Unified Sports

UNIFIED TRAINING TOOLS & DOCUMENTS | Coaching and Information | Unified Sports Models | Player Information | Observer Sheets | BRANDING & MARKETING | Unified Sports and Play Unified | News and Stories | Photos and Videos | 1 Million Unified Teammates | UNIFIED SPORTS COMPETITION TOOLS | Competition Guides | ESPN PARTNERSHIP | UNIFIED SPORTS RESEARCH | Research | CAMP SHRIVER | UNIFIED SCHOOL RESOURCES

UNIFIED TRAINING TOOLS & DOCUMENTS

Access basic information on Unified Sports programming including definitions, coaches training, unified teammate guidelines and more!

Coaching and Information

Introduction and overview to implement Unified Sports on campus through campus recreation department

• Assessing Players and Forming Unified Teams: Details the procedure for screening, basic skills testing and evaluating game play for all players so that athletes and partners are appropriately matched for a Unified Sports program.
• Guidelines for Successful Unified Sports Competition: Guidelines for the quality of which coaches must conduct and take part in the process of ensuring a successful Unified Sports competition.
• Unified Sports Brochure: Evaluates the Special Olympics youth Unified Sports program in Europe.
• Unified Sports Coach Guidelines: Guidelines for being an effective Special Olympics Unified Sports coach.
• NEW Coaching Unified Sports Online Course: Free one-hour course designed to explain Special Olympics Unified Sports and offer guidance on how to become a successful Unified Sports coach. Hosted by ESPN’s Kevin Negandhi, the course includes historical background, testimonials, tutorials and quizzes.
• Unified Sports® Coaching Guides, News and Events: Learn about Unified Sports and get resources, news, stories and events that pertain to this Special Olympics initiative.
• Unified Sports Competition Protocol: This is a formal protocol established for the 2015 World Summer Games that focuses on the process of educating and communicating to coaches and Heads of Delegations (HOD) on how meaningful involvement is defined and how Unified Sports teams are expected to perform.
• Unified Sports Principles of Meaningful Involvement: Defines the criteria for achieving meaningful involvement in Unified Sports.
• Unified Sports Quick Reference Guide: A quick reference guide on Unified Sports.
• Unified Sports Basketball Video: Shows coaches, athletes, partners and officials how the core principles of Unified Sports work in basketball.
• Unified Sports Floorball Video: Shows coaches, athletes, partners and officials how the core principles of Unified Sports work in floorball.

Unified Sports Models

• Recreation Model Guidelines: Guidelines for executing Unified Sports Recreation programs.
• Unified Sports Models Comparison Chart: Chart comparing competitive, player development and recreational Unified Sports models.
• Unified Sports Models: An in-depth overview of the Unified Sports competitive, player development and recreational models. The video is 8:11 minutes long.

Player Information

• Assessing Players and Forming Unified Teams: Details the procedure for screening, basic skills testing and evaluating game play for all players so that athletes and partners are appropriately matched for a Unified Sports program.
• Athlete Behavior and Characteristics: Chart that provides coaches with information and strategies regarding different functional and learning behavioral characteristics of athletes.
• Player Development Guidelines: Explains what the Unified Sports Player Development is and how to identify competitors who are well-suited for this model.
• Sportsmanship and Code of Conduct for All: Lists the expectations of coaches, athletes and partners while participating in Unified Sports.

Observer Sheets

Document used to assist observers in watching and noting patterns of meaningful involvement amongst Unified Sports participants.

• Badminton
• Basketball
• Bocce
• Bowling
• Football
• Golf
• Open Water Swimming
• Sailing
• Table Tennis
• Tennis
• Volleyball

BRANDING & MARKETING

These guidelines explain how the Special Olympics Unified Sports® mark and assets should be used in branding and communications materials.

Unified Sports and Play Unified

• All Branding Resources: All branding for Unified Sports and Play Unified including logos, guidelines, images and fonts.

News and Stories

• Share Your Story About Unified Sports: Fill out the online form and send your story along. We'll review it and let you know when it's published.
• Stories About Unified Sports: Read the latest stories and news from our athletes, coaches and volunteers worldwide.

Photos and Videos

• Special Olympics Chairman Tim Shriver: Unified Sports: Special Olympics Chairman Tim Shriver comments on the power of Unified Sports to bring communities together.
• Unified Sports Photos on Flickr: Collection of high resolution Unified Sports photos that are available for download.

1 Million Unified Teammates

• Promo Package: Celebrating 1 Million + Teammates: Special Olympics now has more than 1 million Unified Sports teammates worldwide. The tool kit below is a package containing fact sheets, promo graphics, sample press release and an overview of the celebration plans.
• MP4: Celebrating the 1 Million Mark: Special Olympics Chairman Tim Shriver and Maryland athlete Terrel Limerick share the big news: Special Olympics has hit our goal of getting more than 1 million athletes involved in Unified Sports.
• YouTube: Celebrating the 1 Million Mark: Special Olympics Chairman Tim Shriver and Maryland athlete Terrel Limerick share the big news: Special Olympics has hit our goal of getting more than 1 million athletes involved in Unified Sports.

UNIFIED SPORTS COMPETITION TOOLS

Get information on how to incorporate Unified Sports competitions into your Games.

Competition Guides

• Guidelines for Successful Unified Sports Competition: Guidelines for the quality of which coaches must conduct and take part in the process of ensuring a successful Unified Sports competition.
• Unified Sports Competition Protocol: This is a formal protocol established for the 2015 World Summer Games that focuses on the process of educating and communicating to coaches and Heads of Delegations (HOD) on how meaningful involvement is defined and how Unified Sports teams are expected to perform.

UNIFIED SPORTS RESEARCH

Special Olympics is activating people to #PlayUnified. Share these resources demonstrating the many impacts of Unified Sports

Research

• Unified Sports Research: Special Olympics is activating people to #PlayUnified in order to live unified. Share these resources demonstrating the many impacts of Unified Sports.
• Research Resources: Research can be a powerful tool for special olympics programs interested in sharing the impact of their programming, encouraging others to get engaged, securing partnerships, informing legislative bodies and creating evidence-based programming. Learn more and share with your community. Attitudes Research | Sports Research | Young Athletes Research

CAMP SHRIVER

Camp Shriver is an inclusive Unified Sports® camp. The resources provided are designed to provide a Unified Sports experience for young people with and without intellectual disabilities.

• Camp Shriver Resources: Camp Shriver is an inclusive Unified Sports® camp modeled after the original camp at the home of Special Olympics Founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver as a precursor to Special Olympics. These camps are designed to provide a Unified Sports experience for young people with and without intellectual disabilities

UNIFIED SCHOOL RESOURCES

Find school-based resources aimed at developing Unified Sports at your school or University.

• Unified School Resources: The Youth and School section serves as a portal for students, educators and Programs.