Falls Church Man Named Sport Ambassador For USA Blind Soccer

FALLS CHURCH, VA — A Falls Church man was named a sport ambassador for the Paralympic sport of blind soccer by the United States Association of Blind Athletes.

Kevin Brown, 50, competed in soccer and other mainstream sports through high school and college. He was one of six people named a sport ambassador by the association, which is the newly certified national governing body for the sport of blind soccer.

Throughout the year, the five athletes and one coach will assist the U.S. Association of Blind Athletes in spreading awareness about blind soccer programming and other initiatives through digital content and in-person appearances.

Brown has been legally blind since he was 7-years-old due to cone/rod dystrophy, a degenerative genetic eye disorder. He competed in soccer and other mainstream sports in high school and college. In the early 2000s, Brown held the USA Track & Field record in the pentathlon and is currently a member of the U.S. National Blind Hockey Team.

He has coached soccer, basketball, football, track and field, and hockey. A graduate of the University of Virginia, Brown serves as director of marketing for the U.S. Department of Treasury's Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

Blind soccer has been part of the Paralympic Games since 2004, but the U.S. has never fielded a team in international competition. The U.S. Association of Blind Athletes is developing a national team to compete when the U.S. serves as the host nation of the 2028 Paralympics in Los Angeles.

Spain is considered to be the pioneer of the sport, where blind soccer playing began in the 1920s. The first national championships were held in Brazil in 1974. In 2004, blind soccer made its Paralympic debut at the Athens Games.

Along with Brown, the five athletes selected as sport ambassadors for blind soccer were David Brown of Chula Vista, California; Ricardo Castaneda of Fort Worth, Texas; Bailey Martin of Hubbard, Iowa; and Casimir Werda of Novi, Michigan. They are joined by Katie Smith, who is the soccer coach of Ohio Blind Soccer in Columbus.

From April 8-12, the U.S. Association of Blind Athletes held its first blind soccer talent identification camp since being certified by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee as the sport’s national governing body. The camp was held at the Maryland School for the Blind in Baltimore.

Since its founding in 1976, the U.S. Association of Blind Athletes has worked to empower Americans who are blind or visually impaired to experience opportunities in sports, recreation and physical activities.