A Phoenix soccer player made the roster to participate in the USA Blind Soccer Men’s National Team training camp with an eye on the 2028 Paralympic Games.

Alvaro Mora Arellano will join the team when the U.S. Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) conducts camp Feb. 1-6 in Chula Vista, California. The camp is the first of three training camps scheduled for this year as the USA Blind Soccer team prepares for its Paralympic Games debut in Los Angeles in 2028.

“We are excited to kick off our second year of supporting a men’s national team program,” USABA Director of Sport Performance Amanda Duke Boulet shared in a press release. “This upcoming camp will provide the coaching staff an opportunity to see how the athletes have been progressing since the last camp held in December and will also serve as a scouting opportunity for us to name our 2024 USA Blind Soccer Men’s National Team.”

The sport of blind soccer has been part of the Paralympic Games since 2004. The U.S. will make its blind soccer debut at the Paralympics when the Games come to Los Angeles in 2028 and the U.S. receives an automatic entry into the competition as the host country.

USABA named the first-ever USA Blind Soccer Men’s National Team in November 2022 and hosted a pair of international friendlies in March 2023, defeating Canada in both matches by scores of 1-0 and 3-0. The live stream of the first match has received more than 3,000 views on YouTube.

Thirteen athletes and three goalkeepers will be evaluated during the camp. Leading the camp will be USA Blind Soccer Head Coach Katie Smith (Columbus, Ohio) along with assistant coaches Fil Wilkinson (Mooresville, North Carolina) and Ryan Lazaroe (Slidell, Louisiana).

The camp includes two daily training sessions that are open to the public.