By LOIS KINDLE
lekindle@aol.com
Fourteen-year-old Aspen Henderson, of Apollo Beach, was selected Aug. 4 by the United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) to represent Team USA at the 2026 IBSA Goalball Youth World Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, Nov. 27 to Dec. 5.
Her talent and dedication earned her a spot as one of six athletes nationwide on the USA Goalball Women’s Youth National Team — a rare opportunity for young athletes to gain international experience and grow in the sport.
Aspen was born with aniridia, optic hypoplasia and astigmatism, conditions that led to her early diagnosis as legally blind. She attends the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind in St. Augustine during the week and commutes home to Apollo Beach on weekends. It was there she discovered goalball in fifth grade and began playing the following year.
“I loved it because it’s made for the visually impaired,” she said. “I wanted to learn something new.” Aspen quickly excelled and at age 12 — despite a minimum age requirement of 13 — earned a spot to compete in a high-school tournament with players from across the country. She competed in her first adult tournament in Atlanta in May, where she faced athletes who are now her Team USA teammates. Her parents — Erica and Russ Henderson — describe her as a quiet, down-to-earth, straight A student who opens up when she gets around people. “She’s a perfectionist, independent and very competitive, as much with herself as she is with others,” her mom said. “Just ask her coach, Justyn Keller.” He couldn’t agree more.
“Aspen has such as strong work ethic, one unparalleled in kids her age,” he said. “She’s reserved, very mature and always listening. She keeps at something until she figures it out and excels at it.” Here’s where you can help. With the Youth World Championships just months away, Aspen needs to raise the remaining portion of her goal of $7,000 to cover travel and competition costs. She’s already worked hard to raise $2,467, and community support is needed to help close the gap.
All donations are tax-deductible, and gifts of any size make a difference. You can make an online donation directly on her GiveLively page at https://tinyurl.com/y255ebzs or send a check made payable to USABA, with “2026 YWC/Aspen Henderson” written in the memo line, and send it to Erica Henderson, 6090 Golden Nettle Drive, Apollo Beach, FL 33572.
About goalball Goalball was invented in 1946 to help rehabilitate WWII veterans who lost their sight and later evolved into a Paralympics sport. Players are guided entirely by sound cues, spatial awareness and full body defense.
Teams alternate rolling or bouncing a 2.8-pound ball containing three bells toward the opponent’s goal, which spans the entire width of a volleyball-size court. Players try to block the ball by diving horizontally, using their legs, hips, arms and torso to block the ball. A goal counts only when it fully crosses the goal line. All athletes wear opaque eyeshades to ensure total equality, regardless of their level of vision. About USABA The United States Association of Blind Athletes, founded in 1976, has spent five decades expanding sports and recreation opportunities for Americans who are blind or visually impaired. As the National Governing Body for Goalball and Blind Soccer, USABA supports athletes from grassroots programs to international competition, including the Paralympic Games.
The organization continues to lead the adaptive sports movement on the Road to LA28. Learn more at www.usaba.org/.