Turnstone and USABA Now Welcoming Nominations For 2024 Ronald Plassman Gold Standard Award

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (May 20, 2024)– Turnstone Center and the U.S. Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) are now accepting nominations for the 2024 Ronald Plassman Gold Standard Award. Established in 2021, this prestigious award is presented annually each fall to deserving athletes, coaches, and program supporters who demonstrate gold-standard values lived out by the actions and support of Ron Plassman (1940-2022). These include excellence on the field of play, sportsmanship, leadership, and championing the sport of goalball.

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 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the first training site of its kind in the United States and now the home of the USA Goalball Men’s and Women’s Resident Training Program.

The criteria for this award require nominees to be athletes, coaches, or program supporters who recognize the values of sportsmanship and leadership on and off the court. Nominees must also demonstrate significant contributions to the sport of goalball, support education, and increase awareness of the Paralympic Movement.

Those interested in submitting a nomination should do so using the online form before October 1. A selection committee will review all nominations after the deadline and announce a recipient at the USABA Breakfast with Champions in Colorado Springs on November 15.