— Stephen Kearney remembers being curious on that first day when he stepped onto the campus for his first day to work at the Oklahoma School for the Blind in Muskogee.

“I always wondered where they kept the dogs,” he said. “I wanted to know how a guide dog works.”

But there were no dogs for the children because of their blindness.

That day, though, started an association with blind athletes that lasted 38 years until his retirement in 2009. Along the way, he' s traveled around the world to such places such as Greece and China in coaching and working with these special athletes.

It also took him to the University of Delaware this past weekend to receive induction into the United States Association of Blind Athletes Hall of Fame. He was the head coach of the gold medal-winning goalball team in the 1984 Paralympics in New York.

The Paralympics, held once every four years and two weeks after the Olympics, are multi-sport events for athletes with physical disabilities including blindness. Goalball is a sport where three-member teams try to roll a ball equipped with bells into an opposing team’s net.

He’s had other duties in working at the Paralympics. But coaching that 1984 goalball team to a gold medal will always remain a highlight for Kearney.

No other men's team from USA has won gold in the sport since.

Oklahoma City native John Cutliff was on the six-member squad that also included athletes from Missouri, Illinois, New Mexico, Kentucky and New Jersey.

“I picked the best guys from other teams,” the 61-year-old Kearney recalled.

Kearney’s team rallied from early losses and went through the loser’s bracket to beat Egypt for the gold medal in 1984.

“Because of the all effort we put in, it was exciting for the guys to accomplish their goal,” he said. “It was a great experience.”

A Tuisa native, Kearney didn't need or have any special training or education to work with blind athletes.

”My name was put in with 10 other people at the same time at the (Northeastern State University) placement office,” he said. “Our packets were sent to the (School for the Blind) as they were looking to start the recreation program. I was the first resume and V.R. Carter (then the superintendent of the school) called and wanted to know if I wanted a job. I gave myself a half of the year.

“I was lucky to be the first on the list. I have no idea why I was. It was an opportunity to do something positive and fun with kids who had disabilities. There wasn't the stress these other coaches get into or how they move school to school. And 38 years later, here I am.”

Kearney learned about patience over those 38 years.

“If you’ve got vision, you can learn by sight but with these kids, you’ve got to go through the motions and explain it to them,” he said. “Once they get it, it’s a pretty neat accomplishment to see them being able to do things and react like anyone else.”

Kearney, who majored in physical education and business, eventually became the school's wrestling coach.

“I didn't know I would go in this direction,” he said. “If it hadn't been for the School for the Blind, I wouldn't have been able to travel all over the world like I have. It's been an unique deal, a fun deal. I just happened to be in the right spot. The School for the Blind has been very good to me.”