Wheelchair soccer team's goal: traveling to national tourney

The Tampa Bay Crossfire are a power wheelchair soccer team, and they are winning up a storm.

The Crossfire are one of 10 teams in the country invited to the sport's national tournament in suburban Indianapolis next month, and team members are scrambling to raise the money to go.

Power wheelchair soccer is played around world, with 60 teams in the United States. It combines wheelchair maneuverability skills with the strategy and skills of soccer. Instead of kicking, players use a metal guard outfitted to the front of a motorized wheelchair to hit and pass the 18-inch ball.

Teams of four play against each other in 20-minute halves on a basketball court.

"It's pretty much like able-body soccer," said team member Justin McFatridge, 23, who first played the sport in his home state of Indiana before moving to Tampa to major in public relations at the University of South Florida. McFatridge is paralyzed after a diving injury in 2001 injured his spine.

"Before my accident, I was very involved in swimming and soccer," McFatridge said. "I played soccer year-round - travel teams and everything. Once I got injured and in the chair, I didn't think I would ever be able to play the sport I loved again."

Tyler Hernandez, at 14 the team's youngest member and a student at Martinez Middle School, said he appreciates the opportunity to compete.

"Just because I can't walk doesn't mean I can't play a sport," said Hernandez, who has spinal muscular atrophy, which makes his muscles weak. "It's just one of those competitive things, and I just love playing wheelchair soccer."

The Crossfire deal with many of the issues found in other sports. Team captain, 29-year-old Elio Navarro, said teamwork is the biggest challenge.

"Whether it's life or work, teamwork is such a hard thing," said Navarro, who has spinal muscular atrophy.

Navarro's wife, Jessi, an employee for TBO.com, coaches the team, which holds weekly practices at the Countryside Recreation Center in Clearwater. She said the team is comprised of amazing people who inspire her everyday.

"So when they come there motivated to learn new things or try their hardest, it motivates me to give them a harder practice," she said. "It motivates me to push through my fatigue at the end of a long day."

The team needs $10,000 to go to the U.S. Power Soccer Association national tournament, which is scheduled for June 17-19 at The Fieldhouse in Fisher, Ind. So far, $3,000 has been raised.

For information about the team or to make a donation, go to www.tampabaycrossfire.net.