Do you think you could play a game of baseball while blindfolded? That is exactly what more than 160 West Texans are doing Saturday and Sunday here in Lubbock.
The First Annual Beep Baseball Tounament is being held Saturday and Sunday at the Lubbock Youth Sports Complex. Alström Angels is hosting 15 teams for the baseball tournament, which is for children and adults who are blind, visually impaired, and those that are sighted. Everyone plays blindfolded, of course.
Team members range gymnastics teams, cheerleading squads, occupational and physical therapists, vision therapists, families, existing baseball teams, civic organizations, and three completely vision impaired youth teams.
Beep Baseball was started in 1964 by engineers at the Mountain Bell Telephone Company. The game was designed to allow individuals with visual disabilities the chance to play one of America’s greatest sports; baseball. In Beep Baseball, both the balls and bases are modified to emit an audible beep, which allow blindfolded players to fully engage in the game. All players, regardless of visual ability or disability, must wear blindfolds to even the playing field.
The tournament is brought to Lubbock by Alström Angels, a Lubbock-based nonprofit organization dedicated to helping children diagnosed with Alström Syndrome. The charity focuses on raising funds for medical research and increasing awareness of the rare disease. Alström Syndrome is a genetic disease that affects children with complete blindness, deafness, type 2 diabetes, kidney and liver failure, congestive heart failure and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
There is no charge to attend the tournament.
For more information about how the game of Beep Baseball is played visit: lubbockbeepball.org.
