PHOENIX — Athletes gathered over the weekend at Ability360 to compete in the Southwest Regional Goalball Tournament.
Roughly 150 athletes competed in the tournament.
Paralympians and Paralympian hopefuls have worked hard to hit the next level of competition and one day the world stage.
Marybai Huking, a Paralympians and Sports Program Coordinator with the U.S. Association of Blind Athletes, let 12News take a look at the local tournament.
For spectators in goalball it’s the sights, but for competitors, it’s the sounds.
"This is a goalball it has bells in it," Huking explained. "This is one of the firsts for our qualifiers for Nationals which is held at the Paralympic training site in Indiana."
Goalball is played with three athletes on each team over two 12 minute periods, the team with the most goals wins.
But Huking said there's a catch to level the playing field.
"Because there's quite a range as far as people's vision impairments so everyone who is playing wears eye shades. Since you can't see anything, you're really reliant on your body awareness, where you're moving in space, communicating with your teammates and using those tactical lines and the goals behind them, you'll see them orient themselves on those goals as well."
Medals were presented to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place on both the men and women's teams. The next competition is scheduled for February in Vancouver, Washington.
Up to Speed
Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12 News YouTube channel. Subscribe today.
More ways to get 12News
On your phone: Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.
On your streaming device: Download 12News+ to your streaming device
The free 12News+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like "Today in AZ" and "12 News" and our daily lifestyle program, "Arizona Midday"—on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona.
Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to five major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks and NHL's Arizona Coyotes.
The Cardinals have made the State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers also play at the Footprint. Phoenix has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events on a yearly basis, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Cactus Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the Waste Management Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall; and Cactus League Spring Training.