YOUNG ATHLETES

Imagine a 7-year-old child, unsure, introverted and afraid to speak up and ask to play with other children. Now imagine that same child, happy, active and laughing as he runs around the playing field with his new friends.

Introduction to the World of Sport:
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 when they get older. 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.

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.

An Amazing Program:
After watching her son Brendan participate, Colleen Popp of Delaware, USA, observed with a proud smile, “Brendan has changed physically and socially on many levels since he has participated in this program. He's jumping; he's running; he's hitting balls; he's running bases. He's shown a lot of interest socially with his friends and with his typical peers. It's been an amazing program so far.”

Reports from parents are encouraging, and the science looks promising, too. Special Olympics commissioned the University of Massachusetts to conduct a study of Young Athletes pilot sites to learn more about the program’s benefits. Preliminary findings suggest that participation in Young Athletes may lead to improvements in motor development, social and emotional development and communication development.

"Sports play a critical role in the health and development of all children, including those with disabilities."
Hon. Ann Veneman, Executive Director, UNICEF

Found here