Challenged Soccer Team

MEGU is proud to be home to a very special group of players - the Challenged Soccer Team - for players with mental and physical handicaps.

Challenged Soccer is a division of the Melbourne Eau Gallie United Soccer Club (MEGU), available to children who attend or are eligible for Exceptional Education classes. The program was founded in 1991 by Dr. Ronald Seifer, and has run continuously since that time. Challenged Soccer offers a recreational soccer experience for children who would not otherwise come out for the season due to physical, mental, and emotional impairments. Youngsters with learning disabilities and hearing, mental, physical and emotional impairments have participated in Challenged Soccer over the years. Parents and club volunteers participate as coaches, referees, team managers, and occasionally as players' on-field helpers. Challenged Soccer is an integrated division of MEGU. Challenged players wear the same uniforms, play on the same fields and have similar schedules for practice and games as do players in the recreational division. Games are generally played on U8 and U10 fields, although we can adapt the field size as needed to accommodate the players. The program focuses on individual skills training, team play, and sportsmanship, and is geared to make every player feel successful. The Challenged season runs from September to December.

If you know of a youngster who has special needs and might benefit from organized sports, please let their family know about the Challenged Soccer program. If you would like to participate as a coach, trainer, or sponsor, or in any other capacity, please contact us.

For further information please contact: Stuart Nicholson, MEGU Challenged Director: stuart@snicholson.net.