Unified Sports®
Unified Sports® is a Special Olympics inclusive sports program that combines an approximately equal number of Special Olympics athletes (individuals with intellectual disabilities) and Unified Sports® partners (individuals without intellectual disabilities). Athletes and partners train and compete alongside one another as teammates who meaningfully contribute to the Unified Sports® team.
Team sports bring people together. Special Olympics Unified Sports® teams do that, too and much more. About 1.4 million people worldwide take part in Unified Sports®, breaking down stereotypes about people with intellectual disabilities in a really fun way. Unified Sports® empowers individuals with and without intellectual disabilities to engage through the power of sports.
Promoting Social Inclusion Through Sport
Special Olympics is dedicated to promoting social inclusion through shared sports training and competition experiences. Unified Sports® joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. It was inspired by a simple principle: training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding.
In Unified Sports®, three models of competition are offered. Competitive competition is offered by Local Programs and at the Middle School level through SONH. The player development and recreational models are offered in partnership with the NHIAA at the High School level. All teams are made up of people of similar age and/or ability. That makes practices more fun and games more challenging and exciting for all. Having sport in common is just one more way that preconceptions and false ideas are swept away.
Unified Sports® is also an important part of Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools, which was founded in 2008 and funded through the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs at the U.S. Department of Education supporting Special Olympics as a way to build inclusion and tolerance in schools.
SONH offers Unified Sports® in Athletics, Basketball, Bocce, Cross Country Skiing, Golf, Snowshoeing, Softball, Sprint Triathlon, and Swimming.
Meaningful Involvement
This is the most important concept of Unified Sports® that the coach and all of the team members must understand and implement. Fundamentally, the principle of meaningful involvement ensures that every player is given an opportunity to contribute to the success of his or her team through their unique skills and qualities. This means that teammates compete without causing undue risk of injury to themselves or others. They participate according to the rules of competition. They have the ability to contribute to the performance of the team and are expected to contribute to all facets of the game; however, no player will be permitted to dominate the game.
Partner Eligibility
The social inclusion objectives of Unified Sports® are best fulfilled when the team is comprised of both athletes (individuals with intellectual disabilities) and Unified Partners (individuals without intellectual disabilities).
Seven Criteria for a Successful Unified Sports® Program
Special Olympics adopted Unified Sports® in 1989 to expand sports opportunities for athletes seeking new challenges while achieving social inclusion for individuals with intellectual disabilities in the community. Extensive field-testing demonstrated that Unified Sports® teams are most likely to accomplish the goals of the program when the following 7seven criteria are met:
- All athletes and partners are meaningfully involved.
- An appropriate sport is selected – A variety of factors influence the determination of which sport is chosen for Unified Sports® training and competition. Some of these factors include availability of qualified coaches, ability levels of potential athletes and partners, finances, availability of facilities and opportunities for competition.
- Qualified coaches lead the program – Unified Sports® teams should be organized under the guidance of a trained coach who understands the principles of Unified Sports®, including social inclusion, and the rules, techniques, strategies and training regimens of the selected sport.
- Recruitment and selection of appropriate team members occur through the process of assessing, forming teams and determining the most appropriate role for them on the team.
- Training leads to competition – All team members of a Unified Sports® team shall have a minimum of 10-weeks of training (practice, scrimmages and league competition) before the culminating championship event.
- Unified Sports® rules are followed – All Unified Sports® competitions should be conducted according to Official National Governing Body and Special Olympics Sports Rules Modifications where needed, including placement of Unified Sports® teams in appropriate age and ability divisions.
- Commitment of support: Support is needed at four levels – Program; Local Program; Coach; Spectator.
Learn more about NHIAA Unified Sports here.
Special Olympics New Hampshire began offering Unified Sports in 1989. Check out our other milestones here!