[Sportsandrec] FW: USABA Celebrates Olympic Day with Junior Blind America

[Christella Garcia]

  _____  

From: United States Association of Blind Athletes [mailto:etap at usaba.org] 
Sent: Thursday, June 24, 2010 6:35 PM
To: Christella Garcia
Subject: USABA Celebrates Olympic Day with Junior Blind America


 
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Olympic & Paralympic Day Celebration Takes Place in Malibu for Teens who are
Blind and Visually Impaired

 
The U.S. Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) partnered with Junior Blind
of America in Los Angeles to promote the celebration of the United States
Olympic Committee's, Olympic/Paralympic Day.  From June 23-25, 40 teens who
are visually impaired or blind and 40 of their sighted peers will attend a
Sports Camp held at Camp Bloomfield in Malibu, CA.
 
Olympic Day is a worldwide commemoration of Baron Pierre de Coubertin who on
June 23, 1894 founded the modern Olympic Games.
 
Five Paralympic sports are on the schedule and include Track and Field,
Judo, Swimming, Tandem Cycling and Goalball (a team sport specifically
designed for people who are blind and visually impaired).
 
Sports clinics are being led by:

*	Jim Vargo, (Jeffersonville, IN) Head Coach at Bellarmine University,
former Paralympic Track Field Coach, who has also coached for Kenya in the
Paralympic Games; 

*	Matt Simpson (Atlanta, GA) who is presently ranked as one of the top
ten Goalball athletes in the U.S. assisted by John Rodriguez (Los Angeles,
CA) who plays Goalball for a local club team; 

*	Adam Blakis (Malibu, CA) of the Westside Swim Club along with his
club coaches and athletes along with former Paralympic Swim Coach Julie
O'Neil (Colorado Springs, CO) now Team Leader of Paralympics High
Performance; 

*	Three local Los Angeles Judo club coaches including Rey Tinaza,
Ashton Sarah, Kenji Otsugi along with National Team Judo athlete Tina
Thomas;  

*	 Ken Hanson (Santa Barbara, CA) of Momentum Coaching Group has the
charge of teaching tandem cycling. 

"I am going back to my roots in Los Angles to partner with the organization
where I worked for 9 years and where I first had the opportunity to work
with people who are blind and visually impaired," said Mark Lucas the
Executive Director of the USABA. "USABA coaches, athletes and local club
coaches and athletes are honored to continue to build the sports coaching
and program infrastructure with our wonderful partner, the Junior Blind of
America and to celebrate United States Olympic Committee's
Olympic/Paralympic Day celebration."
 
About USABA: a member organization of the U.S. Olympic Committee, is a
non-profit organization that provides sports clinics and competitions for
people who are blind and visually.  USABA members range from blind children
developing sports skills to elite athletes who train for competitions such
as the Paralympic Games: the world's second largest athletic competition
that draws more than 4,000 disabled athletes.  For more information, please
visit www.usaba.org <http://www.usaba.org/> .  
 
About the Junior Blind:  Since 1953, Junior Blind has been an innovative
leader in helping people of all ages who are blind, visually impaired or
multi-disabled achieve independence.  Each year, Junior Blind provides
services to thousands of individuals and their families through programs
that offer individualized methods of early-intervention therapy, education,
rehabilitation and recreation.  These life-changing programs are designed to
empower infants, children, teens and adults to reach their highest level of
independence and self-esteem.  To learn more, please visit
<http://www.juniorblind.org/> www.juniorblind.org.  
 
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Address postal inquiries to:
United States Association of Blind Athletes
33 North Institute St
Colorado Springs, CO 80903 
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