The View from Down Here…

 

As I rolled my way through the double doors, I found myself surrounded by wheelchairs. More than 100 people in electric wheelchairs made their way around me as I stared in awe at what was before me.

 

Normally, when someone sees so many chairs in one place, you expect hospital beds, I.V. poles and ventilators to not be far behind.

But this was far from the case.

Instead of hearing orders from nurses and doctors, I heard cheers from coaches and fans. Instead of staring intently at heart monitors, I quickly glanced at the huge, electric scoreboards. Instead of feeling somber, I was filled with joy and excitement. So what was I witnessing?

It was the 2008 USPSA Power Soccer National Tournament.

Held this past June at the Suwanee Sports Academy near Atlanta, GA, this year’s tournament saw eight division one and eight division two squads fighting for national bragging rights and a 2008 USPSA Championship.

 

From Circle-City star Michael Archer, to Sudden-Impact sensation Katie Dickey, there was no lack of star power at the ’08 tournament. And with the abundance of power soccer talent, the games did not disappoint.

Kicking off the action was the Atlanta Synergy. And after a one-sided 7-0 victory against the Arizona Heat, the Synergy showed why they were the home-town favorites to come away with it all. But even with the superior showing by Atlanta, there was definitely great parody to be found.

During pool play, up-and-coming squads like the Tampa Thunder, Arizona Heat, Hollister Freewheelers and BORP Bay Earthquakes showed great promise for the future of power soccer. They might have been a couple years from contending for a title, but they showed improvement and glimpses of being elite squads in the future.

Along with Atlanta, The San Jose Steamrollers and the RHI Sudden Impact showed they have the heart and skill to be immediate championship contenders. And let’s definitely not forget the emerging power-soccer power and defending USPSA-Champion Circle City Rollers. With the powerful spin kicks of Archer, the Rollers should be fighting for the title for years to come.

After three days of pool and playoff competition, San Jose and Atlanta played in the third-place game, while the Rollers and Sudden Impact squared off for the Championship. The Synergy proved to be too much for San Jose as they came away with a 5-0 victory and third place. But the real fireworks were found in the championship match.

The entire game was a defensive battle as neither team could manage to score in regulation. It was a back-and-forth battle for 40 exciting minutes, but neither team could pull ahead. If there was going to be a definitive champion, it was going to be determined in extra time. As the game entered its second overtime, the score was still knotted at zero and the 2008 USPSA Division-One Title would come down to a penalty kick shootout.

After the first four attempts, both teams had one goal apiece. With the way the game stated, it all came down to one final kick.

The Rollers sent out Belle Walter for their final attempt to repeat as USPSA Champions. But just as the ball streaked towards the far post, Goalie JC Russo just got his guard on the ball and blocked the kick.

With Circle City out of chances, the fate of the Division-One title rested on the guard of RHI star JC Russo. After he just prevented a shot at back-to-back titles for Circle City, it seemed fitting to have Russo take the shot to give RHI the ’08 title.

Circle City Goalie Michael Archer blocked the initial shot by Russo, but the referee gave RHI another shot as he determined Archer moved before Russo touched the ball. And Russo made sure he capitalized on his second chance.

The crowd was silent as Russo spun his chair in the center of the goal box. The ball bounced of Russo’s guard and rushed to the near post as if shot out of a cannon. Archer sped as fast as he could, but the ball made its way across the goal line. With that final goal, the RHI Sudden Impact was the 2008 USPSA Division One Champions.

Everyone in the arena erupted in cheers as they applauded both teams for an excellent game.

While the division-one squads gave plenty of action, the division-two athletes were not going to be out done. The Turnstone Fearless Flyers, Chattanooga Speedsters, GLASA Fire and Charlotte Power Surge faced off in Pool A; the Courage Blizzards, RHI Indy Storm, Turnstone Fantastic Flyers and North Georgia Screaming Eagles competed in Pool B.

Even though every team came to Georgia to compete for a championship, the Chattanooga Speeders were victorious by just being able to compete.

A few days before the tournament began, the team suffered a devastating loss with the sudden passing of one of their star players, Peter Andersen. Xable’s 2008 Division 2 Eastern Regional game MVP was an emerging star in the sport of power soccer and will be sorely missed.

But even with such adversity, the Speedsters persevered and competed valiantly in memory of their fallen teammate. Chattanooga’s heart and courage were the epitome of the great sportsmanship found in power soccer and it should be applauded.

Even though all the D-2 teams, including the Speedsters, played admirably, it was the Turnstone Fearless Flyers and the Turnstone Fantastic Flyers that met in the championship game.

The game proved that both teams were evenly matched. The two Turnstone squads showed great offense and defense during the contest, but the Fantastic Flyers made the most of their opportunities. Led by a goal and an assist by Ryan Grimes, the Fantastic Flyers came out on top with a 2-1 win and the 2008 D-2 USPSA Championship.

From stellar defensive play to exhilarating penalty kick shootouts, there was plenty of exciting power soccer play by both divisions. These athletes showed that they were more than just disabled wheelchair users. They showed that a wheelchair could be more than just a source of transportation; it was a source of pride. 

The minute they rolled onto the court, they were no longer hospital patients, disabled students or disabled veterans. Each and every player was a courageous and talented power soccer athlete.