Basketball Sport Center

Basketball is a favorite Special Olympics sport. This basketball sport center draws together sport news and stories, upcoming events and links to the Special Olympics Basketball Coaching Guide.


300x200 basketball stories

Basketball is one of the top sports at Special Olympics. Players take it up at all ages and at all abilities, from young players learning to handle the ball and keep it under control while dribbling to older, more experienced players who have the moves and know the strategies to play challenging ball.

It's also one of the favorite sports for the Special Olympics Unified Sports initiative, when players with and without intellectual disabilities form teams to play other unified teams. It's a learning experience that's also a lot of fun. 


News and Stories


septembre 19, 2012 | North America: District of Columbia

Une expérience à ne pas oublier

By Rafael Pacheco

  L'équipe se blottit comme nous nous préparons pour la seconde moitié du jeu.

Ce que j’y ai vécu a changé à jamais mon avis au sujet des personnes avec une déficience intellectuelle.View Story Quand je suis entré dans la salle de basket-ball à Saint Coletta School, Washington DC, je ne savais pas quoi attendre. Tous ce que je savais c’était j’étais là pour participer à un tournois de basket de Special Olympics Unified Sports. Ce que j’y ai vécu a changé à jamais mon avis au sujet des personnes avec une déficience intellectuelle. Les mêmes sentiments, émotions et esprit d'équipe que j'avais connus dans le passé étaient tous présents  pendant que je jouais mon équipe de Unified Sports. Pendant l’une des rencontres mon équipe a récupéré le chemin après avoir été menée de 20 points pendant la deuxieme moitié du jeu. A un moment donné, c'était un match d’égalité avec 10 secondes à jouer, mais l'autre équipe avait la balle. Les spectateurs dans les tribunes criaient à pleins poumons. En  une fraction de seconde, nous avons rattrapé la balle, et la lancée vers l’un de nos joueur qui a obtenu une faute en sa faveur. Il s'est avancé vers la ligne de tir, il a manqué le premier tir et a baissé la tête. Je me suis avancé vers lui et lui dit "Tu as ça!" Puis j'ai entendu SWISHHH. La foule 's'éclatait en joie et se précipitait dans la cour. Je n'oublierai jamais ce moment transformatif!

About Rafael Pacheco: J'habite Washington, DC, et je travaille au siège de Special Olympics.
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août 21, 2012 | North America: Virginia

Un simple récit de Basket-ball

By Will Schermerhorn

Voice Mason en blue.

À la fin de la saison, c’était l’équipe du tournois qui a bien démontrée la cohésion,  jouait bien la défense, contrôlait bien le balle, et a remporté un bon nombre de jeux.View Story  Mon fils Mason est un joueur au basket-ball de Special Olympics Virginie, USA. Mason vient de terminer sa deuxième saison. Comme je le regardais juste avant un entrainement, j'ai remarqué qu'il faisait ses exercices de dribbles sans regarder le balle, tout naturellement, et avec confiance comme n'importe quel autre garçon de l'équipe. C'était une grosse affaire pour moi. Au début, quand Mason commençait à jouer au basket, il ’était difficile pour lui de contrôler la balle; il ne pouvait pas faire durer le contrôle de la balle. Peu après, son entraîneur, Jim Worden, lui montrait comment le faire. Son équipe de petits gars de Virginie du Nord sont venus avec des diverses compétences allant des joueurs bien accomplis à ceux qui ne pouvaient pas dribbler. À la fin de la saison, c’était l’équipe du tournois qui a bien démontrée la cohésion,  jouait bien la défense, contrôlait bien le balle, et a remporté un bon nombre de jeux. La confiance et l'équilibre que Mason démontrait quand il faisait son chemin dans la cour de basket était un sentiment que je n'aurais jamais imaginés sentir si je ne l’avait pas vu de première main. 

About Will Schermerhorn:Je suis le père d'un athlète Special Olympics, et je travaille également au siège de Special Olympics à Washington, DC.
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Upcoming Basketball Events


Date

Event

Location

mai 29, 2013

Unified Basketball and Football Competition

Come cheer on and support our Special Olympics athletes on 29 May for an exciting day of Unified basketball and football competition in Witbank, South Africa. Please contact Mrs Mashayane (contact info below) for event details.
For more information
Mrs Mashayane
Email:mash@specialolympics.com
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Witbank, Mpumalanga
SOUTH AFRICA

mai 30 - févr. 6 2013

Missouri Summer Games

Join us May 30 - June 2 during our Summer Games event. Approximately 2000 athletes will compete in athletics (Track & Field), aquatics, basketball, bowling, powerlifting and volleyball.
For more information
More Details
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Columbia, Missouri
UNITED STATES

mai 31 - févr. 6 2013

Washington Summer Games

Join us May 31-June 2 at Joint Base Lewis during our Summer Games event. Approximately 2500 athletes will compete in aquatics, athletics, basketball, tennis and powerlifting.
For more information
More Details
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Joint Base Lewis
McChord, Washington
UNITED STATES

mai 06, 2013

Table Tennis and Basketball Competition

Come cheer on and support our Special Olympics athletes on 5 June for an exciting day of Table Tennis and Basketball Competition in Cape Town, South Africa. Please contact Mr Moeketsi Mokoka (contact info below) for event details.table tennis and basketball competition
For more information
Mr. Moeketsi Mokoka
Email:moeketsi@specalolympics.org
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Cape Town , Western Cape
SOUTH AFRICA

juin 6 - août 6 2013

Pennsylvania Summer Games

Join us June June 6-8 during our Summer Games event. Approximately 2000 athletes will compete in aquatics, athletics, basketball, bowling, equestrian, golf, gymnastics, softball and tennis.
For more information
More Details
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Penn State University in State College
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
UNITED STATES

juil. 6 - sept. 6 2013

Alaska Summer Games

Join us June 7-9 during our Summer Games event. Approximately 300 athletes will compete in athletics, aquatics, basketball, gymnastics, and powerlifting.
For more information
More Details
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Anchorage, Alaska
UNITED STATES

août 6 - sept. 6 2013

Southern California Summer Games

More than 1,100 Special Olympics Southern California athletes will show their courage and determination during Summer Games on June 8-9 at Cal State Long Beach. Become a volunteer, or come cheer these superstars on as they hit game-winning baskets, make birdie putts, and swim for the gold. This event is free, and it is open to the general public. The Games will feature our six spring/summer sports (aquatics, basketball, bocce, golf, gymnastics, and track and field). Along with the competitions, you will have fun playing games, listening to live music, and participating in many activities.
For more information
More Details
Kelly Kloepping
Email:kkloepping@sosc.org
Phone:(562) 522-8554
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California State University, Long Beach
1250 Bellflower Blvd.

Long Beach, California
UNITED STATES

juin 14 - 16 2013

New York Summer Games

Join us June June 14-16 during our Summer Games event. Approximately 1000 athletes will compete in athletics (track & field), aquatics, basketball, bowling, powerlifting, gymnastics, tennis and volleyball.
For more information
More Details
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University at Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
UNITED STATES

juin 19 - janv. 23 2013

Europe Eurasia Basketball Tournament

Special Olympics athletes from 16 European nations will gather in Istanbul Turkey to compete in the fifth European Basketball Tournament in association with the Turkish Basketball Federation. Nations represented include: Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Macedonia, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Turkey, and Ukraine.
For more information
More Details
Kerem Ilgün
Email:kilgun@soturkiye.org.tr
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Istanbul
TURKEY

juin 28 - 29 2013

Idaho Summer Games

Join us June 28-29 during our Summer Games event. Approximately 900 athletes will compete in aquatics, basketball, cycling, powerlifting and track & field.
For more information
More Details
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Boise
Boise, Idaho
UNITED STATES

novembre 11, 2013

Unified Basketball Competition

Come cheer on and support our Special Olympics athletes on 11 November for a Unified basketball competition in Witbank, South Africa. Unified Sports promotes social inclusion through shared sports training and competition experiences by joining people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. Please contact Mr. Wanga Manyala (contact info below) for event details.
For more information
Mr. Wanga Manyala
Email:ekambala@specialolympics.org
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Witbank, Mpumalanga
SOUTH AFRICA

nov. 30 - août 12 2013

European Basketball Week

The concept of Special Olympics European Basketball Week is to have one week each year where everyone in the basketball community commits to doing something to expand opportunities for players with intellectual disabilities. This is the flagship event of our partnership with FIBA Europe. Let’s work together to make Basketball Week a permanent part of the annual European Basketball calendar and give thousands of Special Olympics players the chance to play center court!
For more information
More Details
Miroslaw Krogulec
Email:mkrosoee@it.pl
Phone:+4-82-2823-9331
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32 Countries throughout Europe Eurasia

Multiple cities in Europe Eurasia, Europe Eurasia
Various Country

nov. 30 - juil. 12 2013

Special Olympics Asia Pacific Regional Games

The inaugural Special Olympics Asia Pacific Games will take place in Newcastle, New South Wales in 2013. The event will see Australia welcome more than 1,700 Special Olympics athletes, 600 coaches, 4,000 volunteers, and approximately 200,000 spectators from 25 nations across the Asia Pacific region. Newcastle will offer world class facilities and venues across the range of nine sports to be conducted during the Games – Athletics, Bocce, Bowling, Basketball, Football, Badminton, Table Tennis, Cricket and Aquatics as well as venues for the Opening Ceremony and Games social hub.
For more information
More Details
Alex McNeilly
Email:alexm@specialolympics.com.au
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Hunter Stadium
294 Turton Rd, New Lambton NSW 2305

Newcastle, New South Wales
AUSTRALIA

juin 13 - 21 2014

2014 USA National Games

The USA National Games be centered in and around Princeton and the Greater Mercer County area. Venues will include Princeton University, Rider University, The College of New Jersey, and Mercer County Park. The New Jersey Devils have offered The Prudential Center as the venue for the Opening Ceremonies. The National Games will feature nearly 3,500 athletes competing in 14 Olympic-style sports, with the support of 1,000 coaches, 8,000 volunteers and an estimated 50,000 family, friends and spectators. Non-competitive special events will include the Final Leg of the Law Enforcement Torch Run™ that will symbolize the start of the competition and Healthy Athletes, a place where the athletes can get vital health screenings. Youth and education events will also be held in conjunction with the Games as young leaders rally around making change for the better of the Special Olympics movement and promoting acceptance of those with intellectual disabilities.
For more information
More Details
Greg Epperson
Email:gepperson@specialolympics.org
Phone:919-785-0700
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Several Locations - New Jersey
Princeton, New Jersey
UNITED STATES

Do you have an event to add?

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Basketball Competitions

2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games

Athens, Greece, was the home of the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games. That year, it was the world’s largest sporting event for athletes with intellectual disabilities. See results by athlete, delegation and bib number.


How to Get Involved in Special Olympics

Special Olympics sports training, coaching and competitions go on in more than 170 countries around the world. You can get involved by getting in touch with the closest Special Olympics office.

Special Olympics near you»

Made Possible by The Annenberg Foundation

The Special Olympics movement is profoundly grateful for the support of the Annenberg Foundation which has underwritten the production of the coaches’ guides and resources, supporting our global goals for coaches’ excellence.

LEARN MORE»

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