Latest news with #FutureStars
The Citizen
13-06-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
The sound of victory: introducing blind soccer
The Corinthians Africa blind football team triumphed in the inaugural Johannesburg Blind Football Association League match at Paterson Multipurpose Centre in Norwood on June 7, defeating Future Stars 4–0. Tumelo Phakisa was named Man of the Match. Other participating teams included Silver Stars and Protea Tigers. Using sport to uplift, empower, and transform lives is one of the most effective tools in community development, especially in tackling issues like substance abuse. But what if sport could be even more inclusive, embracing those often overlooked, like the blind? Blind individuals possess extraordinary capabilities far beyond navigating daily life without sight. They can compete, entertain, and inspire. This is the vision that drives the Corinthians Africa organisation. Rooted in faith and family values, the Corinthians aim to help the blind believe in their potential. Their Blind Soccer programme is a groundbreaking initiative: a beautiful game played without sight but with unmatched spirit and skill. Imagine a soccer pitch where silence is vital. Players don't follow the ball with their eyes, but with their ears, attuned to the bells inside. Every pass, tackle, and goal relies on trust, heightened hearing, and the guiding voices of coaches. This is Blind Soccer, where ability is redefined. 'Why blindfold players who are already blind?' one might ask. Jack Msibi, co-founder of Corinthians Africa, answers with conviction: 'Because Blind Soccer is about equality. Blindfolds level the field so that partially and fully blind players compete side by side, with no advantage and no compromise.' For Jack and his team, this is more than a game; it's a mission. A spark of hope where society once turned away. To deepen understanding, sighted audience members were blindfolded and invited to play against experienced blind athletes. Disoriented and uncoordinated, they were quickly outplayed, delivering a powerful lesson. Sight, it turns out, is no guarantee of success here. The official match began in near silence. Ten blindfolded players, some fully blind, others partially, took their positions. Each team had five players, guided only by instinct, sound, and the unwavering voices of their coaches. Goalkeepers, the only sighted players allowed, stood ready as guardians. Coaches paced the sidelines, shouting instructions: 'Stretch your hands out!' 'Left, turn left, listen to the ball!' The ball jingled with movement. Feet clashed, collided, and danced across the field. Paramedics stood by, ready to assist if needed. Spectators watched in awe, speaking in hushed tones as they witnessed innovation in action. They quickly learned that Blind Soccer isn't just a game—it's a discipline. No shouting, just focused attention and admiration. The players moved with remarkable awareness, navigating by sound and muscle memory, creating moments of near-magical coordination. It wasn't just impressive; it was deeply moving. Blind Soccer, powered by the Corinthians Africa family, is more than sport. It's about rewriting the narrative of disability. It proves that greatness doesn't require sight; it requires courage, community, and opportunity. Welcome to the game where vision is redefined. Welcome to Blind Soccer. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Irish Independent
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Dundalk IT Future Stars of Rugby Awards celebrate the next generation of players
The Future Stars were selected following a number of blitz days for boys and girls tiered into divisions, and another blitz day for development players. The teams were selected and played each other on the appointed blitz day. From that, coaches picked 45 players, with three for each position. They moved forward to be voted for one of the 15 awards. Part of the voting process included an online system where people could vote for their favourite player in each position, for both boys and girls, through The Argus and Drogheda Independent newspapers. The other part of the selection process included a voting panel of five committee members. On the night of the Awards, instead of a cup or a medal, each player was presented with a Future Star jersey. 2025 Dundalk Institute of Technology Future Stars of Rugby Awards Boys winners: Ben Mulvaney – Prop – Ardgillan CC & Balbriggan RF; Damien Lynch – Hooker – De La Salle, Dundalk & Dundalk RFC; Anthony Ukagwu – Prop – St Mary's Diocesan School & Boyne RFC; Matthew Horkan – Second row- Drogheda Grammar – Boyne RFC; Ruairi O'Neill – Second row – St Oliver's CC & Boyne RFC; Andrew McGovern – Flanker – O Carolan College & Navan RFC; Luke Kennedy – Flanker – St Patrick's, Navan & Navan RFC; Ben O'Hare – Number eight – St Mary's, Dundalk & Carlingford RFC; Mark Donohoe – Scrum-half – De La Salle, Dundalk & Dundalk RFC; Mahon Hall – Out-half – St Mary's Diocesan School & Boyne RFC; Cormac Nugent – Wing – St Patrick's, Navan; Darragh McFadden – Centre – Ardgillan CC & Balbriggan RFC Harley Fagan-Harold – Centre – Ardgillan CC & Balbriggan RFC; Andrew McArdle – Wing – Bush Post Primary – Dundalk RFC; Harry Waters – Full-back – Ratoath College & Ratoath/Navan. Girls winners: Lily Byrne – Prop – Skerries CC & Skerries/Balbriggan; Ava McKeown – Hooker – Ardee CS & Dundalk RFC; Erin Roe – Prop – St Vincent's, Dundalk & Dundalk RFC; Tylo Connoway – Second row – Ardee CS & Ardee RFC; Chloe Boyle – Second row – Bush Post Primary & Carlingford RFC; Breanna McArdle – Flanker – St Joseph's HS, Crossmaglen & Dundalk RFC; Katie Ann Bobbett – Flanker – Ashbourne CS & Ashbourne RFC; Maeve O'Dwyer – Number eight – Eureka & Virginia RFC; Aoibhinn Reilly – scrum-half – Bush Post Primary & Dundalk RFC; Sophie Malone – Out-half – Dundalk Grammar & Dundalk RFC; Lisa Stulberga – Wing – Ardgillan CC; Molly Whately – Centre – St Vincent's, Dundalk & Dundalk RFC; Kate O'Molloy – Centre – Dundalk Grammar & Dundalk RFC; Katie McDonald – Wing – Bush Post Primary & Dundalk RFC; Molly Egan – Full-back – St Joseph's Mercy, Navan & Navan RFC.
CBC
19-02-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Young twin curlers shoot for the stars at Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Thunder Bay, Ont.
Two young athletes at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Thunder Bay, Ont., have identical ambitions: to compete on the national stage like their mother, four-time Scotties champion skip Kerri Einarson. Twin sisters Kamryn and Khloe Einarson of Camp Morton, Man. are participating in the Future Stars program at the national women's curling championship, where they were paired with Team Manitoba (Einarson) for Tuesday's pre-game ceremony with the athletes. They curl about three to four times a week at the Gimli Recreation Centre. The 11-year-olds often watch their mother play on television, and but say they prefer getting to see her curl in-person . "I think it's a lot more stressful because you don't know what happened, but it's also just not as fun just because you get to see her after the games," said Kamryn of watching her mother on screen. Ahead of Tuesday morning's draw, the girls said the advice they would offer their mother would be to "relax and just have fun and do her thing," said Khloe. Kamryn plays second or third while Khloe usually plays as skip. "Just being on the ice, doing the thing that we love," said Khloe. They also had some words of encouragement to share with other young people who may be interested in curling. "Try it, you might turn out to like it. And if you have people to help you, I think you could grow to be a really good [curler]," said Khloe. "One day you could be on the ice like they are now, or even in the Scotties, so I think you should really try," said Kamryn.
