The American Amputee Soccer Association was founded in the early 1980s by Seattle native Don Bennett, who was determined to provide an athletic community and competitive outlet for other people with limb differences. Players usually have lost part of one leg, and play with crutches. The game quickly progressed beyond Seattle, with teams forming in Portland and Vancouver, B.C. in the early 1980s, and the first international Amputee World Cup tournament held in Seattle in 1984. As of 2026 the American Amputee Soccer Association continues to support men's, women's and youth amputee soccer, and is actively expanding regional programs across the U.S.

Here, Rob Potter plays for the Athlete's Foot coed amputee soccer team. According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer article accompanying this photo, the team was the first of its kind in the world. The Athlete's Foot team played against the Portland and Vancouver amputee teams, but mostly played against able-bodied teams who also used one leg and crutches during play.

Caption information source: "Amputee soccer players are gaining more than just kicks" by Gordon Wittenmyer, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, May 24, 1986, pp. B1-2
Caption information source: "History of the Game," from the American Amputee Soccer Association website, https://www.usampsoccer.org/history