Goalball Athlete Housing Project Getting Underway
(Goalball image courtesy of Turnstone)
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowConstruction will officially begin Friday morning on the $400,000 Goalball Athlete Housing facility at the Turnstone campus in Fort Wayne. Turnstone is one of only 10 gold-level participants in the country in the Paralympic Sport Club Excellence Programs.
The project was funded through private donations and will include two homes with six bedrooms and a finished basement. It is a collaboration among Turnstone, the United State Association of Blind Athletes and the Lions Club. Turnstone President Mike Mushett says "this housing project will allow for athletes to live within walking distance of their training site. The convenience factor will improve the athletes’ quality of life and over all training experience."
The facility will house the USABA Men’s Resident Goalball program and will also be used by athletes and visitors attending camps, clinics and competitions at the adaptive athletic campus.
USABA Executive Director Mark Lucas says "we are extremely proud to partner with Turnstone on the Goalball Center of Excellence. Housing at Turnstone will allow athletes to focus more intently on training and will also allow us to host teams from across the U.S. and across the world at Turnstone’s top-rate facility."
Goalball is a team sport designed for athletes who are blind or visually impaired.
The housing facility follows the opening $14.5 million "Turnstone of Tomorrow" project, which opened in November and has become a national attraction, and officials say, an economic driver.