Special Olympics North America has made significant changes to the athlete registration process. The intent of these changes is to make the registration process easier for athletes and families by removing the barrier of getting a physical examination prior to participation. An Athlete Registration Form is still required for an athlete to participate at the area, regional and state level in the state of Iowa and will need to be renewed every 3 years. Any athletes who have Athlete Information Forms or Medical Forms that are currently up to date in our system will not have to submit the new forms until those have expired. Special Olympics encourages all athletes to have yearly physical examinations by a licensed provider to detect or prevent new health issues and manage existing ones.
- Athlete Registration Form (renewed every 3 years)
- Athlete Renewal Form (required for athletes that have a change in contact information or health history prior to the 3-year expiration of the registration form)
- Participant Release Form
If you are unsure of the date your athlete’s Physical and Release Forms will expire, please email physicals@soiowa.org or call 515-986-5520.
Athlete Information Form
This form is required for all athletes and asks for contact information and health history. To be completed by the athlete or parent/guardian/caregiver.
Waivers, Releases and Policies Form: This form, located on pages 3 and 4 of the registration form, goes over risks, use of likenesses, emergency medical care, consent for health program participation, personal information, and other important details about Special Olympics participation. Waivers, releases, and policies help create a safe and supportive environment, ensuring everyone’s health, safety, and dignity are respected.
Athlete Registration Renewal Form
This form is required if an athlete has a change in contact information or health history prior to the 3-year expiration of the registration form. The purpose of the Athlete Registration Renewal Form is to update and capture any changes in an athlete’s health or medication. This ensures that the most current information is on file, helping coaches and medical personnel provide appropriate care and support, and ensuring the safety and well-being of the athlete during participation.
Participant Release Form
This one page form needs to be filled out once for an athlete participating in a Special Programs event (Unified Sports Day, Young Athlete Play Day, etc.) and all Unified partners. This is a legal document that must be submitted one time unless an athletes’ name legally changes. If either box is marked under #4 Emergency Care, then an Emergency Care Refusal Form must be requested from the state office and completed.
Athlete Medical Form
The Medical Form will only be required for USA Games, National, Regional and World Games events, and is designed to identify health concerns and clear an athlete to participate. Special Olympics encourages all athletes to have yearly physical examinations by a licensed provider to detect or prevent new health issues and manage existing ones.
After Completing the Required Forms
Make a copy of the Athlete Registration Form and send it to Special Olympics Iowa, PO Box 620, Grimes, Iowa 50111, or email physicals@soiowa.org. If the copy is not legible, we may ask for the original copy. In this case, please make sure to keep a copy for yourself. Once it is received, the state office will then validate the Athlete Registration Form. The Athlete Registration Form will not be validated until all information is correct and completed on the approved form.
Special Olympics Iowa requires the Athlete Registration Form be submitted to the state office prior to the submission of area and/or state registration forms. All forms for the event in question must be valid throughout the completion of that competition.