Texas Association of Blind Athletes
programs
TABA supports individual and team sport programs for blind and visually impaired athletes throughout Texas. Learn more about the programs below.
Goalball
Goalball is a team sport designed specifically for blind athletes, originally devised in 1946 by the Austrian Hanz Lorenzen and German Sepp Reindle as a means of assisting the rehabilitation of visually impaired World War II veterans. Participants compete in teams of three, and try to throw a ball that has bells embedded in it into the opponents' goal. Players must use the sound of the bell to judge the position and movement of the ball.
Beep Baseball
Beep baseball is played on a grass field with 6 fielders. Fielders and batters are blindfolded. Catcher, pitcher, and spotters do not wear blindfolds and are usually sighted, although there have been a few who are partially blind. The ball beeps and is a modified, and oversized, softball. The bases are blue, nearly 5 feet tall, and have mostly foam interior with the electronics that cause it to buzz steadily when a switch is thrown. They are each placed 100 feet from home plate - equivalent positions to first and third bases in regular baseball.
Racing: Running, Cycling and Triathlons
Blind and visually impaired athletes can participate in traditionally individual athletic competitions with the assistance of a guide. The guide is in contact with the athlete and offers tactile and verbal cues to ensure the safety and success of the blind athlete along the course.