U.S. PARALYMPIC NATIONAL SOCCER TEAM

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Soccer debuted as a Paralympic sport at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles, and the U.S. Paralympic Team first qualified and participated in 1992 in Barcelona. The U.S. team's best performance came during the 1996 Atlanta Games, when the U.S. team narrowly missed the bronze medal.

In addition to the Paralympics, which follow the Olympics every four years, the U.S. Paralympic Soccer Team also competes at the Cerebral Palsy International Sports & Recreation Association World Championship and other international events around the world.

In 2009, U.S. Paralympic National Team head coach Jay Hoffman will call on a host of new faces as well as steadfast veterans, such as midfielder Josh McKinney, 30, who has managed the center of the field since 1994. The 2009 pool also includes the 2007 CPISRA World Championship Most Valuable Player Marthell Vazquez. Vazquez led the team in scoring with nine goals throughout the team s major tournaments during that year and also worked as a U.S. Soccer Equipment Manager for various tournaments involving other national teams.

To be eligible for Paralympic soccer, athletes must be ambulatory and have a diagnosis of non-progressive brain damage that is associated with motor control dysfunction such as Cerebral Palsy, traumatic brain injury or stroke. More information about eligibility and the classification of athletes is available on this site.