Hal Simpson Named 2023 Ronald W. Plassman Gold Standard Award Honoree

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (October 30, 2023)– The U.S. Association for Blind Athletes (USABA) and Turnstone Center are pleased to announce Hal Simpson has been named the recipient of the 2023 Ronald W. Plassman Gold Standard Award.

Established in 2021, this prestigious award is presented annually to deserving athletes, coaches, and program supporters who demonstrate the gold standard values lived out by the actions and support of Fort Wayne-based entrepreneur and philanthropist Ron Plassman (1940-2022). These include excellence on the field of play, sportsmanship, leadership, and championing the sport of goalball.

Simpson, of Smyrna, Ga., formed Georgia Blind Sports in 2011, and his leadership has enabled hundreds of people who are blind and visually impaired to learn, play, and compete at the national level in the Paralympic sport of goalball. His players are quick to point out that Simpson is a coach who leads by example and upholds high moral and ethical standards. He emphasizes the importance of honesty, fairness, and sportsmanlike conduct to his teams while encouraging his players to always compete with integrity. Simpson is the father of two-time Paralympian Matt Simpson.

Ron Plassman was a passionate champion of goalball, adaptive sports, and the Paralympic movement. Ron’s passionate support, specifically for goalball athletes, led to the creation of the Goalball Center of Excellence, the first training site of its kind in the United States and now the home of the USA Men’s and Women’s Goalball resident training program.

Pictured: 2023 Ronald W. Plassman Gold Standard Award winner Hal Simpson (center) with (l to r) USABA board members Brian Eaton and Amy Wasson, USABA CEO Molly Quinn, and USABA Board Chair Mark Ackermann.