Austin FC partners unveil Texas' first blind soccer pitch
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The new soccer pitch at Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Photo: Courtesy of Austin FC
Austin FC and several community partners have opened a soccer pitch designed for students at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI) campus in Austin.
Why it matters: Organizers say it's the first pitch in Texas built for athletes who are blind or have low vision, expanding access to adaptive sports in Central Texas.
Driving the news: Austin FC's nonprofit arm, 4ATX Foundation, partnered with Soccer Assist, PCSI and the school to build the soccer pitch.
- The groups marked the opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony last week and a soccer clinic led by U.S. Blind Soccer National Team member and TSBVI alum Ricky Castaneda.
State of play: Official pitches for blind or visually impaired athletes are smaller than a regulation soccer pitch and are surrounded by "kick-boards" — a physical barrier that indicates the boundaries of the playing area, according to the U.S. Association of Blind Athletes.
- TSBVI, which serves an average of 11,000 students, has been seeking to fund a blind soccer pitch for the past few years, according to the school.
What they're saying: "TSBVI seeks to empower students who are blind, deafblind, or have low vision to achieve their goals," Emily Coleman, superintendent of the school, said in a statement.
- "This project is a key component that creates opportunity for students to foster their mental and physical health through athletics."
Zoom out: The pitch is the third project completed through the Verde Pitch Alliance, a $2 million initiative focused on building free public soccer spaces across Central Texas.
- 4ATX Foundation says it has now helped build 13 soccer spaces serving more than 693,000 people.
- The organization's goal is for 1 million Central Texans to live within 3 miles of a free public soccer space by 2030.
What's next: Austin FC president Andy Loughnane announced that Q2 Stadium plans to introduce Field of Vision haptic devices later this year for fans who are blind or have low vision.
- The handheld devices, which translate live match action into tactile feedback, will be available for free during Austin FC home matches.
- "We are honored to play a part in making soccer more accessible for blind or visually impaired community members here in Austin," Loughnane said in a statement.
- TSBVI students will be invited to Q2 Stadium later this season to test the devices and attend a match.
If you go: While the school's new pitch is open to only its students, Austin FC says residents can find public soccer spaces through the club's website.