Unified Sports
Overview: Unified Sports® is an inclusive program that combines approximately equal numbers of Special Olympics athletes and athletes without intellectual disabilities on sports teams for training and competition. All Unified Sports® programs in the District of Columbia are co-ed and participants are of similar ages.
Volunteers willing to make a weekly commitment to play on a Unified team or coach are always welcome.
By playing team sports together, athletes with and without intellectual disabilities become friends, improve their skills, and have fun. Not only do Special Olympics athletes and their teammates without intellectual disabilities hang out together at practices and games, they often times socialize and get together on their own outside of these settings. Participants talk about how their involvement in Unified Sports® helped to change their lives.
The program is open to individuals of all ability levels, provided they have the basic skills to participate in the sport safely and appropriately. Recognizing that everyone has talents they can contribute to the team and emphasizing the importance of team cohesion ensures that all Unified Sports® members are meaningfully involved.
Special Olympics D.C. offers Unified Sports® throughout the year for adults in the sports of Basketball, Bocce, Bowling, Tennis, and Volleyball and for high school students in Soccer.
|
Unified Sports® Details: |
Adult Unified Bocce Dates: Every Tuesday evening from 6:30 pm – 8:45 pm from September 6 through October 25 Site: Turkey Thicket Recreation Center, 1100 Michigan Ave., NE, Washington, D.C. 20017 Championship Event: Tuesday, October 25 at Turkey Thicket Recreation Center Adult Unified Basketball Beginner and Moderate Ability East Division Dates: Every Tuesday evening from 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm from January 17 through March 13 Site: St. Coletta School, 1901 Independence Ave., SE, Washington, D.C. 20003 Championship Event: Tuesday, March 13 at Howard University’s Burr Gymnasium Higher Ability West Division Dates: Every Thursday evening from 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm from January 19 through March 15 Site: St. Coletta School, 1901 Independence Ave., SE, Washington, D.C. 20003 Championship Event: Thursday, March 15 at Howard University’s Burr Gymnasium Adult Unified Bowling Dates: Every Sunday afternoon from 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm from December 18 through February 26 Site: AMF Capital Plaza Bowling Center, 4601 Cooper Lane, Hyattsville, MD 20784 Championship Event: Sunday, February 26 at AMF Capital Plaza Bowling Center Adult Unified Volleyball Dates: To Be Determined. Season runs from late March through late May Site: Gonzaga College High School, 1901 I St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20001 Championship Event: Tuesday, May 22 at Catholic University’s DuFour Athletic Center as part of the Special Olympics D.C. Summer Games High School Unified Soccer Dates: Every Wednesday from 10:30 am – 12:30 pm. Season runs from late March through late May Site: Turkey Thicket Recreation Center, 1100 Michigan Ave., NE, Washington, D.C. 20017 Championship Event: Wednesday, May 23 at Catholic University’s DuFour Athletic Center as part of the Special Olympics D.C. Summer Games Adult Unified Tennis Dates: Every Saturday afternoon from early April through mid-May. Site: Turkey Thicket Recreation Center, 1100 Michigan Ave., NE, Washington, D.C. 20017 Championship Event: Tuesday, May 22 at Catholic University’s DuFour Athletic Center’s Tennis Courts as part of the Special Olympics D.C. Summer Games |
Resources
Contact
Mike Bovino, Consultant, at mbovino@specialolympicsdc.org
