Preamble

Special Olympics unleashes the transformative power and joy of sports to reveal the full potential of athletes with intellectual disabilities, creating more inclusive communities every day around the world.

We do this through a set of values that guide our actions and behavior in implementing our mission.

We believe in the transformative power of sports. We embrace the purity of sports at all levels as we witness incredible personal athletic triumphs that shatter stereotypes.

We empower athletes to be contributing and respected members of Special Olympics and society. We support athlete leaders on and off the playing field.

We are united in our commitment to inclusion, respect, and dignity. We build communities of acceptance: loving families, inspired employees, coaches, volunteers, and fans. We are one Movement in every community and every country.

We live our Athlete Oath: “Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”

We are capable, tenacious, and resilient. We don’t give up on ourselves or each other.

Special Olympics, Inc. (“SOI”) has relationships with various bodies and organizations, as described below.

Diversity and inclusion are at the heart of Special Olympics as we strive to promote the gift of unity among all people. We build communities of acceptance; our inspiring athletes, loving families, inspired employees, coaches, volunteers, and fans. We are one movement in every community and every country. We honor and celebrate our differences to build a global team reflecting the beauty of the human spirit. We aspire not only to include people with intellectual disabilities in all areas of our operations, programming, and events but also to transcend all boundaries of race, disability, gender, geography, national origin, religion, political philosophy, and sexual orientation. We recognize diversity and inclusion may require different strategies internationally.

Through a Protocol of Agreement signed on February 15, 1988, the International Olympic Committee (the "IOC") officially recognized SOI and agreed to cooperate with SOI to represent the interests of athletes with intellectual disabilities. The IOC's formal recognition of SOI carries with it a solemn duty and responsibility, which must be discharged by SOI and all of its Accredited Programs, to conduct Special Olympics training and competition in accordance with the highest ideals of the international Olympic movement, to guard and protect the use of the term "Special Olympics," and to protect the word "Olympics" from unauthorized use or exploitation. The IOC’s Protocol of Agreement with SOI prohibits SOI, Programs, and GOCs from using the 5-ring Olympic logo, the Olympic anthem, or the Olympics motto. Each Accredited Program agrees to fulfill these responsibilities by accepting accreditation from SOI, as provided in its Accreditation License and Article 6 of the General Rules.

Through the passage of the Amateur Sports Act, 36 U.S.C. §380, the United States Congress has vested in the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (the "USOPC") the exclusive power to control all uses of the word "Olympics" within the United States. The Amateur Sports Act authorizes the USOPC to grant membership status to other organizations which conduct amateur athletic training and competition programs for individuals with disabilities. 36 U.S.C. §374(13). According to this authority, the USOPC has extended "Committee E" membership in the USOPC to SOI. As part of this membership, the USOPC has licensed SOI to use the term "Olympics" as part of the term "Special Olympics" in organizing and conducting local, area, state, and national sports training and competition programs within the United States for persons with intellectual disabilities. SOI and each U.S. Program have a solemn obligation to the USOPC, both in conducting their affairs and in dealing with third parties, to guard against the unauthorized or inappropriate use of the term "Special Olympics" and to conduct the Special Olympics program under the high ideals of the Olympic movement. Each U.S. Program agrees to fulfill these responsibilities by accepting accreditation from SOI, as provided in its Accreditation License and Article 6 of the General Rules.

Within the United States, SOI has been designated by the USOC as the National Governing Body/Disabled Sports organization for athletes with intellectual disabilities. SOI discharges those responsibilities under the rules and procedures of the USOC. SOI also maintains active relationships with the National Olympic Committees of nations outside the United States.

International Sports Federations are organizations recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the world governing bodies for their respective sports. These International Sports Federations comprise, in turn, National Sports Governing Bodies, which govern and oversee particular sports within their respective countries. SOI requires Accredited Programs and GOCs to follow the rules for specific sports, which are issued from time to time by their National Sports Governing Bodies and by the International Sports Federations when conducting Games, except where those rules conflict with the SOI Sports Rules (which take precedence if there is such a conflict).

Except where there is a conflict with the SOI Sports Rules (in which case the SOI Sports Rules take precedence), all Games held by Accredited Programs or by their accredited Sub-Programs must comply with the sports rules issued by the National Sports Governing Bodies in their respective countries (which sometimes modify, at the national level, the worldwide rules of the International Sports Federations).

SOI maintains regular communication with International Sports Federations and National Sports Governing Bodies and seeks information, assistance, and support from these organizations in establishing, developing, enhancing, and administering SOI's sports policies and in assisting Accredited Programs in expanding their sports training and competition programs and particular sports, as further provided for in the SOI Sports Rules.

The Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation (the "Kennedy Foundation") is a private foundation that shares SOI's goal of helping persons with intellectual disabilities reach their fullest potential. The Kennedy Foundation provided critical funding necessary for the establishment of Special Olympics.

SOI is a registered non-governmental organization of the United Nations (an "NGO"). As an NGO, SOI is responsible for working with nations worldwide to help develop sports training and competition programs for persons with intellectual disabilities.

SOI periodically forms relationships with other organizations to manage and expand the Special Olympics Movement. (For example, SOI has formed relationships with various associations of law enforcement professionals for planning and implementing the Torch Run.) Depending on the context and the nature of a specific organizational relationship recognized by SOI, Accredited Programs may be asked or required to cooperate with that collaborating organization in planning or implementing specific programs or events for the benefit of Special Olympics. SOI will outline any such requests or requirements in written policy directives to affected Accredited Programs, outlining the purpose and nature of SOI's collaboration with third-party organizations.