat, some tee shirts, including a livestrong one and three pairs of shorts. Well we don't officially get paid to play it is nice to get hooked up from Nike!

UPDATE

I realize that I have slacked in keeping this up to date but that is mainly because the team is not together right now and not a whole lot is going on.

We will be back in training camp in early April. This camp will not be as large as the last but will be just as important as we draw closer to the World Championships.

The team has been invited to a tournament in May in Holland. We went to a similar tournament two years ago and didn't fair that well. We are waiting to see if we can get the funding to go and hopefully we do because it is very important to get the new young players some tournament experience before showing up to World Championships.

As for myself, I am training very hard trying to get ready. I currently am going to the gym 6 days a week and am on a strict diet in order to try and get my weight lower so that I can be more mobile and effective on the field. I have also been set up with a club team out here in the area to train with and that will begin shortly. That is very important because it will be make me a stronger player on the ball and more of a play maker for the team.

I guess that is all for now but keep checking back to see how things stand with the team.

Josh Blue on Comedy Central

As many people know one of the team members is a well known comedian. Josh Blue won season 4 of NBC's Last Comic Standing and currently tours the country doing his routine. Josh has worked very hard to get to this point in his career and he has been rewarded with his very own Comedy Central Special!

Josh's comedy centers around his life and living with Cerebral Palsy. He is an inspiration for all people (disabled and able bodied). Many people living with disabilities really look up to Josh as he has provided them with a voice and has shown that a physical disability does not have to hold you back.

The special will air on March 27th at 10 pm. This is a very big accomplishment for Josh and his teammates are proud of him. Great work Josh and keep on doing what you are doing!

Why do I compete?

I feel like people don't understand why I have invested so much of my life into this soccer team. I have moved twice to put myself in a better position to contribute to the team and frankly my life seems to revolve around being on the team.

Well, first off I am grateful that my CP is not severe and that I have been able to surround myself with people that look past it and don't view it as a big deal. With that being said it is nice to be around people who have gone through similar circumstances that i have in my own life, allof your insecurities seem to go out the window.

Ever since I can remember sports have been a huge part of my life. We had a basement that was finished and I used to play every sport imaginable down there and "won" the superbowl and gold medals numerous times. I always dreamed of playing a sport professionally or every four years when the Olympics were on i would think how amazing it must be to represent your country. Well this team allows me to fulfill those dreams that I had as a young boy. It is he best feeling in the world to wear your country's colors with pride and take on the world's best. I scored the tying goal vs. England in holland (2007) and i can not even describe how I felt after scoring that goal.

The Paralympics is not a feel good event full of hugs and "oh you tried so hard"attitudes. It is comprised of athlestes that represent their countries with immsense pride just like a Michael Phelps or Shawn Johnson does in the able bodied games. We compete for medals that are made from tte same gold, silver, and bronze that are used in the Olympics.

I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like to win a medal but I can tell you it is the thought of winning a medal will make you do funny things. Funny things like, move 3,000 miles away from your family in friends to put yourself in the best position to win a medal.

Funny thing that medal will make you do...

One step closer to World Championships

Camp has come and gone and all things considered it seemed to go pretty well. The last day was by far the most difficult. We did 4 x 6 minute runs with only 3 minutes of rest in between and then we did 3 x 1 minute runs. As tiring as that was it was good because it shows everyone how they should be training.

We brought in a club team to train with and it we played pretty well, we definitely held our own. Also ussoccer.com did a story on us and here is the link http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_12746755.html. The young players are improving every camp and that is exciting because the better that they get, the better we are as a team.

Coach was pleased with my play and said to keep up the good work. He said that my ball skills have improved immensely. We are going to get me training with a club team that is out this way and that should help take my game even further.

Tyler Hansbrough is a Paralympian?

Well no the All-American and soon to be leading scorer in ACC history is not on the Paralympic Soccer Team but his older brother Greg is trying out and has been brought in for his first camp.

Greg is now 25 and suffered a brain tumor when he was about 7 or 8. The effects of the tumor have left him mildly disabled on his left side (similar to other players). Soccer is somewhat new to Greg but he is displaying the work ethic necessary to take him to the next level with the team. Only time will tell if this Hansbrough will go on to accomplish big things in the world of sports.

Here's to hoping...

Training Camp Update

The team arrive Sunday afternoon for the largest training camp in team history. The staff continue to grow the player pool which is a great thing, it creates competition for the final twelve roster spots.

practice has gone well over the first few days. Some of the new guys look pretty decent and will certainly help the team in years to come and some of the newer guys that are in only their 2nd or third camp have definitely improved. It is exciting when you see younger players start to get better and grow because that is what ultimately makes a team better.

Day by Day recap:

Sunday- A fair amount of technical ball work (dribbling, juggling etc...). The team was then split into 4 smaller teams and played small sided games, the competition and the play was decent but should improve as the week goes on.

Monday- Similar to Sunday except agility was included in practice. The team did more technical work and then went into small sided games. I was not overly pleased with how I played but it certainly could have been worse. The PM session was canceled due to heavy rains that flooded our fields.

Tuesday- The team was in the weight room for some strength and conditioning in the morning. At the afternoon session the team had to perform a 6 minute run and a 1 minute run to see where their fitness levels are at. I finished 4th overall in both of those runs and am pretty pleased about that but I really need to shed some more weight and get in the best shape possible, I need to be able to run all day long. After the conditioning runs we were split into two teams and played a full field game (our size field). The game was a little sloppy but I think after the fitness testing the guys had some dead legs. The game ended in a 1-1 tie with the blue team (my team) scoring as time expired. My passing wasn't stellar but I think I had good ideas and ultimately created the tying scoring chance so that is something positive that I am taking away.

One of the highlights of camp is the free "schwag" that we get. Nike has a deal with U.S. Soccer and every time we have a camp we get free Nike gear. We also get provided cleats and running shoes throughout the year. The gear is sometimes hit or miss but for the most part is pretty nice, especially when you factor in that it is free. This camps gear was pretty nice, we got 2 t-shirts and 1 dry fit shirt, 3 pairs of shorts (1 pair is a pair of livstrong shorts and they are really nice) and the usual 3 pairs of socks (for some reason they send us sizes 6-8). This all just adds to my ever growing collection of Nike gear.

Stay tuned to see how the second half of the week goes.

Paralympics? Is that like the Special Olympics?

This is a question that every single Paralympic athlete is bound to encounter at some point and time. My teammates and i were getting off a plane one time and the pilot said "What are you guys Special Olympics?". I understand why people do not understand the differences;
1. The Special Olympics were created by the Kennedy's and are still funded by them today. This has gained the Special Olympics notoriety because of how famous the Kennedy's are and how much money they can put into the organization.
2. Despite how far people with disabilities have come in this country it is often times assumed that a mental disability is directly associated with a physical disability and this is not the case.

Everyone is aware that the Olympics take place every 4 years and draws athletes from all over the world. What most people do not realize is that the Olympics are not over after the closing ceremonies. Two weeks after the conclusion of the games the Paralympic games begin. The Paralympics are part of the Olympics but are for athletes with PHYSICAL disabilities. The games take place at the exact same venue's as the Olympics did two weeks prior. The Paralympics are a division of the Olympics and adhere to the same belief system that the Olympics prides itself on. Athletes at the Paralympic games have a wide array of disabilities, some of them are; Cerebral Palsy, Traumatic Brain Injury, Spina Bifida, Amuptees, Stroke, etc...

So from now on when someone hears about the Paralympics they should immediately associate it with the Olympics. Paralympic athletes train very hard to achieve their goals, in most cases they train as hard as their able bodied peers in the Olympics. Paralympic athletes are also subject to drug testing done by USADA and WADA. This is the same type of testing done on the olympic athletes as well.

There is a great documentary out about the U.S. Quad Rugby Team called MurderBall. The film follows the team as they try to win gold at the Paralympics in Athens (2004), it also does a good job of showing what the paralympic movement is about and provides you with an inside look of what it is like to be an athlete.

here is the trailer

What is training camp?

The team is usually brought together every month or every two months for training camps. These camps take place at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista CA. The purpose of a camp is to bring the team together so that they can get used to playing as a team and it also serves as an opportunity for our coach to assess our player pool.

The team participates in double session practices (one on the morning and one in the evening) during the week. Team also undergoes strength training and participates in scrimmages against local club teams.

Training camps require a lot of intensity and hard work. It is very tiring but is a necessity for the team to succeed and move forward.

Why this blog?

Well, I suppose first I should explain what this blog is about to people that might just stumble upon it. This blog will is going to follow the U.S. Paralympic National Soccer Team as they go through training camps and play in tournaments around the world. The team is for athletes that have Cerebral Palsy, have suffered a stroke, or have had a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). The team is a part of U.S. Soccer and in 2007 finished 10th at CP-ISRA World Championships in Brazil. The athletes on the team take it very seriously and train year round to be on the team. This is the highest level that any of us will be able to compete at and we take great pride in being on the team.

Secondly, as a member of the team it is difficult for me to easily update all of my family and friends while I am away at tournaments and things of that nature so I figured this is probably the easiest way to do so.

Starting February 15th the team has a week long training camp in Chula Vista CA. The team is currently training for the 2009 CP-ISRA World Championships.

Please check back every so often for updates and please pass this along to friends and leave comments for your support, they are greatly appreciated and provide the team with motivation knowing that people back home are rooting for us.

Look for us on facebook at our fan page (copy and paste this link into your browser)

http://www.facebook.com/pages/US-Paralympic-National-Soccer-Team/26346828571?ref=share