Young Athletes Program Demonstration Actor and comedian Tom Arnold (left), the National Games' Volunteer Ambassador, and Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Founder and Honorary Chairman of Special Olympics (right) pose with two of the youngsters who participated in the Young Athletes™ demonstration at the 2006 Special Olympics USA National Games. [Photos by Ryan Eades] Over the years, thousands of family members of young children with intellectual disabilities throughout the world have asked Special Olympics how they could involve a child younger than 8 years old, the minimum age of eligibility to compete in Special Olympics official sports. Special Olympics Young Athletes™ is now the answer. The program was demonstrated to current and potential Special Olympics families, Special Olympics donors, supporters, Board Members and leadership on 3 July 2006 at the Hilton Coliseum at Iowa State University during the Special Olympics USA National Games in Ames, Iowa. A toddler delights in exploring balls during the Young Athletes demonstration. Level 1 play includes physical activities focused on developing fundamental motor tracking and eye-hand coordination play. Launched as a pilot program in 2005, Young Athletes is a sports play program for children ages 2 through 7 with intellectual disabilities, and is designed to introduce them to the world of sports. The pilot has been implemented thanks to the generous support of the Gang Family Foundation and the Mattel Children's Foundation. This innovative program is a series of developmentally appropriate activities designed specifically for young children and their family members. The Young Athletes program seeks to strengthen physical development and self-esteem for children by building skills for future sports participation and socialization prior to Special Olympics competition eligibility. The USA National Games demonstration, co-emceed by Special Olympics Global Messengers Bryan Ruff and Katie Lavender, included a delegation of children and their families from towns throughout Iowa. A crowd of several hundred observers witnessed the demonstration, including several VIP guests: Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Founder and Honorary Chairman of Special Olympics; Dr. Timothy Shriver, Chairman of Special Olympics; Bruce Pasternack, President and CEO of Special Olympics; and Tom Arnold, actor and comedian, who served as the National Games' Volunteer Ambassador as well as the emcee of Opening Ceremonies. Everyone delighted in watching the children participate in a number of Young Athlete activities with members of their family: mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters — even a grandmother. Onlookers expressed their awe at the budding athletic abilities of the young children with intellectual disabilities. Thanks to the generous support of the Gang Family Foundation and the Mattel Children's Foundation, the Young Athletes Program has been implemented as a pilot with selected Special Olympics Programs around the world, with plans to launch it globally by the end of 2006. Designed as a versatile program, Young Athletes can work in various learning situations. Families can play with their young athletes at home in a fun atmosphere, using simple-to-follow activities. The program is also appropriate for preschools, schools and playgroups to use with small groups of young children with and without intellectual disabilities. The flexibility of Young Athletes ensures the opportunity to welcome families and their young children into the Special Olympics family. The USA National Games Young Athletes event wasn't just a display of children participating in play activities, it was a demonstration of the more fundamental foundations of the philosophy behind Young Athletes: the program welcomes families to a global movement that supports, understands and empowers people with intellectual disabilities through the vehicle of sport. Following the demonstration, the families of the young athletes networked among one another, with Special Olympics staff and with families of Special Olympics athletes competing in the National Games. The new families learned of the vast opportunities available to their athletes and themselves in Special Olympics. Two families from the same town in Iowa even recommended doctors to one another for their athletes. Special Olympics plans to launch Young Athletes throughout the world in late 2006. For more information, visit the Special Olympics Young Athletes section of this Web site or contact Ben Daniels, Global Manager, Family & Young Athletes, at bdaniels@specialolympics.org. Below: Young Athletes, family members and volunteers pose for a photo surrounded by some of the colorful equipment and props used to facilitate play acitivities that build skills for future sports participation and socialization. Family members and caregivers are encouraged to become involved as the child learns success through physical activity.