National championships are being held in Halifax and the blind sport event is expected to bring fierce competition at the next Paralympics in Tokyo.
The hush during a play can be compared to the quiet anticipation of a golfer teeing up for a big swing.
Goalball is said to be one of the most challenging of sports because goalball players can't see the ball coming.
Nineteen-year-old Tarah Sawler has been playing goalball for several years and now plays for Nova Scotia’s team.
“It's really good, it's a lot of fun, and you learn a lot just about playing in general,” she says.
Peter Parson of Blind Sports Nova Scotia says Canadian women's teams have done well with picking up medals in past Paralympics.
“The women actually won gold medals in two thousand and in two thousand and four...at the Paralympics,” Parson says.
Fully sighted players are also welcome to play, but with one per team. Sighted players must also wear shades to block their vision.
Mason Smith plays for Nova Scotia Team and he says the game relies primarily on the ability to listen. He also says it’s interesting for fans to experience the game firsthand because it is essential that everyone remain quiet.
“It’s weird for the fans the first time, they want to cheer when the goal goes in, but they're told to be quiet and wait until after the whistle is blown,” says Smith.
In recent years, some Canadian teams have struggled to find members, but the sport is growing in Nova Scotia. Now, some players have had the change to go to international competitions with the sport.
“We've been to Finland so far, and we've been to Michigan, we go to Michigan each year,” Smith says.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Ron Shaw
