Soccability Canada launches Canada's first-ever National Blind Soccer Team!

Pickering, Ontario, November 14, 2022: Soccability Canada announces the launch of the Canadian Women's National Blind Soccer Team. The Women's National Team is the first-ever blind soccer team of either gender to be launched in Canada.

Blind soccer, also known as 5-a-side, is a Paralympic sport played by blind athletes and arguably the most exciting of the Paralympic sports. Extensive development of the sport in recent years has resulted in deeper competition on the male side and fantastic participation growth in the female game.

The launch of the team comes at a time when soccer is exploding in Canada. In 2021, the Canadian Women's National Team won Gold at the Olympics in Tokyo. 2022 also marks the return of the Men's National Team to the World Cup in 36 years.

Head Coach, Matt Greenwood explained this project has been years in the making and despite the challenges of the pandemic players have stayed engaged and developing throughout. 'The depth of our talent pool was noted earlier in the year and that got us thinking about speeding up the formal process of creating a team for competition. We are very close now and really excited about the future'.

Hillary Scanlon, the inaugural Captain of the Women's National Team and the Team's Athlete Liaison, described the event as follows: "I played soccer my whole life, so when I lost my vision in 2016, I immediately sought out ways to keep playing. Thankfully, I found out about blind soccer. I am so honoured and proud to represent my country and to be part of the development of soccer in Canada for women and girls with disabilities." The team anticipates starting international competition in 2023 and the program is always on the search for new talent. Blind and visually impaired players are encouraged to reach out for try-out opportunities while coaches and soccer leaders are asked to host local training environments for players in their area.

If you would like to know more about blind soccer or Soccability Canada, please contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.