UCS: Young Athletes
Introduce Children to the World of Sports
Young Athletes is an early childhood play program for children with and without intellectual disabilities, ages 2 to 7 years old and introduces basic sport skills, like running, kicking and throwing. It offers families, teachers, caregivers and people from the community the chance to share the joy of sports with all children.
Children learn how to play with others and develop important skills for learning as well as how to share, take turns and follow directions. These skills help children in family, community and school activities.
Young Athletes is a fun way for children to stay active and establish healthy habits for the future. It can be done at home, in schools or in the community using the Young Athletes Activity Guide and basic equipment and is a fun experience for all involved.
In Schools: Led by Educators
○ Young Athletes can be brought into schools following a detailed day-by-day lesson plan, or choosing pieces that best suit your classroom. This curriculum can help support IEP goals, and is built around SHAPE and Common Core standards. Email ucs@soor.org to access the full 8 week curriculum.
○ Want to empower inclusion in your classroom? Check out GoNoodle x Special Olympics!
At Home: Led by Family
○ Family members are able to implement Young Athletes using the Young Athletes at Home page, which includes resources in English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, French, and Russian. The Young Athletes App in the Apple App Store or Google Play creates an easy to follow, customized plan for your child.
○ Realizing the Bright Future of Your Child with an Intellectual Disability: Download this Guide for New Parents. This guide was written to help you step into the new world you will be experiencing. This takes time and hopefully this guide will be useful along your new path. You will receive information about:
● how your child got the diagnosis
● how to cope with the feelings you might be experiencing
● steps to finding out possible causes for your child’s intellectual disability
● finding the right therapies and supports for your child
● resources that you may want to use, and a glimpse of the future
In the Community: Led by Coaches & Volunteers
○ Young Athletes can be implemented for local children with and without Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities by families, community members, athlete leaders, etc.!
○ Special Olympics Young Athletes and Native American Indian & Alaska Native Head Start Collaboration Office (NIANHSCO) collaborated to create the American Indian/Alaskan Native Implementation Guide, which indigenizes the Young Athlete curriculum, incorporating traditional games, food, and languages.
Contact ucs@soor.org for more information about getting your school involved in the activities above.