On this special episode of the U.S. Soccer Podcast, hosts Jordan Angeli and Charlie Davies welcomed U.S. Paralympic National Team members Drew Bremer and Josh Brunais to the show. December is U.S. Disability Soccer Month, and throughout the month the Federation is celebrating the programs and member organizations who support athletes with disabilities in every corner of the sport. That ranges from the U.S. para 7-a-side National Team - which Bremer and Brunais have competed on since 2015 and is currently ranked 4th in the world - to Deaf Soccer, Power Soccer and more. The theme of this month is Adapt and Thrive, a phrase the applies not just to the action on the soccer field, but also to how we should tackle each day.
Bremer and Brunais explained some of the intricacies and tactics of Paralympic 7-a-side soccer – which include modified throw-ins and no offside restrictions. They shared their unique journeys to the sport and to the team. Bremer – who was born with cerebral palsy – played soccer throughout high school and college and came to the PNT through his fandom of the U.S. Women’s National Team. Brunais, an avid Bayern Munich supporter having spent some of his childhood in Germany, suffered a traumatic brain injury during his time in Special Operations with the U.S. Army. He credits the PNT with giving him renewed motivation at dark point in his life.
For more information on the U.S. Para 7-a-side National Team or U.S. Soccer Disability Month, follow the PNT on Twitter (@ussoccer_PNT) and by searching the #AdaptANDThrive hashtag. Individuals interested in joining our finding out more about para soccer are encouraged to email U.S. Soccer PNT Head Coach Stuart Sharp (ExtendedNT@ussoccer.org).
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