Day 4 in Barcelona -- Classification and Opening Ceremonies

Pictures from the Opening Ceremonies

Today I became an official member of the US Paralympic National Team with my classification. Classification is a series of tests that new athletes have to go through in order to figure out how disabled we are. First, we are put through what is essentially a physical, with doctors poking and prodding at different muscles in order to understand our levels of activation. Afterwards I was lead onto the field so that they could see how I moved in game like situations. They had me run with and without a ball, juggle, hop on one foot, hop on two feet, and do an agility ladder. The testing took about a half hour, and once it was done I was feeling fairly winded.

Doing some agility drills

 After my testing was over, the classification officials decided that I am a 6 out of 10, meaning that I have mild cerebral palsy throughout my entire body. This diagnosis came as quite a shock to me because I’ve always felt like my right side is able-bodied. However, I’m not complaining. In competition there needs to be at least one five or six per team on the field at all times, so the more fives and sixes a team has, the more options they have in regards to strategy. So, in a way, I’m actually helping my team by being more disabled. That’s just the way our sport works.

Running with the ball

Aside from classification, the other important event that occurred today was the opening ceremonies of the tournament. About a thousand fans showed up, and it was really cool to see so many people there to welcome us to the tournament. We arrived outside the stadium about a half an hour before the opening ceremonies while fans filtered in to the stadium. Just as I was about to pass out from the heat, we were ushered into the stadium by our team of friendly volunteers. When it was finally our turn to go, we strolled once around the field, and then took our seats behind the southern goal and waited patiently while the organizers gave their speeches. This part of the ceremonies took an especially long time because each speech had to be repeated in three different languages; English, Spanish, and Catalun, which is the native language in Barcelona and is essentially a mixture of Spanish and French.

Going through classification and taking part in the opening ceremonies made me feel like I am now a true member of the team. Now it’s time for me to do what I came here to do. Play soccer and make my opportunities count.

The tournament where we are playing this week

Barcelona -- Day 1 -- July 23, 2013

Today we arrived in Barcelona. This is my first international tournament, and I am both nervous and excited. As I expressed in my last entry, it is truly an honor to be chosen for the squad and I am ready to make the most of this great opportunity.

Getting ready to leave for the airport (with my mom and brother) !

We arrived at the airport at 10 am Barcelona time, which is 2 am back home in Colorado. I was absolutely exhausted. At the airport we met some tournament volunteers who were there to bring us to our hotel. Once we arrived at the hotel there was just enough time to quickly get settled and then we left to for a quick practice.

My roommate for this tournament is our starting goalie, Keith Johnson. Keith has been on the team for nine years, and has participated in two Paralympics, Athens in 2004 and London in 2012. Having a veteran as a roommate for my first tournament is very nice because he can answer any questions that I have, and I have a lot of questions.

Keith Johnson, Goalie, US Paralympic Team

Keith Johnson, Goalie, US Paralympic Team

After we got settled in we left for a short practice. Everyone was tired from an extremely long day of traveling, so all that practice involved today was a quick warm up and then a possession drill called 5 v 2 to get some touches in and get our legs under us. Once we finished practice we jumped in the pool for a while to cool off our muscles and to relax.

After swimming we had about an hour of downtime, and then we left again to go participate in a study about Cerebral Palsy. In the study there were five different stations, and at each station, we were asked to do three different movements that all used one specific muscle group. The stations focused on quickness, balance, jumping and strength, and there was also a station that took our body measurements. The only downside to all of the tests was that by the time they were finished it was already 9 o’clock and I was starving. Thankfully, that’s just about when dinner starts in Spain. Dinner tonight was pasta with cream sauce, chicken sausage and bread with butter. Everything was delicious. It’s now 10 o’clock and I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in 36 hours. I guess it’s all just part of living the dream.

Pre-Barcelona -- July 21, 2013

Last Friday night, I found out that I will be going to Barcelona to compete with the team in the 2013 Intercontinental Cup.  I went in for my end of camp meeting with Coach Hoffman, and the first thing he said to me was, “I’ve decided to take you with me to Barcelona.”  

There is no doubt in my mind that I am ready for this experience, and even if I don’t get much playing time, I’m still going to give it my all.  No matter how this tournament goes, it will still be the biggest moment of my soccer career so far, and the knowledge that I’m going to Barcelona as a member of the US Paralympic Soccer Team easily makes the eleven years that I’ve played this game completely worthwhile.

I would like to thank everyone at the NSCD for instilling in me a true love of sports, because without the success I had there I never would have been able to stick with it and achieve even this much.  I would also like to thank my coaches in Boulder, especially Hardy Kalisher with Boulder High and John Welsch with FC Boulder for pushing me to be the best player possible.

Hardy Kalisher, Head Coach, Boulder High School

John Welsch, Technical Director, FC Boulder

Lastly, I would like to thank my teammate on the Paralympic team, Chris Ahrens, for always being there to coach me and make me a better player, attitude and all. Someday I will have to be a leader for our younger players, and I hope that I can do as good of a job for them as Chris has done for me.

Chris Ahrens, US Paralympic Soccer Team

These last nine days have been a welcome break from the constant soccer, and I will leave home tomorrow refreshed and ready to continue the pursuit of my dream of being a Paralympic soccer player.

Thanks again to everyone who has followed my journey up to this point, and I will be sure to keep you all updated throughout the tournament.