Fort Wayne Football Club players Javier Armas, Ryan Becher, JP Jordan and Bernd Schipmann went to Turnstone on Tuesday to attend a power soccer practice, learn about the adaptive sport, and meet with some of the incredible athletes who participate in it.
Power soccer is played by athletes using power wheelchairs. Two teams of four players compete on a gym floor using a large soccer ball, maneuvering specialized chairs equipped with protective guards to pass, defend and shoot. The sport emphasizes positioning, teamwork and precision, and it has become one of the most widely played wheelchair team sports in the world.
Turnstone has been a leader in adaptive sports programming in Fort Wayne for decades and has offered power soccer programs since 2006, helping athletes with disabilities compete at high levels while building confidence, friendships and community.
Schipmann spearheaded the Fort Wayne FC visit after seeing video and photos of Turnstone’s various teams, including the Turnstone Flyers who compete in the Premier Cup division, the Turnstone Furious Flyers who compete in the Founders Cup division, and the developmental Turnstone Fantastic Flyers. Schipmann called the athletes “inspiring and impressive.”
Accompanied by Fort Wayne FC staff members, the club’s players also attended wheelchair basketball training at Turnstone, an officially designated U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Site.
The U.S. Power Soccer Association Nationals will be at Turnstone on June 25-28.
About Fort Wayne Football Club
Fort Wayne Football Club, founded in 2019, is a professional soccer club playing its first season in USL League One in 2026. The club is building a state-of-the-art, soccer-specific stadium, Fort Wayne FC Park, that will open at Bass Road and I-69 in 2026. In pre-professional USL League Two, Fort Wayne Football Club won division titles in 2023, 2024 and 2025. For more information, visit FortWayneFC.com.