The Center for the Visually Impaired’s Community Partner, the Georgia Blind Sports Association, obliterated the competition in early December at the 2025 U.S. National High School Goalball Championships.
Goalball, a sport designed for athletes who are blind or visually impaired, is played indoors with three players per side. To ensure a level playing field, athletes wear eyeshades, relying on the sound of bells inside the ball to track play. 
A total of 26 teams, comprised of athletes aged 13-18, traveled from across the United States to Austin, TX, to compete for the coveted winning spots. Two teams from Georgia brought home medals for the event. The women’s team took 2nd place, and the boys’ team brought home first with a winning score of 15 – 5.
Two former CVI clients, Christopher Morgan and Terry Smith, both high school seniors, helped the boys’ team clinch their victory over Florida with multiple goals and were named All-Americans for exceptional play. Additionally, Morgan was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, commemorating the fantastic performance he delivered and the nine goals he scored.
The team was also staffed by Matthew Gavin, who scored four goals in the game, and George Easker and Owen Mann, who provided crucial blocks for the team.
The teammates have played together for nearly four years, and after winning bronze and silver the last two years, they were ready to come back to the tournament to take it all.
“The goal of my two seniors is that they wanted to win the gold before they graduated,” said Hal Simpson, Head Coach and Director of Georgia Blind Sports Association. “For us, it was very satisfying knowing we had set a goal, worked hard to achieve that goal, and didn’t quit.”
The game was also a milestone for the boys’ Assistant Coach and CVI’s Director of Operations, Nicholas Reynolds. “Thanks to Nick and his conditioning program, they were in great shape,” said Simpson. “When the other teams were dragging, my guys still had gas in the tank.”
The Georgia girls’ team included Sarabeth Tate, a sophomore from Augusta; Wendy Vincent, a senior at Marietta High School; and Sky Yvon and Amerblin Ashburn, both students at Effingham Middle School. Together, they demonstrated teamwork and determination on their way to a runner-up finish.
The Georgia girls’ team is led by Head Coach, Dr. Nicole Kirk, who also serves as Head Coach of the USA Women’s Goalball Team, set to compete in the 2028 Paralympic Games. Dr. Kirk is an assistant professor of Health and Physical Education in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Georgia and Co-Director of the Sport Instruction and Research Laboratory, where her team conducts research on adaptive sports and physical education.
You can see these talented players and coaches, as well as goalball players from across the nation, compete at the GBSA’s annual Atlanta Goalball Tournament weekend on May 29th- 31st, 2026.
You can learn more about GBSA’s other upcoming events here.
The youth goalball teams will resume practice in February and will have a variety of sporting events and opportunities that will be announced in 2026. For those interested in adaptive sports, you can learn more about goalball and activities by visiting the Georgia Blind Sports Association website.
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