The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual 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.
Our vision is an inclusive world for all, driven by the power of sport, through which people with intellectual disabilities live active, healthy and fulfilling lives.
Special Olympics offers training and competition opportunities year-round to athletes from eight to 80 in more than 30 different sports. Special Olympics competitions occur more than 136 times a day, 365 days a year, in nearly every country in the world. Competitions vary in size from single sports championships hosted by local Programs, to larger Provincial, State, National, Regional and World Games.
The fundamental difference between Special Olympics competitions and those of other sports organizations is that athletes of all ability levels are encouraged to participate, and every athlete is recognized for his/her performance.
Unified Sports
Motor Activity Training Program (MATP)
Fitness
Basketball is one of the top sports at Special Olympics. Players take it up at all ages and at all abilities, from young players learning to handle the ball and keep it under control while dribbling to older, more experienced players who have the moves and know the strategies to play challenging ball.
It’s also one of the favorite sports for the Special Olympics Unified Sports initiative, when players with and without intellectual disabilities form teams to play other unified teams. It’s a learning experience that’s also a lot of fun.
Basketball is a team sport, the objective being to shoot a ball through a horizontally positioned basket to score points, while following a set of rules. Usually, two teams of five players play on a marked rectangular court with a basket at each width end. 3 on 3 basketball is offered to athletes who do not possess the skills or stamina to participate in full-court 5-on-5 basketball. Skill levels include Level 4 (below average), Level 3 (average), Level 2 (above average) and Level 1 (high school level).
The Official Special Olympics Sports Rules for Basketball shall govern all Special Olympics competitions.