A Pasco County teenager who was born without vision in her right eye and has very limited sight in her left is headed to Kazakhstan this month to compete for Team USA. Lily James is one of just six athletes chosen nationwide to represent the United States at the Goalball World Championships, a milestone that has her family scrambling to make sure they can be there to watch.
The selection was announced by the United States Association of Blind Athletes, which named the Team USA rosters for the 2026 IBSA Goalball Youth World Championships on August 4. The tournament is set for Astana, Kazakhstan, running from November 27 through December 5, according to USABA. James's path to the national team, along with details of her busy life outside the sport, was first reported by Tampa Bay 28.
A Sport Built on Sound, Not Sight
Goalball is a team sport designed specifically for athletes who are blind or visually impaired. Every player wears a blindfold so that the game is fair regardless of how much vision an athlete has, and the ball itself is packed with bells so players can track its movement purely by ear, per the station's report. Teams score by hurling the ball past opposing players, who drop to the floor and use their bodies to block it.
The sport's origins trace back to 1946, when it was created as a form of rehabilitation for veterans who had lost their sight during World War II, according to OPB. That same outlet documented James in action on the court a year before her Team USA selection, capturing her diving to save a shot while playing for the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind Cobras at the Junior Cascade Classic tournament in Vancouver, where a photo caption shows her embracing teammate Alina Davila-Tirado after a win over the Utah Foundation for the Blind and Visually Impaired Rage.
More Than a Goalball Player
Beyond the court, James stays busy. She participates in swimming and weightlifting, serves on her school's cheerleading team, and holds the title of class president, the same report notes. Her father, Peter James, said he did not expect his daughter's selection and that she had exceeded expectations.
Her mother, Jennifer James, said the family made a deliberate choice to let Lily chase her interests even after doctors had cautioned against some team sports because of the possibility that an injury could affect her vision. James herself has credited goalball with giving her confidence and helping her understand her own abilities.
Family Racing to Cover Travel Costs
Now the family faces a new challenge: getting to Kazakhstan. James's family is working to raise enough money to travel there and cheer her on in person. USABA has acknowledged that families of its youth athletes currently shoulder a portion of the costs of competing on the world stage, a reality that adds financial pressure on top of the excitement of an international tournament.
For a Pasco County teen who has already proven doctors' early caution unwarranted, the next challenge is clear: her family hopes to be in the stands in Astana when she takes the court for Team USA.
