Medina High’s Zander Helfrich to Play Power Soccer at Auburn
On Saturday, April 25, Medina High School senior Zander Helfrich will sign a letter of intent to play collegiate power soccer at Auburn University. Helfrich currently plays power soccer as a member of Adaptive Sports Ohio’s Team Force, the only competitive power soccer program in Ohio. Auburn is the only university in the US with a power soccer team, and Helfrich is the first Ohio player to sign to play collegiately.
Helfrich will attend Auburn starting with the 2026-2027 academic year. Auburn’s power soccer team competes within the US Power Soccer Association, and won a National Championship in 2025.
The signing ceremony will take place in-between two games of a charity power soccer showcase at Medina High School organized by Helfrich to support Team Force. The games will be held from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. with the first game starting at 4:15 p.m. Fans in attendance will have opportunities to contribute through 50/50 and basket raffles.
Adaptive Sports Ohio was founded in 2009 by Chief Executive Officer, Lisa Followay. In the years since the organization’s inception, it has grown to serve hundreds of physically impaired youth and adults across the state through an abundance of competitive and recreational sports including power soccer. Its mission is to remove barriers to ensure that individuals with physical disabilities have a chance to play, and utilize sport to elevate ability and empower futures. Visit adaptivesportsohio.org for more information.
The United States Power Soccer Association (USPSA) is the governing body for power soccer, the first competitive team sport for power wheelchair users. Power soccer empowers athletes with diverse disabilities, such as quadriplegia, muscular dystrophy, arthrogryposis, and cerebral palsy, to compete independently at all skill levels. Visit powersoccerusa.org for more information.