Photo: Chris Fama (WBZ)
WATERTOWN, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — A pair of Boston Bruins players were on hand for the return of Goalball at the Perkins School of the Blind in Watertown Thursday.
"Goalball is awesome," said coach Megan O’Connell-Copp. "Made specifically for kids who are blind. Not adapted, not a mainstream sport that they tweak."
A staple of the Perkins School since the days of World War II, Goalball is a team sport where visually impaired players try to score a ball with bells inside it into the opponents' goal. The field of play is outlined with tactile markings so players do not stray from the game.
Goalball was put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic until its return this year. To celebrate the occasion, Bruins players Pavel Zacha and Tomas Nosek visited the school to meet students and play a game. The two players wore blindfolds to restrict their sight.
"It’s really hard, you have to focus so much more on just, like, hearing," Zacha told WBZ NewsRadio. "Crazy not knowing where you are. It’s fun to play."
"I hope they enjoyed it like I enjoyed it," said Nosek.
"It means a lot to our Perkins community to have these elite athletes come," O'Connell-Copp said. "Goalball is a huge part of blind culture, it means the world to our students."
The game between Bruins and students ended in a 14-14 tie, handshakes, and smiles.
WBZ's Chris Fama (@CFamaWBZ) reports.
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