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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| The tournament where we are playing this week |
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