Special Olympics Rhode Island offers over 660 sports training and athletic competition opportunities in 20 Olympic type sports. Local training programs can be found in schools, service agencies and in communities throughout the state.
Sports
Fall Sports
– begins the last week of August and ends around Thanksgiving.
Cycling
Traditional Duckpin Bowling
Traditional Soccer
Unified Basketball
Unified Bocce
Unified Corn Hole
Unified Flag Football and Flag Football Skills
Unified Tennis and Tennis Skills
Unified Champion Schools – Middle School Cross Country
Unified Champion Schools – High School Volleyball
SO College – Volleyball
Young Athletes
Winter Sports
– begins the last week of November and ends the first week of March.
Alpine Skiing
Nordic Skiing
Snowboarding
Snowshoeing
Traditional Basketball and Basketball Skills
Unified Duckpin Bowling
Unified Ten Pin Bowling
Unified Volleyball
SO College – Basketball
Spring Sports
– begins the first week of March and ends with the State Summer Games.
Athletics (Track & Field)
Powerlifting
Swimming
Traditional Ten Pin Bowling
Unified Soccer and Soccer Skills
Unified Champion Schools – Basketball
Young Athletes
Summer Sports
– begins the first week of June and ends the last week of August.
Unified Golf and Golf Skills
Unified Sailing
Unified Softball and Softball Skills
Coaches that train our athletes in the sports that we offer, have sports specific training.
Unified Sports Program
Special Olympics Unified Sports® combines people with intellectual disabilities (traditional Special Olympics athletes) and without intellectual disabilities (called partners) on sports teams for training and competition. In Rhode Island, Unified Sports® programs are offered in soccer, basketball, volleyball, softball, golf, sailing, bowling, flag football, tennis, cross-country running, cycling, croquet and senior sports.
Using sports to help break down barriers that have historically kept people apart, Unified Sports® promotes meaningful inclusion and acceptance of people with intellectual disabilities in the community. In fact, 93% of partners say they gained a better understanding of their teammates through Unified Sports®.
Unified Sports® is particularly successful in school settings, creating an inclusive environment where everyone benefits. Students with intellectual disabilities experience new social opportunities and make new friends they may not have otherwise. Their non-disabled peers learn valuable lessons of character development and may serve as mentors. Many parents and siblings also find that Unified Sports® offers a new way to spend time together and meet other families.
Unified Sports® is for anyone who enjoys competition, fun and friendship. To get involved, email programs@specialolympicsri.org for more information.