Home : News : Local :

Local News

Duke Energy hit with billing scheme

Duke Energy is urging Indiana customers to be alert because of …

Artists gear up to gather 'Round the Fountain'

Artists gather 'Round the Fountain'

Nearly 100 artists are getting ready to gather 'Round the …

West Lafayette water tower goes for a paint job

WL water tower goes for paint job

A West Lafayette water tower is getting a major spring …

U.S. 231 bypass to open in August

Twenty years in the making and nearly $100 million later, a …

West Lafayette HS graduates 176

Caps and gowns were the apparel of choice Friday evening at the…

Benton Central hosts power soccer event

Updated: Monday, 11 Mar 2013, 10:26 AM EDT
Published : Sunday, 10 Mar 2013, 12:12 AM EST

AUSTIN MILLER | Videojournalist

OXFORD, Ind. (WLFI) - It can best be described as a mix between bumper cars and soccer, and it's popularity continues to grow.

The name of the game is power soccer, and it's giving people with severe disabilities the chance to play a sport independently.

"We have children out here that are on respirators and ventilators. We have kids that are playing with feeding tubes and there's nothing that is stopping them. They can get out there and play independently just like any other able body kid can play soccer," said Karen Russo, President of Power Soccer of Indy.

The rules can be just as confusing as soccer's, but there is no denying the joy on the athletes' faces. There are no offside rules, but determining whether a team has an illegal 2-1 advantage within three meters of the ball can be just as difficult.

"Being out on the court is a lot of fun. It's the most competitive thing I can do now and I love going back to Purdue and telling all of my friends how many goals I got this weekend," said JC Rusoo, member of the team USA power soccer team.

Powered by two car batteries, these $8,000 chairs travel just over five miles an hour, which may seem slow, but once you're out there, it can be a humbling experience. Controlling these chairs takes precision touch due to the sensitivity of the joy stick. Once that is mastered, one must then learn how to time up striking the ball.

Founded in 2006, the United States Power Soccer Association has helped create more than 100 teams throughout the country. While the game is still young, it has given athletes a chance to travel the world to places like Australia, Japan and France, where the 2011 World Cup was played.

"It's really cool to say that I'm a World Cup winner. Before I played, I'd normally just sit in my room and play Xbox. Now I have something to do socially to get out, travel and meet new people everywhere," said Russo.

The sport continues to grow. With 17 countries now playing, Kareyn said the next step is to become the first power wheel chair sport at the 2020 Para-Olympics. For more information about Power Soccer of Indy click here.

Comments

Comments WLFI.com is migrating to a more stable commenting system called DISQUS. This system is used by CNN, TIME, FOX News, numerous blogging sites and has over 75 Million registered users. Unfortunately we can't migrate our current user accounts to this new system.

To sign up for a DISQUS account, click the DISQUS button just below and to the right and then click Login.

DISQUS lets you login with several different options, including Facebook, Google, Twitter, Yahoo or OpenID. We expect it to allow more conversation and better moderation. If you have any questions, please feel free to comment below.