What is the difference between Unified sports and Special Olympics?
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.
What do unified partners do?
Become a Unified Partner Unified partners (individuals without intellectual disabilities) train and compete as a teammate alongside Special Olympics athletes on a Unified Sports Team (either on a school or community team).
What is a unified partner with Special Olympics?
A Unified partner is a student without an intellectual disability, who actively participates with the athletes in a fun and meaningful way for training and competition. If you are conducting competitive team sports, Unified partners should match as closely as possible to the Special Olympics athlete’s age and ability.
How do you unify a sports team?
5 Tips to Unify a Team
- Teach Players Play as Team. A coach has a lot of responsibilities.
- Create Goals for Team. In most cases, players who dominate a game have their personal goals different from other players’ targets.
- Treat Everyone Equally.
- Gain Team’s Chemistry Outside of Playground.
- Cultivate Positivity.
Why is unified sports important?
Through collaboration in Unified Sports, athletes improve their social and behavioral skills while showcasing their potential, and partners develop a broader sense of compassion and understanding.
What is the opponent of Unified sports?
intolerance
More than half a million people worldwide take part in Unified Sports, breaking down stereotypes about people with intellectual disabilities in a fun way. Our opponent is intolerance. As long as we come together on the field of play, we can defeat it.
How many unified sports are there?
Today, with over 1.6 million Unified teammates competing in over 30 sports around the world, the momentum of Unified Sports continues to grow!
When was unified sports founded?
1989
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.
Who founded Unified sports?
Beau Doherty
Beau Doherty, Special Olympics Connecticut President, created the Unified Sports movement with a vision based on his real-world experiences.