Unified Champion Schools

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.

For more information click here.

 

Unified Champion Schools

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.

For more information click here.

Unified Sports

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.

Unified Champion Schools

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.

Unified Sports

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.

Tulane Rival Game

Please join us on Saturday, February 3rd at 10:15am for the Second Annual Special Olympics Unified Rivalry Basketball Game between Tulane and LSU! A team of Tulane students and Special Olympics athletes will compete against LSU students and Special Olympics athletes for bragging rights and the coveted Unified Rivalry Cup. The game will take place at Fogelman Arena in Devlin Fieldouse on Tulane’s Uptown campus, right before the Tulane Women’s Basketball Game against South Florida.

You are invited to cheer on the teams and be a “Fan in the Stands.” If we pack the gym, ESPN might come to New Orleans to cover the game. ESPN has served as the Global Presenting Sponsor of Special Olympics Unified Sports since 2013, supporting the growth and expansion of this program that empowers individuals with and without intellectual disabilities to engage through the power of sports.

If you have questions or want more information please email us at specialolympicsnola@gmail.com . Thanks, and we look forward to seeing you in the gym!

Click here for more information and tickets!

Unified Sports

Social Inclusion Through Sports

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.

LSU vs. Tulane Unified Basketball Game Recap

The LSU vs Tulane Special Olympics Unified Rivalry Series Basketball game was held on Saturday, February 4th. The event was held at the Reily Center on Tulane University’s Uptown campus. Unified teams were made up of both Special Olympics Louisiana athletes and students from Louisiana State University and Tulane University. Tulane won the game with a score of 26-4 over LSU.

Special Olympics Unified Sports is an initiative that combines approximately equal numbers of Special Olympics athletes and athletes without intellectual disabilities (called Partners) on sports teams for training and competition. Age and ability matching of athletes and Partners is defined on a sport-by-sport basis.

Special Olympics wants to create the next generation of individuals who through their connections, technology, concern and action will shape the world to one of respect and acceptance. To make sure all young adults have access to sporting opportunities, Special Olympics is taking an active interest in expanding our collegiate programming. The Unified Sports Rivalry Series was created to connect Unified Sports and our athletes to a high profile collegiate rivalry sports games.

Click here for more information on the game.
Click here for more information on Special Olympics Rivalry Series.

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

Special 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.

 

Unified Rivalry Series Basketball Game

Special Olympics Louisiana will host a Unified Rivalry Basketball Game Saturday, February 4th at 10:45 AM- 12:00 PM. Come join us at the Reily Center on Tulane’s Uptown Campus for a rivalry game between Tulane and LSU students and special olympics athletes!

We want to pack our stands so if you would like to know more information

Click here