Team USA, having won two consecutive World Cup Power Soccer championships, will play exhibition games of the sport at Medtrade, on Nov 1, at Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center.
The United States Power Soccer Association returns to Medtrade to play two games on the Show Floor Nov. 1. The contest of skill and teamwork is worth checking out.
The players will be introduced during that morning’s AAHomecare “Washington Update” session, at which Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga) has been invited to speak. Then, they will play two full exhibition games, one in the morning and one in the afternoon on the show’s expo floor.
Team USA, which has been sponsored by MK Battery (booth no. 1527 at Medtrade) for several years, is currently training for next year’s World Cup in Kissimmee, Fla.. Hosted by the United States Power Soccer Association (USPSA), this will be the highest tournament ever played in the United States. Team USA won the two previous World Cups, which were held in France and Japan.
“Local teams played exhibition games at Medtrade two years ago,” said Wayne Merdinger, executive vice president and general manager of MK Battery, the primary sponsor and official battery of the USPSA and Team USA. “But the level of play and skill from this world-class Power Soccer team will shock the exhibit hall this year.”
Power Soccer is the only team sport in the world created exclusively for power wheelchair users. It is played in 27 countries and governed by the Fédération Internationale of Powerchair Football Association (FIPFA). There are multiple leagues, and roughly 60 teams in the United States., governed by USPSA. Backers of the sport are currently advocating the sport’s inclusion in a future Paralympics.
“Power Soccer is an expensive sport, especially for traveling to regional and international competitions,” Merdinger noted. “Transporting competition-level wheelchairs, and other specialized equipment for both the personal needs of players and for the games are big issues for the athletes, families, and the USPSA, a not-for-profit organization. They require personal attendants, staff, referees, facilities, and other costs typically associated with major sporting events. We encourage other corporations and individuals to step up and sponsor this worthy sport, especially for the tax deductible costs associated with the upcoming World Cup tournament next year in Florida.”
Power Soccerr is typcially played in a gymnasium on a regulation basketball court. Two teams of four players attack, defend, and spin-kick a 13-inch soccer ball in a skilled and challenging game similar to able-bodied soccer. It’s not the first time Medtrade has showcased the entertaining sport.
“When two local teams played two years ago, it was exciting and impressive,” says Kevin Gaffney, group show director of Medtrade. “This time, we have the best team in the United States, and the world for that matter, playing at Medtrade. I encourage Medtrade attendees to check it out this year.”
Learn more about sponsorship opportunities with Power Soccer in the United States at www.fipfaworldcup.org.