How Unified Sports® Benefits Athletes and Local Programs

How Unified Sports® Benefits Athletes
and Local Programs
Presenters:
• Kraig Makohus
• Mike Bovino
• Jennifer Tresp
Pennsylvania
1
Session Overview
• Benefits of Unified Sports to the Athletes, Partners, and Local
Programs
• Why Unified Sports is Important to Offer as an Additional
Special Olympics Choice
• Statewide Interscholastic Unified Sports
2 / Special Olympics Pennsylvania
What is Special Olympics Unified Sports?
Fully-inclusive sports program
Teams have approximately equal number of Special Olympics athletes
and Unified partners (individuals without intellectual disabilities)
Teammates are age and ability matched
Train and compete together in an environment in which everyone is
meaningfully involved
Play Unified. Live Unified.
3 / Special Olympics Pennsylvania
Outcomes
More inclusive communities
New opportunities for
people with intellectual
disabilities
Friendships and support
networks
Engages people without
intellectual disabilities with
Special Olympics
Health and wellness
4 / Special Olympics Pennsylvania
Benefits of Unified Sports for the Athletes
• Social Inclusion – building
important sustainable
relationships with peers w/o
disabilities
• New friendships
• Health, fitness, and improved
sports skills/tactics
• Empowerment; new
opportunities in the community
due to changed attitudes
• Life skills development
5 / Special Olympics Pennsylvania
Benefits of Unified Sports for the Partners
• New friendships with Special
Olympics athletes and fellow
partners
• Opportunity to participate in a
fully-inclusive sports program
• Gaining a better understanding
of the value of diversity
• Health, fitness, and improved
sports skills/tactics
• Life skills development
6 / Special Olympics Pennsylvania
Benefits of Unified Sports for the Local
Program
Serve more Special Olympics athletes
Develop new relationships with schools
7 / Special Olympics Pennsylvania
Benefits of Unified Sports for the Local
Program
Bring more coaches into the program
8 / Special Olympics Pennsylvania
Benefits of Unified Sports for the Local
Program
New energetic volunteers who support Special Olympics
athletes as Unified partners and contribute to the program
9 / Special Olympics Pennsylvania
Why Unified Sports is Important to Offer as an
Additional Special Olympics Choice
• Schools are fully-inclusive communities
Promoting acceptance, respect, and diversity by bringing together all
students with and without disabilities in classrooms and activities
•
Department of Education 2013 Letter of Guidance reminding
schools of the rights of students with all disabilities to have equal
access to athletic activities
Unified Sports is the one Special Olympics option which helps schools
meet the federal law requirement
10 / Special Olympics Pennsylvania
Why Unified Sports is Important to Offer as an
Additional Special Olympics Choice
•
Special Olympics youth seek additional opportunities to participate
in sports programs alongside their peers and friends without
disabilities
•
Adult service providers such as The Arc emphasize inclusive work
and community-based settings
•
New Special Olympics marketing campaign theme:
Play Unified. Live Unified
11 / Special Olympics Pennsylvania
What is Interscholastic Unified Sports?
12 / Special Olympics Pennsylvania
What is Interscholastic Unified Sports?
•
Special Olympics Pennsylvania is launching a four year growth initiative to
introduce Unified Sports programs in high schools throughout the state
•
Interscholastic Unified Sports (IUS) will resemble other interscholastic
teams in the schools
Use the same practice facilities
Teams wear competition uniforms with their high school’s name and colors
Competitions against other IUS teams and an opportunity to be selected to
participate in a culminating state championship event
13 / Special Olympics Pennsylvania
What is Interscholastic Unified Sports?
•
Department of Education guidance letter reminding schools of the federal
law (Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973) protecting the rights of
all students with disabilities to have equal access to athletics activities
Unified Sports is the one Special Olympics program which helps schools fulfill
the requirements of the law.
It allows individuals with intellectual disabilities (Special Olympics athletes) to
participate in sports alongside individuals without disabilities or with other types
of disabilities (Unified partners).
•
Endorsed By:
Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA)
Bureau of Special Education, Pennsylvania Department of Education
14 / Special Olympics Pennsylvania
Interscholastic Unified Sports Growth Plan
15 / Special Olympics Pennsylvania
Interscholastic Unified Sports Team
•
Collaborative effort involving Local Programs, schools, partners, IUS
team, and SOPA staff
•
Kraig Makohus oversees IUS management throughout the state
•
Jennifer Tresp conducts coaches education and provides direct support
for the schools
•
Mike Bovino is a consultant providing guidance and support for
Interscholastic Unified Sports development and partnerships
16 / Special Olympics Pennsylvania
How IUS Looks in Individual Schools
Rollout of IUS Programs in Individual Schools
Year One
Year Two
Year Three
Spring: Unified Track and
Field
Optional: Winter,
Recreational Unified
Indoor Bocce
Spring: Unified Track and
Field
Winter: Unified Indoor
Bocce
Spring: Unified Track and
Field
Winter: Unified Indoor
Bocce
Fall: Unified Sport
accessible to different
students
(i.e. Unified Team
Swimming; Unified Team
Tennis; Unified Strength
and Conditioning)
17 / Special Olympics Pennsylvania
IUS Sports Selected
2014-15
Unified Team Track and Field
•
Spring Season
•
Team scoring and Special Olympics
divisioning procedures followed
•
10 weeks of practices and competition
•
Culminating state championship event
•
Demonstration at Boy’s and Girl’s High
School State Championships at
Shippensburg University
Track and field meaningfully involves
Special Olympics athletes, students with
other types of disabilities, and students
without disabilities
18 / Special Olympics Pennsylvania
IUS Sports Selected
2014-15
Unified Indoor Bocce
•
Winter Season
•
10 week training/competition schedule
•
Culminating event at PIAA State
Basketball Championships at the
GIANT Center, Hershey
•
Bocce meaningfully involves Special
Olympics athletes, students with other
types of disabilities, and students
without disabilities
19 / Special Olympics Pennsylvania
IUS Sports Selected
2014-15
Unified Soccer
•
Third year in Philadelphia School
District
•
15 high schools to participate
•
Spring season which runs 10-12
weeks with practices, games, and city
championship event
•
New high schools will offer Unified Team
Track and Field; existing schools will next
offer Unified Indoor Bocce
20 / Special Olympics Pennsylvania
Questions and Answers
21 / Special Olympics Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
22

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