• Special Olympics Mission

     ...to provide sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for persons eight years of age and older with mental retardation or developmental disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.

      To compete in a meet or event, the athlete must have a complete athlete enrollment/medical release form submitted and on file by the head coach in the area office and have access to training sessions for an individual skills assessment to determine athlete events and develop the skills required for events.

      All athletes are provided two opportunities to compete in local competition prior to an area competition in each sport.  To qualify for state competition, athletes must compete in events at the area level.

      Upon area competition entries, the coach is given a quota of the total area entries for determination of the number of athletes allowed to compete in state competition. ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ ISD Special Olympics State athletes are determined by age, beginning with the oldest athlete and counting down into ages until the quota is met.  This determination is set to provide athletes with at least one opportunity to compete at the state level.  Athletes competing at the state level are also provided additional opportunities to develop adaptive skills essential to successful life functioning.  These skills include communication, self-care, social skills, community use, self-direction, and health and safety.