by Dr. Susan Brown Foster
(Saint Leo University - near Tampa, FL)
As an official for the sport of goalball at both the 1992 Paralympic games in Barcelona and the 1996 games in Atlanta, I would urge anyone to watch/experience the Beijing games. For me, it was exciting to experience such a major sporting event in a country other than the United States. To referee in a sold out venue (3,500) for a sport that probably most individuals attending never saw or even heard of, it still remains the highlight of my 30+ sporting career (and I played college sports in the U.S.)!
Europeans and probably citizens of other countries appreciate sport for sport. It didn't seem to matter to fans in Barcelona to stand in line blocks long to watch their beloved Spanish team participate in Goalball! Yes, goalball! I still remember the impact it had on me when I emerged from the subway in Barcelona and saw that long line!
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Dr. Susan Brown Foster is a former international Goalball official and is now a college sport business professor!
