Selecting Partners
The key to the successful development of a traditional Special Olympics Unified SportsŪ partner or pair or dance team is the proper selection of team members. We have provided some primary considerations below for you.
Ability Grouping
Unified partners work best when all partners have similar sport skills. Partners with abilities that are far superior to their partner's 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 Grouping
All 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
