Paul's unfortunate predicament in regard to his ability to play soccer is that he is legally blind. His parents attribute this impairment to an incident in Paul's childhood. Though he does not remember it, he allegedly continued to stare into a solar eclipse despite his family's many warnings not to do so. His cruel older brother, Erik, even gives him the nickname "eclipse boy."

Paul uses a pair of special goggles to improve his perception while trying out for the soccer team. Though he performs decently as a goalie, he is later told by the coach that his disability makes him ineligible for the team. He blames his mother's disclosing of his medical record to the school for this outcome.

Paul Fisher loves playing soccer, and he wants to sign up for the Lake Windsor High School team. There's just one problem—a very big problem, as it turns out: Paul's legally blind. His serious visual impairment means he's not able to follow the action of a game very well. As a goalie, Paul occupies a very important strategic role on the field of play: he needs to be able to keep a close eye on things, the better to stop the opposing team from scoring. So if Paul's going to be an effective member of the team, he's going to need some special equipment.

This comes in the shape of some specially-made goggles that Paul wears during a game to help him see better. Unfortunately, Paul doesn't get a chance to wear them because, as he's legally blind, he's not permitted by his new high school to play soccer.