| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality |  United States |
| Born | February 27, 1987 |
Gregory Brigman (born February 27, 1987) is an American Paralympic football player and soccer referee. He was first called up to the United States National Paralympic Team in March 2016, and traveled with the team for a competition in Salou, Spain in May 2016. He then represented the US at the 2016 Rio Games.
Brigman was born on February 27, 1987, and is from Harrisburg, North Carolina. [1]
Brigman is a soccer referee for the United States Soccer Federation, refereeing on a state level. He has refereed a number of matches including a 2013 game between Charlotte Eagles and Charleston Battery, [2] a 2016 game between Charlotte Independence and Bethlehem Steel. [3]
Brigman is a CP7 footballer, [4] who plays in the defense. [1] He tried to crowd fund US$6,000 to compete in Rio but only raised US$2,600. [5] [6] [7] [8]
Brigman took part in a national team training camp in Chula Vista, California in early March 2016. [1] This was his first call up to participate in a national team training camp. [1] [9] He was with the team again at a national team training camp in April 2016 in Florida. [10] Brigman was part of the United States Paralympic National Team that took part in the 2016 Pre Paralympic Tournament in Salou, Spain. [4] The United States finished 6th after beating Argentina in one placement match 4 - 3 and losing to Ireland 4 - 1. The goals scored in the match against Argentina were the first the USA scored in the tournament, before putting up one more in their match against Ireland. [11] [12] [13] The tournament featured 7 of the 8 teams participating in Rio. It was the last major preparation event ahead of the Rio Games for all teams participating. [14]
The United States Men's Para 7-a-side (Paralympic) National Soccer Team represents the United States in international competitions. It is operated by the United States Soccer Federation. The team finished seventh at the 2015 IPCPF World Championships. They have competed at several Paralympic Games, including the 1984, 1992, 1996, 2004 and 2012 editions. One of their best finishes was in 1996 when they finished fourth. Their head coach is Stuart Sharp. Comedian Josh Blue is one of their former players.
The United States competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 September to 18 September 2016. The first places the team qualified were for three athletes in sailing events. They also qualified athletes in archery, goalball, shooting, swimming, and wheelchair basketball.
The Netherlands competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 September to 18 September 2016. The first places the team qualified were for four athletes in equestrian team dressage. In September 2015, a representative from the country attended the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games Chef de Mission seminar as part of the country's preparation efforts for the 2016 Games.
Brazil competed in the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, as host country, from 7 September to 18 September 2016.
Argentina competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 to 18 September 2016. Wheelchair tennis player Gustavo Fernandez has been chosen to carry the nation's flag at the opening ceremony.
Ireland competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 to 18 September 2016.
Alexander William Hendricks is an American cerebral palsy football player. He has paralysis on the left side of his body as a result of complications from a brain biopsy that created 2 strokes and a brain hemorrhage when he was a 13-year-old.
David Garza is an American Paralympic soccer player. He attended California State University Dominguez Hills, and was involved in a car accident in his freshman year that left him with permanent paralysis on part of his body.
Bryce Boarman is an American Paralympic soccer player. Boarman has cerebral palsy, and attended the University of Colorado Colorado Springs and University of Northern Colorado.
Gavin Sibayan is an American Paralympic football player of Filipino descent. A United States Army veteran, Sibayan enlisted in 2001 and would retire at the rank of Staff Sergeant with an Army Commendation Medal and a Purple Heart. In 2007, he was involved in three IED incidents, the third of which left him with Traumatic Brain Injury that resulted in a permanent disability.
Adam Ballou is an American soccer player and cerebral palsy football player. Ballou has cerebral palsy as a result of an intrauterine stroke, he was diagnosed at six months old. He attended James Madison University, graduating in 2015. He started playing soccer when he was three years old, played rec, advanced and travel. He also played on his high school varsity team, and was team captain his junior and senior years.
Mason Abbiate is an American Paralympic soccer player. Abbiate has cerebral palsy, and plays both CP football and able-bodied football. On the able-bodied side, he played for the San Diego Soccer Club and varsity high school soccer for Del Norte High School.
Andrew Bremer is an American Paralympic soccer player. He attended East Grand Rapids High School and Kalamazoo College, playing varsity soccer for both schools. In 2015, Bremer started playing cerebral palsy football as a member of the United States national team. His first call up was in June 2015, and he has consistently participated in national team camps and tournaments since. Bremer was one of a number of players seeking a spot on the national team roster for the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio.
Kevin Hensley is an American Paralympic soccer player. Hensley started playing soccer when he was very young, and went on to play for Tennessee Boys State Teams and varsity soccer for Collierville High School. When he was 14 years old, he had a freak stroke while playing soccer that left him with paralysis on the right side of his body. This adversely impacted his academic ability and ability to play soccer. He eventually went into coaching on the soccer side.
Steven Bohlemann is an American Paralympic soccer player. He attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Georgia Institute of Technology, and has completed a number of internships related to aerospace engineering.
Keith Johnson is an American Paralympic soccer player. Diagnosed with cerebral palsy when he was young, he played a variety of sports and graduated from East Anchorage High School in 1999.
Seth Jahn is a retired American 7-a-side soccer player and former member of the athlete's council for the United States Soccer Federation.
Canada national cerebral palsy football team is the national cerebral football team for Canada that represents the team in international competitions. Canada has participated in a number of international tournaments and IFCPF World Championships. In the most recent edition they finished 10th, after losing their placement match to Scotland in extra time. They have appeared in one Paralympic Games, 1984.
The Argentina national cerebral palsy football team is the national football team that represents Argentina in international competitions. The team is managed by the "Argentine Cerebral Palsy Football Federation" Spanish: Federación Argentina de Fútbol de Parálisis Cerebral (FAFPC). Their best world ranking sixth and their lowest was ninth. Argentina has competed at both the IFCPF World Championships and the Paralympic Games, but has never finished in the medals in either event.
Great Britain national cerebral palsy football team is the national cerebral football team for Great Britain that represents the team in international competitions, but primarily the Paralympic Games. They compete at the 1984, 1992, 2008 and 2012 Summer Paralympics. Their best performance was in 1984 when they won the bronze medal.
