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Special Olympics Arizona Young Athletes Program

The Young Athletes Program is an innovative sports/play program for children ages 2 1/2 to 7, who have intellectual disabilities. Through the Young Athletes Program exercises and activities, a child acquires and improves fundamental skills such as balance, running, jumping, catching, throwing, and kicking. The program is also loaded with opportunities for language development, social interaction and learning numbers, colors, shapes and more.

 

Designed specifically for children who have intellectual disabilities
Activities are designed to be fun and playful, increasing a child’s interest and participation
Program is flexible and can be used one-on-one at home, in the classroom or a community setting
Activities are adaptable based on participants’ skill level
Fun exercise and physical development
Colorful, child-sized equipment
Introduction to sports skills and language
Develop social skills
Learn colors, numbers and shapes
Each child receives a trophy

 

Parents, the Young Athletes Program offers fun and fitness for the whole family!

Parent/child activity groups where the whole family can exercise together
Groups meet weekly for one hour
Locations throughout Arizona
Siblings are welcome to attend
Yearly Recognition Ceremonies where your child receives a trophy
Families make meaningful connections and exchange valuable resources
No fees to participate

 

Special Education Teachers, the Young Athletes Program is a great addition to your classroom!

Available to Developmental Preschool and Special Education classrooms Kindergarten through 2nd Grade
The Young Athletes Program includes:
Activity Guide with all the Young Athletes activities
58-piece Equipment Kit with balls, cones, balance beam, etc.
Instructional DVD
Training provided by Special Olympics Arizona
All students participate, regardless of diagnosis

 

You can be a part of the Young Athletes Program in several ways:

Become a Volunteer Trainer
Start a Young Athletes play activities group in your community
Connect with a group in your area
Train your own Young Athlete at home
Offer the Young Athletes Program in your Developmental Preschool or Adapted PE class

Please visit the Forms area of this website to view all the Young Athletes Program Forms.

 

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Become a Special Olympics Arizona Athlete

Step 1: Submit an Athlete Interest Form OR Find a Local Program and contact your Area Director.
Step 2: Complete the Athlete Medical & Release forms.

Who is eligible?
To be eligible to participate in Special Olympics, athletes must:

Be at least 8 years old (Children ages 2 1/2 to 7 are eligible to participate in the Young Athletes Program).
Have a current Medical and Consent Form on file.
Identified by an agency or professional as having one of the following conditions: intellectual disability; a cognitive delay as determined by standardized measures such as intelligence quotient or other generally accepted measures; or a closely related development disability, i.e., functional limitations in both general learning and adaptive skills.

What is the definition of intellectual disability?
According to the World Health Organization:

Intellectual disability is a condition of arrested or incomplete development of the mind characterized by impairment of skills and overall intelligence in areas such as cognition, language, and motor and social abilities.
Intellectual disability can occur with or without any other physical or mental disorders.
Although reduced level of intellectual functioning is the characteristic feature of this disorder, the diagnosis is made only if it is associated with a diminished ability to adapt to the daily demands of the normal social environment.

How prevalent are intellectual disabilities?
Intellectual disability knows no boundaries. It cuts across the lines of racial, ethnic, educational, social and economic backgrounds, and it can occur in any family. The following statistics and information on intellectual disabilities have been adapted from information from the Population Reference Bureau, The Arc (formerly the Association for Retarded Citizens), the World Health Organization and various associations for people with disabilities.

According to the World Health Organization, approximately 190 million people or three percent of the world’s population, have intellectual disabilities – the largest disability population in the world.

About Special Olympics Arizona

SPECIAL OLYMPICS HISTORY

In 1962, Eunice Kennedy Shriver began a summer day camp at her home in Maryland for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.  This camp was designed to allow these special individuals a chance to explore their capabilities in a variety of sports and physical activities. The idea quickly took off, and in 1968 the first International Special Olympics took place at Soldier Field in Chicago, IL, with 1,000 athletes from the US and Canada competing in Track & Field and Swimming.

In 1975, the hard work and good will of Shriver’s efforts reached Arizona.  The first Special Olympics Arizona competition consisted of a one-day Track & Field event with 100 athletes and 20 volunteers.  Today, Special Olympics Arizona offers 22 sports, 170 programs in 15 regional areas, and five statewide competitions for the over 10,600 athletes, 1,300 Class A volunteers and 5,000 day-of-event volunteers on an annual basis.  We work so that we may realize founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver’s vision:  to improve the lives of people with intellectual disabilities everywhere, and, in turn, transform the lives of everyone they touch – building a better, more accepting world for all of us.

SPECIAL OLYMPICS ATHLETES

For people with intellectual disabilities, Special Olympics is often the only place where they have an opportunity to participate in their communities and develop belief in themselves. For athletes, Special Olympics sports provide a gateway to empowerment, competence, acceptance and joy.  The lessons learned in Special Olympics also impact their life skills. Sports training enhances focus and gives participants a structure for learning important lessons about perseverance, endurance and setting goals. Many people are surprised to know, more than half of adult Special Olympics athletes in the United States are employed, versus 10 percent of intellectually disabled persons who do not participate in Special Olympics

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