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The Young Athlete Programme reaches out to children with intellectual disabilities from the age of two to seven.
Laying the Foundations
In early 2007, Special Olympics created this pilot program to reach out to children with intellectual disabilities ages two to seven, and to welcome them and their families to the Special Olympics movement. The program made its global debut in fall 2007 at the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Shanghai, China.
Through Young Athletes, volunteers introduce young children to the world of sport, with the goal of preparing them for Special Olympics sports training and competition prior to Special Olympics eligibility at age eight. The program focuses on the basics that are crucial to cognitive development: physical activities that develop motor skills and hand-eye coordination, and the application of these physical skills through sports skills programs.
The programme is designed to be simple enough for families to play with their young athletes at home in a fun atmosphere. It is also appropriate for pre schools, schools and play groups to use with small groups of children with and without intellectual disabilities.
Improved social skills is another inspiring reason parents enroll their children in Young Athletes. The confidence boost makes it easier for them to interact with other children on the playground, whether or not they have intellectual disabilities.
For more information on the Young Athlete Programme contact: Marian Murphy at mmurphy@specialolympics.org