HU film student David Dowling will travel to Sydney, Australia in 2021.

By Ella Doron, Staff Writer

HU’s own David Dowling has made the US National Power Soccer Team and will be playing at the 2021 Power Soccer World Cup in Sydney, Australia. This will be the fourth Power Soccer World Cup; the first was in Tokyo, Japan in 2007. 

Dowling has been playing power soccer for about 10 years, primarily at the Turnstone Center in Fort Wayne. In an interview, he revealed that it has been a lifelong dream of his to be on the national power soccer team, but before now he was not old enough nor skilled enough. 

After being recruited by one of the coaches at nationals last year, Dowling sent in an application and was one of the 24 applicants chosen to go to a selection camp. From that 24, 12 players were chosen to participate in training camps all around the country, and eight of those will be traveling to Sydney in 2021. 

“I like the fact that [power soccer] is something I can do to compete,” Dowling says. “With a disability, I was always on the sidelines, but now I have the opportunity to know what it’s like to win and lose.” 

He also loves the community and lifelong friends he has gained from playing the sport. 

“It’s still kind of hitting me,” he says. “I’m still kind of buzzing.”

Dowling would like to thank everyone who has reached out to congratulate him on this opportunity, and he hopes to bring HU back some gold in 2021.