My nephew Rory is a rising tennis star in Minnesota. With his long and powerful body he is an intimidating presence on the court. He plays with a great deal of intensity and hustle which only adds to the threat. Maya, Nico and I attended the last portion of a three hour training session and got to see him play in person for the first time. The mid ninety temperatures did not seem to diminish the level of play. Click on the photos for a higher resolution image.

In addition to visiting with family and working in a couple of college visits, Nico is here to represent the USA National Amputee Soccer team at the Schwan’s USA Cup. Billed as the greatest international youth soccer tournament in the Western Hemisphere, the week long event attracts more than 900 teams and 14,000 athletes from 22 countries to the National Sports Center, certified by the Guinness Book of Records as the largest soccer complex on earth. The team conducted demonstrations throughout the afternoon playing against able bodied players many of whom attempted to play using forearm crutches. There is no better way to introduce and build support for the sport of amputee soccer than inclusive events such as this. The evening featured an Olympic style opening ceremony with athletes entering the stadium by team and being treated to a fireworks display and live concert. The USA National Amputee Soccer team (only half the team was able to afford the travel and time off to attend) and coach were the last to enter before the Minnesota Stars (the state’s North American Soccer League team). They received a standing ovation from the estimated crowd of 30,000.