Unified Sports
Play Unified. Live Unified.
Playing Together Pays Off
Special Olympics Unified Sports® brings together people with and without intellectual disabilities (ID) to compete as teammates. It was inspired by a simple principle: that playing together is a quick path to friendship and inclusion.
Just like any other school team, Unified Sports teams are comprised of students of similar ages but many different backgrounds. In Unified Sports, there are roughly the same number of students with and without ID on both sides. The only opposition is intolerance.
Winning with Inclusion
Unified Sports builds success and creates meaningful friendships, both on and off the field. Watch the journey of Clovis Unified Soccer at the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games.
Students Benefits of Unified Sports
BENEFITS FOR UNIFIED ATHLETES
Students with ID and/or receiving special education
Unified Athletes are part of a team – often for the first time – and get the opportunity to showcase their abilities while representing their school. They make new friends and become a true part of their campus culture, which extends into the classroom, the lunchroom and the hallways.
BENEFITS FOR UNIFIED PARTNERS
Students in general education
Unified Partners have the opportunity to learn from students whom they may have never otherwise seen on campus. They are able to make new friends and uplift their classmates while having fun playing sports.
“I have seen my daughter and her friends really have bonds and friendships with people they never would have met otherwise. She has hundreds of more friends now as a member of the Unified Track & Field team.”
Gina
Parent of Unified Athlete Marina
Special Olympics NorCal Schools Partnership Program
