Born Without Hands, Young Soccer Star Leads Team to Championship

The Lake Norman Soccer Club is just a few games away from the World Tournament in South Africa. It's a big accomplishment for any team, especially, for a small-town soccer squad.

Like most successful teams, the top players are versatile, playing multiple positions. Elijah Clark is no different; he plays forward, midfield, defender and even goalie. But, the fact that 11-year old Elijah plays goalie is made even more remarkable because... he has no hands.

Not only was Elijah was born without hands, he has only one forearm bone and two fingers.

"I used to hide behind my mom because I didn't want people to look at me. But, I had to overcome that. I don't care what people say about me now,” says Elijah.

Elijah's parents have helped him see past his differences. His mother, Alishia Clark says, "the best way for him to be independent was for him to do things. (To) do everything else that a regular person can do."

Teammates, like Justin Meyer, say they're inspired, "Elijah shows us that just because you have a disability doesn't mean you can't play sports.”

Although Elijah doesn't have hands, like the rest of the boys on his team, it doesn't stop him from excelling in other places than the soccer field. Elijah has been placed in academically gifted classes and currently has, not only A's, but a perfect 100 grade average in all his courses. Even more amazing, his teammates' parents say he can write and type better than a lot of their kids, using only his elbows. Leading his mother to this conclusion, "he's pretty much figured everything out on his own. He's shown US how it's going to be."

The 12 and Under Lake Norman Soccer Club is heading to Washington, D.C. next weekend. If they win, they'll head to South Africa for the World Championship.

To find out more about the Volkswagen Junior Masters Tournament go to www.vwjrmasters.com

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