Print this page

Special Olympics Initiatives Special Olympics Healthy Athletes® The Special Olympics Healthy Athletes initiative was developed to improve each athlete's ability to train and compete in Special Olympics. Healthy Athletes has five disciplines: Special Olympics Special Smiles® and Special Olympics-Lions Clubs International Opening Eyes® have provided athletes health benefits through dental and vision examinations to tens of thousands of Special Olympics athletes. Special Olympics Healthy Hearing screens athletes for hearing problems. Special Olympics FUNfitness teaches athletes about injury prevention through demonstration of stretching exercises. Special Olympics Health Promotion teaches athletes the components of a healthy lifestyle: regular exercise and good nutrition choices. These screenings and exams are conducted at Special Olympics local, state, national and World Games and are provided at no cost to Special Olympics athletes.   Special Olympics Get Into It Special Olympics Get Into It is a service learning curriculum for all grade levels that was developed to introduce Special Olympics and explain intellectual disability to students. The curriculum encourages youth to become involved in the movement and work to dispel the myths and stereotypes that surround people with intellectual disabilities. The goal is to increase the participation of children and youth without intellectual disabilities in Special Olympics by establishing school-based Special Olympics Programs and activities.     Special Olympics Athletic Leadership Programs (ALPs) Special Olympics Athletes Leadership Programs offer athletes the opportunity to take active roles both on and off the playing field. ALPs allow athletes to enjoy Special Olympics through self-directed, meaningful participation in virtually every aspect of the Program. Athletes serve on Boards of Directors, officiate at competitions, coach other athletes and make decisions about the organization's future.     Family Leadership and Support The Family Leadership and Support initiative gives families a support system within Special Olympics. Based on the Parent-to-Parent model, veteran Special Olympics families have an opportunity to mentor families who are new to Special Olympics, providing them with informational and emotional support.   Special Olympics families can play an important role in helping athletes learn sport skills. The athlete's family members and friends are usually the most important influences in the athlete's life. Family members can lend tremendous support by giving love and encouragement to the Special Olympics athletes' efforts in reaching their personal goals. Research has shown that as families participate in Special Olympics activities with the athlete in their family, and, they develop an increased sense of pride and respect for athletes' abilities and potentials. Coaches need to involve the families of Special Olympics athletes in their athletes' training for several reasons: Encourage families to help their athlete perform the skill at home. Set aside time after the session to instruct the family member on how to assist the athlete in rehearsing the skill at home. Have families help motivate their athlete in training. Establish small goals and reward the athlete when possible. Help families understand their athlete's sport goals. With involvement and understanding of their athlete's goals, families will display more open and positive attitudes toward their athlete when he/she succeeds in realizing the goals as well as when he/she may fall short. Encourage family members to attend a Special Olympics Coaches Training School to better prepare themselves to help their athletes. Host a family orientation before the start of the season. Foster quality family participation through sports. Practice and play the game as a family.   Motor Activities Training Program (MATP) Special Olympics Motor Activities Training Program is designed for persons with significant intellectual and/or physical limitations who do not yet possess the physical and/or behavioral skills necessary to participate in official Special Olympics sports. The program provides a comprehensive motor activity and recreation training curriculum for these participants. MATP can be administered by trainers with various backgrounds (physical educators and therapists), with assistance from peer trainers and other volunteers. In addition, direct-care workers, parents and volunteers will find MATP helpful in developing appropriate in-home motor programs for individuals with severe limitations.   MATP uses goals, short-term objectives, task-analyzed activities, assessments and teaching suggestions for individualizing motor activity instruction. However, MATP emphasizes training and participation rather than competition. In addition, MATP provides the means for persons with severe limitations to participate in appropriate recreational activities geared to their ability levels. These activities can be conducted in schools and large residential facilities as well as in community-based settings.   Individuals who participate in MATP activities work as hard as other Special Olympics athletes, and they deserve recognition for their efforts. Special Olympics has created a challenge medal and ribbon to recognize participants who have completed an eight-week MATP program and who have participated in a training day. MATP participants at local, area and state/national events should also receive T-shirts, hats, pins and/or any other forms of recognition that are provided to all Special Olympics athletes.   When the necessary readiness and skill levels are reached by MATP participants, each Special Olympics sport provides an appropriate transition into that sport. Specific events are identified in the Official Special Olympics Summer Sports Rules for athletes with basic ability levels. For example, in athletics, an appropriate choice for competition might be the 10M Assisted Walk.     Special Olympics Unified Sports® Special Olympics Unified Sports is a program that brings together athletes with intellectual disabilities and their peers without intellectual disabilities on the same team for training and competition. A primary goal of Unified Sports is to equalize the ability level of Special Olympics athletes with their partners' and to promote inclusion through same team practice and competition. Special Athletes in this program need to have the necessary skill level to participate in the sport so they can be appropriately matched with their Special Partners.   Unified Sports is an important program because it expands sports opportunities for athletes seeking new challenges and dramatically increases their inclusion in the community by helping to break down the barriers that have historically kept people with and without intellectual disabilities apart. At the same time, Unified Sports provides a valuable sports opportunity to individuals with intellectual disabilities who are not presently involved with Special Olympics, especially those with mild disabilities and those in communities where there are not enough Special Olympics athletes to conduct team sports.   Unified Sports has become an important addition to the overall Special Olympics program and has helped further its mission. Teams are constructed in such a way as to provide training and competition opportunities that meaningfully challenge all athletes and often lead to improved self-esteem, equal status with peers and new friendships.   Refer to the Rules, Protocol and Etiquette section of your sport-specific guide for guidance pertaining to selection, training and competition of Unified Sports in your sport.

Prev Page                                                                 Next Page