Friday, April 24, and Saturday, April 25, will see history be made at Lancaster’s Progin Park as New England Amputee Soccer, United Adaptive Soccer Association, and the American Amputee Soccer Association come together to host the inaugural New England Amputee Soccer Open Cup, a new national tournament intended to help strengthen the national player pipeline while providing the opportunity for all to play.

The two-day event will feature more than 35 athletes ranging in ages from fourteen to over 60, representing 17 different states.

Revolution Amputee Soccer player, U.S. National Team Captain, and Concord native Nico Calabria has helped make New England the hub for adaptive soccer over the years.

“We’re creating more opportunities for players to compete and grow the game at every level," he said. "It’s the fastest game on one leg, you have to see it to believe it, and we’d love people to come check it out.”

April’s tournament will see four teams, AFC Schwein Time, The Gav-Engers FC, CF Damon Hunters, and Ober Achievers SC, compete for the inaugural title.

Friday sees AFC Schwein Time vs. The Gav-Engers FC face off at 2:00 PM ET, CF Damon Hunters vs. Ober Achievers SC face off at three, Ober Achievers SC vs. AFC Schwein Time face off at four, and CF Damon Hunters vs. The Gav-Engers FC.

Saturday sees two more group stage matches take place as Ober Achievers SC vs. The Gav-Engers FC kicks off at 10:00 AM ET, and AFC Schwein Time vs. CF Damon Hunters takes off at 11:00 AM ET.

In addition to two days of action-packed soccer, April’s event will also feature a pan-disability soccer clinic open to the public, with programming connected to cerebral palsy soccer, TOPSoccer, amputee youth development, and general adaptive participation.

As someone who has attended previous amputee soccer events in the New England region over the years, I can’t emphasize enough getting out and supporting the athletes and organizations involved in putting April’s event together.

Fans looking to attend April’s event can find ticketing information over on the United Adaptive Soccer website.