Jason Cornwall of Special Olympics Great Britain introduced his organisation

1. Jason Cornwell
Football and Unified Sports® Manager

2. The Olympic Family
3 Members
The Olympics – Governed by IOC
• Elite Athletes
• Summer and Winter Sports
• Competition every 2 Years
• Centrally Funded
• Motto: Fastest, Highest, Strongest
The Paralympics – Governed by IOC
• Elite Athletes with Physical or Sensory Disability
• Summer and Winter Sports
• Competition every 2 Years + Some World Cup Events (not all sports)
• Centrally Funded
• Motto: Spirit in Motion from 2004 (Previously Mind, Body Spirit)

3. The Olympics Family
3 Members
Special Olympics - Governed by Special Olympics International (SOI)
• Athletes of All Ages and Abilities with a Learning Disability
• Summer and Winter Sports
• Year Round Training Programme
• Regional, National European Competition
• World Games Every 2 Years
• Currently Self Funding (GB)
• 1988 Officially Recognised by IOC
• Oath: Let Me Win But If I Cannot Win Let Me Be Brave In The Attempt

4. Special Olympics
• Not the Paralympics
• International Organisation formed in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy-Shriver
• Over 170 Countries
• More than 3.4 million athletes
• Special Olympics GB formed in 1978
• 8000 athletes
• 2600 volunteers
• 135 groups
• 19 regions

5. Mission
“to provide year-round sports training and competition in a variety of
Olympic-type sports for children and adults with a learning disability,
giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness,
demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of
gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics
athletes and the community”
Athlete centred programme

6. Special Olympics Great Britain
Structure
SOGB Head Office
19 Regions
10 England, 8 Scotland, 1 Wales
Accredited Groups
135
Athletes
8000

7. Eligibility
thletes must have a learning disability
ver 8 years old for competition
ver 6 for training
o maximum age limit

8. Learning Disability
• Prior to birth or at birth – e.g Downs Syndrome
• People with severe or profound learning disability are more likely to
noticed at a younger age as having a learning disability than those with
mild to moderate learning disability
• Learning disability is MOST often diagnosed in early childhood

9. What is not a Learning Disability
• Dyslexia
• Dyspraxia - Developmental Coordination Disorder
• Attention Deficit Disorder
• Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder
• Asperger’s Syndrome
• Challenging Behaviour
• Similarly people with a physical or sensory impairment do not qualify as
having a learning disability unless they also have a learning disability
• Some people can have a learning disability as well as other disabilities

10. Sports
• Builds confidence, skill and determination
• Training enhances focus and teaches participants important lessons
about perseverance, endurance and setting goals.
• Athletes - participation also provides a gateway to empowerment,
competence, acceptance and joy.

11. Sports
Alpine Skiing Aquatics Athletics
Badminton Basketball Bocce
Boccia* Bowling Bowls*
Cricket Cycling Equestrian
Floorball Football Golf
Gymnastics Artistic Gymnastics Rhythmic Judo
Kayaking Motor Activities Training Netball*
Programme
New-Age Kurling* Powerlifting Sailing
Table Tennis Ten-Pin Bowling Tennis
*These sports are classified as ‘nationally popular’ and there are currently
no international competition opportunities within Special Olympics.

12. Training and Competition
• Must be regular
• Local, Regional, National, International
• All ability levels
• Divisioned competition

13. Unified Sports – What are they?
• Unified definition: “to become a single unit”
• Players with and without learning disabilities, playing together
• Team sports

14. Unified Sports – Why?
• Break down social barriers
• Raise awareness of what learning disability IS and IS NOT
• Inclusion and Integration
• Just like everyone else!
• More competition

15. Unified Sports
Team Composition
• Athletes – with learning disabilities
• Unified Partners – without learning disabilities
• Male or female teams
• Similar ability and age
• Coaches are coaches, not players

16. Unified Sports Teams
Ability Matching
Athletes and Unified Partners:
Why is it important for them to play at the same ability level?
Why is it important to have them BOTH playing at the best of their ability?
Practical exercise – paper planes
Answer above questions

17. Ability Matching – Why?
• Encourage social interaction
• Enable team work
• Encourage meaningful competition

18. Unified Sports launch video

19. Unified Sports – Quotes
Athlete:
‘I can play football and with everyone, I feel comfortable as well as part of a
team. I feel equal with all the players, partners or not.’
Unified Partner:
‘I enjoy being part of a team with disabled and mainstream players. We
play together as a team and we are friends not just team mates.’