Eliana Mason is a longtime sports lover.
But playing them as a kid wasnt always easyor fun.
Take her stint withsoccer, for instance.
Mason competing in the Japan Para Goalball Championship at Chiba Port Arena on February 2, 2019
I remember just being so frustrated.
Hence the intense frustration with soccer.
just six years later.
If youre thinkingHold up, what is goalball?youre not alone.
Mason hopes to help change that.
The court is tactile, meaning there are strings placed along the boundaries so that athletes can orient themselves.
During competition, the crowd is asked to be completely quiet so that athletes can hear the ball.
Its not a derivative of any one sport, he adds, but rather a hybrid of multiple sports.
In goalball, reaction time is especially key.
Wait till you read the ball and have your body react to the ball, says Mason.
Don’t let the ball play you, but you play the ball.
Because goalball is played without sight, its helpful to both know your opponent (e.g.
They’re going to make three very, very different distinctive sounds.
These skills are the most essential to success, says Czechowski.
Yet the ability to work well with a team and serious mental fortitude are also key.
In addition tomental toughness, mental engagement is another crucial component.
Thats why players have to stay mentally focused."
I really started off just [thinking] it was a fun thing to do, she explains.
Now, three years later, Mason has Paralympic goals in mind once again.
It’s allowed the learning curve and the training curve to accelerate, he says.
We know each other, we know each other’s tendencies.
We have really learned to work as a team instead of three individuals on the court.
It’s like we are one unit.
So what exactly does their training entail?
In total, about 22 to 23 hours a week, says Czechowski.
Plyometric work comes in the form of explosive throws and jumps, says Czechowski.
There’s also dedicated time for footwork, speed work, and agility drills.
Thats where the yoga and flexibility training comes in, he explains.
Its provided her with confidence and helped her grow.
You see other people who are older than you as role models.
Looking ahead, Mason wants to first and foremost help Team USA qualify for the 2020 Paralympics.
[Eliana] is a perfect example of everything that’s good about adaptive sports, says Czechowski.
This is a woman who had great athleticism and her only inhibitor was her inability to utilize her vision.
Once she found the sport of goalball, she was able to try it.
Its not just about her own success, though.
Shes spent multiple summers teaching children with disabilities how to play sports, including goalball.
I love working with kids, teaching them sports, she says.
I wish I learned about [goalball] younger.
