Selecting Team Members
The key to the successful development of a traditional Special Olympics or Special Olympics Unified SportsŪ team is the proper selection of team members. We have provided some primary considerations below for you.
Ability GroupingUnified Sports and traditional Special Olympics basketball teams work best when all team members have similar sports skills. In Unified Sports, partners with abilities that are far superior to other teammates will either control competition or accommodate others by not competing to their potential. In both situations, the goals of interaction and teamwork are diminished and a true competitive experience is not achieved.
Age GroupingAll team members should be closely matched in age:
- Within 3-5 years of age for athletes 21 years of age and under.
- Within 10-15 years for athletes 22 years of age and over.
For example, in basketball, an 8-year-old should not be competing against or with a 30-year-old athlete.
