Volunteers sought for goalball tournament at WMUFeb. 4, 2011 KALAMAZOO--Some 80 volunteers are needed to help stage the 2011 John Bakos Memorial Goalball Tournament Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 26-27, at Western Michigan University.
The action-packed sport is similar to hockey or soccer and played exclusively by visually impaired or blindfolded players using a bell-filled ball. Players defend their own goal by carefully listening for the ball and, after successfully blocking it, try to throw it into the opponent's goal, with the ball traveling upwards of 40 mph. The game was developed in Eastern Europe following World War II and was brought to the United States in the 1970s. Organizers are looking for between 75 and 85 volunteers to fill a wide variety of roles to stage the tournament in the WMU Student Recreation Center. No previous knowledge of goalball is necessary. A 30-minute training session will be provided. Volunteers are needed to work:
Volunteers may work more than one session. Those interested should contact Mary Lou Brooks, volunteer coordinator, at (269) 387-3415 or (269) 744-7486 or mary.brooks@wmich.edu; or Luke Patterson, tournament director, at (269) 832-4930 or lukusp@gmail.com. Media contact: Mark Schwerin, (269) 387-8400, mark.schwerin@wmich.edu WMU News |
The tournament is the Midwest regional goalball competition sponsored by the U.S. Association of Blind Athletes and the Michigan Blind Athletic Association. Every year, it attracts the nation's top teams, whose members include players from the U.S. National Goalball Team.