UNIFIED SPORTS
Unified Sports® is a Special Olympics program with the objective to create mixed teams of athletes with and without intellectual disabilities that will compete and train throughout the year.
The Unified Sports® program develops the Special Olympics athletes’ abilities and it promotes their social involvement with partners without disabilities in order to demonstrate that there are no barriers in sports. The objectives of Unified Sports are:
- Developing the athletic abilities of our participants and their partners
- Gaining relevant experience in athletic competitions
- Social inclusion
- Participating in community service and volunteering activities
- Educating the young on persons with intellectual disabilities
- Getting the families of the special Olympics athletes involved
- Personal development of the athletes and their partners
Definitions:
*Special Olympics athletes – children from the unified team that have intellectual disabilities
*Partners – children form the unified team that don’t have intellectual disabilities
Unified Sports at Special Olympics Romania:
Coordonator Program: Emilia Serbanica
e-mail: e.serbanica@specialolympics.ro
Tel: 021 318 59 66
UNIFIED FOOTBALL
The team structure – the unified football teams have eleven athletes:
- 6 Special Olympics athletes
- 5 partners, students from elementary schools without intellectual disabilities
The Unified Football Team
- The players have to be selected by coaches so that a balance of athletic abilities can be created.
- The players have to be in the same age group
- The training have to take place regularly
It is very important that the athletes and the partners train together!
Program Coordonator : Viorel Mocanu
e-mail: v.mocanu@specialolympics.ro
Tel: 021 318 59 66
UNIFIED ATHLETICS
Unified Athletics is a pilot program tested in Europe by Special Olympics Romania.
The program gives to Special Olympic athletes and their partners the opportunity to choose from different athletic challenges and ensures well-organized and equitable contests. Unified Athletics underlines the importance of creating an adequate environment for the appearance and the developing of team spirit.
This program ensures possibilities of integrated sport development.
The essential elements of Unified Sports are:
- The teams consist in Special Olympics athletes and partners. At least a half of the team must consist in Special Olympics athletes.
- The competitions have to offer a significant number of different athletic challenges so that the Special Olympics athletes can have the opportunity to choose their favourite challenges for the contest.
The Official Trainings have to take place regularly and the athletes and their partners have to train together in order to achieve the best results.
Program Coordonator: Viorel Mocanu
e-mail: v.mocanu@specialolympics.ro
Tel: 021 318 59 66
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