A first-of-its-kind competitive sports league specifically for athletes with intellectual disabilities is kicking off this summer.
Known as the Inspire Soccer League, the national competitive soccer league will debut with an event in Colorado Springs, Colo. in August that will bring together four inaugural teams for a weekend of games. Three other similar events will be held at sites across the country later this year culminating with a championship weekend.
The league is backed by the nonprofit Project Inspire, which was established by João Gomiero and Nil Vinyals who played together on the Richmond Kickers, a professional soccer club in Richmond, Va. The U.S. Soccer Federation provided a $100,000 grant to help support the league’s first season.
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“Everyone should have the opportunity to compete at the highest level with a dedicated fan base of supporters,” Gomiero said. “Inspire Soccer League provides an organized, competitive, year-long soccer league for athletes who deserve an opportunity to represent their home team in a competitive environment.”
Initially, the all-gender league will include the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC in Colorado Springs, One Knoxville SC in Knoxville, Tenn., United Genuine FC in Houston and USL Spokane in Spokane, Wash. Most of the teams will be affiliated with an existing professional club in their city and each will feature at least 15 players with intellectual disabilities ages 16 and up.
Games will be held at professional stadiums as ticketed events with organizers hoping for an average of 1,200 spectators per event.
Next year, the league is expected to grow to eight teams in two conferences with 11 events planned.
The league is modeled off of similar efforts in Spain and elsewhere and offers a step beyond what’s been available to athletes with intellectual disabilities through Special Olympics, said Vinyals, the league’s president.
“Special Olympics is the entryway to sports, while Project Inspire is a top-level competition providing a pathway to the first-ever U.S. national teams competing internationally through Virtus,” Vinyals said, referring to the international federation for athletes with intellectual disabilities. “Our biggest differentiator is that we are year-long, competitive and nationwide.”
