Perkins to host EAAB Track & Field Tournament for the Blind
Over the weekend of May 16-18, high school athletes who are blind from six Eastern seaboard states will gather at the Perkins School for the Blind campus for the 62nd Annual Eastern Athletic Association for the Blind (EAAB) Track & Field Tournament.
With a few adaptations, young track and field athletes who are blind will compete like their sighted counterparts in public and private high schools. Just like any other track and field competitors, these young athletes try to throw farther, jump higher and run faster. Sprinters use a cable to show them the line markers. Distance runners have sighted runners as guides. Long jumpers aim for their coach’s shouts as markers.
“It’s about what these young people can do, not about their disabilities,” says Perkins Coach Jim McNiff.
These exciting track and field events are open to the public. When the tournament was held at Perkins in 2006, roughly 350 spectators attended. Click here to read a Boston Globe story about the 2006 tournament.
While a print story grabs the images, it can’t capture the grunt of the shot putter, the slap of running shoes on the track, the whir of the guide cable, the shouts of coaches, or the roar of the crowd. Don't miss your opportunity to join in on the excitement!
Daytime events begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday and continue through the afternoon. Students from six schools for the blind will compete in events like the 100-yard dash (with guide cables), tandem mile run (with sighted guides), long jump, and shot put. On Saturday night, the students relish their accomplishments, socialize and dance to DJ selections. These dedicated athletes have spent months training for this inspiring event.
This year's participating schools include: Perkins School for the Blind (host), Maryland School for the Blind, New York Institute, Governor Morehead School for the Blind (Raleigh, NC), Overbrook School for the Blind (Philadelphia, PA), and West Virginia School for the Blind.
Students eligible for this annual event are between the ages of 13 and 21. They are required to at least two of four practices every week to make the team.