Articles from April 2016

Special Olympics Iowa will host the 22^nd annual Drake Unified Sports Day Thurs., May 5 at Drake University from 9:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. Dedicated to promoting social inclusion through shared sports training and competition, Unified Sports joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team.

More than 600 special education and regular education students from 18 schools across Central Iowa will pair up for a day of friendly competition. Partners will participate in 3-on-3 basketball, bocce, golf, pass-punt-kick football, relay races, volleyball and more.

More than 125 volunteers, including representatives from Clipped Wings, Laborer’s Local #177 Retirees, Wells Fargo and Drake University football players, will help coordinate the events.

Special Olympics Unified Sports promotes social inclusion through shared sport training and competition experiences for individuals with and without intellectual disabilities. Unified Sports has proven to be highly effective in achieving social inclusion. Athletes feel a sense of belonging; they can meaningfully interact with others, develop mutually rewarding relationships, are recognized as contributors and are received with acceptance and respect.

 

EVENT DETAILS

WHAT: Special Olympics Iowa Unified Sports Day at Drake University
Sponsored by Principal Financial Group, Variety Club – the Children’s Charity and Special Olympics Project UNIFY
WHO: Special Olympics Iowa athletes and Unified Sports partners
WHEN: May 5 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.
WHERE: Drake University Knapp Center, Bell Center and practice fields

Special Olympics Iowa (SOIA) hosted two Young Athlete Play Activity Day sessions sponsored by Sammons Financial Group on April 21. The event was held at Ankeny Centennial High School with one session running in the morning and one in the afternoon.

The Youth Athlete Play Activity Day is a program designed to provide play activities and socialization opportunities for children with intellectual disabilities between the ages of two and seven. The program is for children that are too young to participate in traditional SOIA competitions as the minimum entry age for traditional competition is eight years old. Area schools participated in the Ankeny Play Day, as well as a few schools that were from outside the area, making it the biggest Play Day event in its history. …

The USTA is sponsoring a tennis competition on August 27, 2016 at the North Scott High School tennis courts in Eldridge for Special Olympics athletes, ages 8 and up. There will be singles matches played with a ranking of 2.0 and higher. …

“March to Summer Games” is underway and will be continuing through May 15. Eleven delegations have joined the program with a total of 110 Special Olympics athletes and Unified Partners participating.  Four Special Olympics athletes have walked over 100 miles in the past 6 weeks. “March to Summer Games“ is a Unified Walking Club, which has the goal of developing healthy daily exercise habits. Special Olympics athletes and Unified Partners work together to compete for awards and to gain new friendships. …