Unified Champion Schools

Powerlifting Athlete

The Unified Champion Schools approach incorporates Special Olympics sports and related activities while enhancing the youth experience and empowering them to be change agents in their communities. This requires a shift in current programs and paradigms from a focus on events to committing to a movement advocating for youth as leaders. This programming promotes social inclusion in schools to ensure special education and general education students are equitably engaged. Teachers and students are encouraged to collaborate and create supportive classrooms, activities and opportunities. Students should be encouraged and supported to be agents of change, have opportunities to be leaders, and participate in collaborative school activities. To achieve this, school leaders and educators must foster a socially inclusive school climate that emphasizes acceptance, respect and human dignity for all students. A socially inclusive school is a place where no student is excluded because of the degree or type of disability or the services required to meet his/her needs.

How Special Olympics Changed One Athlete’s Life

IMG_1253

Timothy Hart with Coach Elaine Ramoz

By: Elaine Ramoz, SOLA Coach

Special Olympics athlete, Timothy Hart, who participates in aquatics, athletics, bowling and power lifting, is a 17 year old with Autism.  He started participating in aquatics for Special Olympics when he was eight years old.  He participated in track and field in elementary school, but after being bullied for being “different” his parents chose to place him in home school with one other special needs student.  Here he spends his time with his best friend, Griffin.

Timothy has shown that he has true potential to be an all around athlete, with the drive and determination of an Olympian, he crushes every goal that he sets.

Competing in Special Olympics Louisiana, Timothy has opened up in so many ways.  As his coach for all of these sports, I have seen him grow as an individual.  His “disability” hasn’t slowed him down at all.  He now starts conversations, calls, texts and face times his teammates and coaches.  He is now making friends with people his own age.  The smile on his face is one that will melt anyone’s heart and seeing him being accepted for who he truly is, is a great sight to see.  At competitions, he sits with other athletes, laughs, makes jokes and always has a smile on his face.  Timothy has never been one to be super social, but because of Special Olympics Louisiana, he has transitioned into a new person.  Someone who wants to talk to others.  Someone who is making friends, sets goals and achieves them.  With the love and support of his family, fan club, coaches and teammates, he cannot fail.

For the second year, he has participated in the Northwest Louisiana Summer Swim League with The Swim School.  Being one of the two swimmers in the entire league with special needs, he continues to keep up with the “big boys.”  He has placed in all five meets this season, an accomplishment no one saw coming.  Not only does he keep up with the competition, he has made new friends and has truly come out of his shell.  He has made lifelong friends through the sport of swimming and has influenced his teammates to become Special Olympics volunteers, coaches and even unified partners.  His best friends plan to join him at State Fall Classic in the Unified Relay for Aquatics.  His peers have taken it upon themselves to include him in everything that they do.  A moment that really warms my heart, his parents and the hearts of the entire team.  They have truly accepted the concept of inclusion.

 

This Fall, The Swim School, in partnership with the YMCA of Northwest La, plan on bringing up to 30 aquatics athletes to the 2017 State Fall Classic.  These swimmers will all be school aged.  There will be at least eight coaches, if not more, plus more volunteers and about eight unified partners.  The Northwest Louisiana delegation will grow by at least 50! Keep an eye out for Timothy as he goes for the gold at SFC!

Unified Sports

Social Inclusion Through Sports

Camp Shriver-Shreveport 2

Dedicated to promoting social inclusion through shared sports training and competition experiences, Unified Sports joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. It was inspired by a simple principle: training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding.

 

In Unified Sports, teams are made up of people of similar age and ability, which makes practices more fun and games more challenging and exciting for all. Having sport in common is just one more way that preconceptions and false ideas are swept away.  

Young people with disabilities don’t often get a chance to play on their school sports teams, but more and more U.S. states are adopting the unified sports approach that Special Olympics pioneered. For almost 20 years, Special Olympics has offered sport teams that blend people with and without intellectual disabilities, and that is a model that encourages sports and fun, and which also gets people together to learn more about each other. You can learn more about unified sports and get involved with SOLA by clicking here.

Calling all sports fans!

FireFan Business Card FrontDo you call the plays before they happen? Have you ever jumped up and screamed at a fumble? Have you ever end zone danced in your living room?

If sports is your passion, we’ve got your game. Special Olympics Louisiana would like to personally invite you into the world of FireFan — the hottest interactive Sports App community ever created.

FireFan is a game changer! It’s way more than an app. Its real-time play that puts your head in the game…literally. You predict the scores. You call the plays. You decide the action. The penalties. And more…ALL IN REAL TIME. WHILE YOU ARE WATCHING THE GAME!

And even more remarkable…you get a chance to compete against your favorite sports heroes, celebs, your college buds, friends and family, or die-hard fanatics just like you.

Watch the FireFan Video.

The better your calls, the more accurate your predictions, the faster you’ll move up in the standings. The more you play, the more rewards you’ll earn!

Forget the statistics. Rely on your instincts. Ages 13 and above, any level can play. Don’t miss out.

The game is free to download and play. Join our League by using the code “Solagamesapp” when you register, or register here to automatically join our team!

Don’t just watch, share with your friends and be a part of the action! FireFan. Ignite your passion and help support Special Olympics Louisiana!

Sports Offered at Special Olympics Louisiana

IMG_1191

Carol at World Games

Special Olympics offers numerous Olympic-type individual and team sports that provide meaningful training and competition opportunities for persons with and without intellectual disabilities. There are several sports that Special Olympics Louisiana offers but does not hold competitions in due to availability or other environmental factors.

Listed below are all the sports Special Olympics Louisiana has to offer:

Artistic Gymnastics              Equestrian
Athletics  (Track & Field)    Flag Football
Badminton                             Football (Soccer
Basketball                              Golf
Bocce                                      Horseshoes
Bowling                                 Motor Activity Training
Cycling                                   Powerlifting
Rhythmic Gymnastics           Softball Table Tennis
Tennis                                    Unified Sports Volleyball

To learn more Click Here

2016 Sports Awards Winners

Listed below are the individuals who have been chosen as the recipients of the 2016 Sports Awards. We like to recognize the outstanding achievements of these individuals year round. We appreciate all their dedication and hard work! If you see them at one of our events, be sure to congratulate them!

Award Winner
Outstanding Female Special Olympics Athlete Emily Hinrichs
Outstanding Male Special Olympics Athlete Christopher  Blanchard
Outstanding Volunteer Award Charmaine Welborne
Johanna E. Brescher Outstanding Games Volunteer Evan Gautier
Outstanding Family Vielman Family
Outstanding Coach Elaine Durbin
Outstanding School Riverdale Middle School
Outstanding State Corporate Benefactor CITGO
Outstanding Area Corporate Benefactor Kohl’s
Outstanding Civic Organization Knights of Columbus
Outstanding Unified Partner Krysta Cotten
Outstanding Media- TV Jay Grymes- WAFB
Outstanding Media- Radio Rick Godley- Peach Radio 99.3 FM
Special Olympics Hall of Fame Dr. A. N. Diodene
LETR Top Fundraiser Lt. Col. Ward Webb
LETR Top Area Capital Area

Coaches Needed!

0K9A1324.jpg

Was there a mentor, teacher or coach who made a difference in your life? The one who gave you the courage and determination to strive to be your best? The one who helped shape both your performance and your character? You can be that important person in someone else’s life.

Coaches teach the skills and spirit that define a true athlete. Coaches are role models and character-builders. Special Olympics coaches go even further.They help athletes find their own strengths and abilities. They also show them how to build upon those strengths and improve every day.

As a Special Olympics coach, you bring enthusiasm, commitment and a positive attitude to each practice, event and competition. You will enrich the lives of our athletes in many life-changing ways. The skills and confidence an athlete learns through sports have a long and lasting effect.

Call 800.345.6644 or visit http://www.laso.org for more information on becoming a SOLA coach.

Did you know that Special Olympics Louisiana offers 19 different sports?

img_0081Special Olympics Louisiana offers our athletes a variety of Olympic-type individual and team sports to choose to participate in. From Swimming to Rhythmic gymnastics we have it all. Special Olympics Louisiana focuses on our athletes and we try to accommodate them by providing hands on training and competition opportunities for persons with or without intellectual disabilities.

Any of our sports can be Unified. Our Unified Sports bring people together. Unified Sports combines athletes with intellectual disabilities and those without (called Partners) on sports teams for training and competition. Athletes that participate in Unified Sports improve their physical fitness, sharpen their skills, challenge and have fun, too!

Here is a list of the sports we offer:

Swimming                                Horseshoes
Artistic Gymnastics               Motor Activity Training
Athletics (Track & Field)      Powerlifting
Badminton                               Rhythmic Gymnastics
Basketball                                 Softball
Bocce                                          Table Tennis
Bowling                                      Tennis
Cycling                                       Unified Sports
Flag Football                             Volleyball
Golf

Click here to find out more information about our Sports offered.

Click here for more information about our Unified Sports.