Athletes
More than 20,000 athletes from 53 area and county programs across
Pennsylvania trained and competed in Special Olympics Pennsylvania (SOPA)
last year. Participation in Special Olympics training and competitive
events is open to all people with intellectual disabilities regardless of their
degree of challenge. Athletes age 8 and over may participate in Special
Olympics training programs and competitions. From then on, athletes can
compete for the rest of their lives.
Eligibility
To participate in Special Olympics, a person must be at least 8 years
old and identified by an agency or professional as having one of the
following conditions: an intellectual disability, cognitive delays as measured
by formal assessment, or significant learning or vocational problems due
to cognitive delay that require or have required specially designed
instruction.
| Before an athlete can
begin Special Olympics sports training, the athlete's
parent/guardian and a medical professional must complete an
application for participation. The medical portion of this form
needs to be completed only once, unless the athlete has a current
health situation or develops a health situation. In this case, the
medical portion must be completed annually by a medical
professional. If no health situation exists that requires an annual
medical review, the basic informational portion of the form must be
updated every three years. |
Download the Athlete Medical Application
 |
Submit the completed athlete
participation form to your local program coordinator. For the name of
your local program coordinator or more information about athlete
participation, contact SOPA at the address listed below.
Families
Members of a Special Olympics athlete's family are extremely important
to the success of the Special Olympics movement here in Pennsylvania.
The dedication of a family who supports, transports, and offers daily
encouragement to our athletes is the reason so many of them thrive in
our program. In turn, SOPA provides families a place where the entire
family can come together with opportunities for sports, social
interaction, and fun.
For more information about athlete participation, contact Special
Olympics Pennsylvania, 124 Washington Square, 2570 Boulevard of the
Generals, Norristown, PA 19403, or call (800) 235-9058 or (610)
630-9450.
|
"Special Olympics made a big difference in my life. I found new friends and it turned my life around. I am no so shy anymore and now I ask other athletes if they would be my friend -- something I could not do before. I have a big world of friends now; not just in my town, but all over the state!"
-- Heather, SOPA athlete |
