CARSON, Calif. – The LA Galaxy will honor the memory of Kyle Ornelas, one of the greats of Power Soccer, during their August 14 match against the Colorado Rapids.
The Southern California native and Power Soccer athlete passed away after battling Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy earlier this year. Despite being wheelchair-bound, Ornelas was a fierce competitor for his team and even represented the U.S. National Team’s Power Soccer squad.
“Kyle was a sports fanatic. A lot of times growing up with a disability at a young age, you’re on the outside looking in, but as far as power soccer, it brings you to the forefront,” Ornelas’ former teammate Steve Everett said. “It allows you to participate and compete at whatever level you want to be. For Kyle, it was a huge part of his life because once he was in his chair, he was independent. That’s what power soccer and disabled sports offer –independence.”
Power Soccer is the first competitive team sport designed and developed specifically for power wheelchair users. These participants include persons with quadriplegia, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, head trauma, stroke, spinal cord injury and other disabilities.
Power Soccer combines the skill of the wheelchair user with the speed and power of the chair itself, to participate in an extremely challenging game similar to soccer. The game is played in a gymnasium on a regulation basketball court. Two teams of four power wheelchair users attack, defend, and spin-kick a 13-inch soccer ball in an attempt to score goals.
The rise of the sport caught the eye of the LA Galaxy Foundation and midfielder Sebastian Lletget who has developed a lasting friendship with Everett.
“That relationship has helped expose Power Soccer and brought it to the community and the forefront,” Everett said. “Power Soccer is relatively an unknown sport to a lot, but it’s services to people with disabilities and are power wheelchair bound.
“There aren’t a lot of opportunities for people to recreate or compete, so it’s the first team-sport to do so. I know the Foundation wants to bring soccer to everyone and make it available to everyone.”
Power Soccer proved to be key to the bond between Everett and Ornelas who played alongside one another for eight years. For Everett, who an accomplished Power Tennis player before moving onto the Beautiful Game, the bond shared on the field was one of the most memorable experiences
"Kyle was one of the first teammates of mine who took an interest in me. His excitement for sharing the sport that he loves, carries on his legacy. As he grew older and matured, and become one of the elites in our sport, he always wanted to give back to the younger kids and the new people. This sport meant so much to him," he said.
“I feel like this tribute to him honors his memory. His family is humbled by this, and I think that it’s a great honor for a person who has given so much, and still in his memory wants to give through his teammates and his family. We’re going to continue his push and march to share soccer with everyone. It was great, and we shared a lot of laughs, we battled together, and I couldn’t pick a better person to get in the trenches with and battle it out on the field."
