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Simon Takes Bronze in Judo

ABANJ athlete Cindy Simon attended the 2010 German Open Championships for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Heidelberg, Germany. In the 52/57kg weight class Simon took home a bronze.

ABANJ in the News

Asbury Park Press printed an article early February covering ABANJ’s presentation to second graders at Nut Swamp Elementary School (Middletown, NJ). The article has sparked some interest within the school district and the group of ABANJ members, Daniel and Krystyn Gallant, Danielle Larsen, and Shelly Richards, were as to keep the elementary students apprised of ABANJ’s ongoing, specifically following goalball and the athletes who they met during the presentation. Many faculty and parents from the Middletown school district plan on attending the NJ Regional Goalball Tournament this April in Westmount, NJ.

If you would like ABANJ to present Understanding Differences: Blindness please contact Community Outreach Director Krystyn Gallant krystyngallant@yahoo.com

Wide World of Goalball

The New Jersey Men’s and Women’s Goalball teams will be attending the Midwestern Regional Goalball Tournament in Kalamazoo, MI February 28-29. Danielle Larsen and Daniel Gallant are looking to do more than win a tournament; they are looking to earn a spot on the USA national goalball teams. Gallant took a leave from the USA goalball team after winning bronze in the 2004 Paralympics. He is now working hard to earn a spot to compete in the 2010 World Goalball Championships. This is Larsen’s first year competing for a spot on the Women’s US team. Larsen has been working hard practicing with the NJ Women’s Goalball team, attending practice in PA to get some extra court time, and showing what she has to offer at national training camps. This February Larsen attended the USA Women’s training camp in Birmingham, AL. Larsen knows it is going to be a tough competition and is giving 110% to earn herself a spot on the 2010 team.

If you would like to volunteer for any portion of the NJ Regional Tournament April 9-11 please contact Director of Sports Development Sharon Gunderman cfg1@psu.edu

NJAHPERD Conference

The 2010 NJ Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance was a success. ABANJ signed up 28 Physical Education Teachers from all over NJ who are currently working with students who are blind and visually impaired. Teachers are eager for our website to launch, join our cause, and receive as much help as possible when adapting inclusive physical education. Teachers along with their K-12 students and college students plan on attending the NJ Regional Goalball Tournament in April.

Krystyn Gallant and Danielle Larsen not only connected with teachers, but made valuable connections with other exhibitors and community members. NY Bike would like to work with ABANJ to create a NJ tandem cycling chapter for persons with visual impairments in NJ. The National Circus Project has a chapter in NJ and are currently working with a variety of disabilities including blindness and would also like to work with ABANJ now that Circus Skills have been federally labeled as physical education and sports recreation. The USC has offered to make custom equipment for ABANJ at no extra cost. They will brightly color, soften, and add sound to any track and field equipment they sell at no additional. cost. FlagHouse, another sporting goods company has offered to meet with us to discuss why their adaptive equipment are not suitable for phys ed. Classrooms and would like to work with us on improving the equipment. FlagHouse is now offering anyone associated with ABANJ a 20% discount on anything sold by their company. FlagHouse would also like to become a corporate sponsor of ABANJ if we decide to use some of their equipment and despite our decision would like to be a part of Sports Camp.

The most exciting news of the NJAHPERD Conference is meeting Jeffery Shapiro. Mr. Shapiro is the head of Lakewood Dept of Public Works and is networked with the Townships of Lakewood and Toms River. Mr. Shapiro has offered ABANJ facilities, transportation, and a few minor details that we need for sports camp for only $25 a day. Mr. Shapiro can also give us extreme discounts on food, t-shirts, room accommodations, and whatever else we need, as well as provide us with as many volunteers as we need to run sports camp.
ABANJ was not only requested to attend the remaining 2010 conferences, but to become a \partner organization with NJAHPERD.

Welcome to NJ Blind Sports

The Association for Blind Athletes of New Jersey (ABANJ) is an organized group that works to sponsor and promote sports and physical activities for blind and visually impaired people. Through ABANJ many people have been introduced to sports like Goalball, beep baseball, and other accommodated sports such as Track and Field and Swimming.

Throughout this website you fill find information concering various sports and the programs we presently have available and the sports we are looking to develop. Feel free to take our surveys concerning potential sports camp and you're welcome to use whatever resources we provide on this website. Contact anyone from ABANJ if you are interested in any of the sports on this website or any others that you may have encountered and want to know more about.

Special Thanks to the New Jersey State Lions Groups that support ABANJ and that have helped provide athletic opportunities for the blind/visually impaired to participated in a variety of sports recreationally and competive. Without their support we wouldnot have been able to introduce sports to the blind/visually challenged in New Jersey.

Created on 02/04/2003 10:24 AM by admin
Updated on 02/12/2010 12:18 PM by Danielle