Young Athletes Resource Library

Special Olympics Young Athletes is a sport and play program for children with and without intellectual disabilities (ID), ages 2 to 7 years old.

INTRODUCTION

Young Athletes welcomes children and their families into the world of Special Olympics by showing how all children can be valued for their talents and abilities. The following section includes basic and introductory information on Young Athletes. This section also includes the Young Athletes Activity Guide, which provides activities to run Young Athletes in schools, communities and homes.

Young Athletes Fact Sheet (PDF)
Young Athletes Brochure (PDF)
Young Athletes Poster (PDF)
Young Athletes Stories Special Olympics Young Athletes, a sport and play program for children with and without intellectual disabilities (ID), ages 2 to 7 years old, offers families, teachers, caregivers and people from the community the chance to share the joy of sports with all children.
Young Athletes Research Results from Young Athletes research studies.
Young Athletes Equipment A list of equipment and resources needed to conduct YA activities in a home, school or community.
Young Athletes Equipment Kits for Purchase Buy Young Athletes equipment kits online through Flaghouse (US-based).
Impact of Young Athletes (PPT) A high-level presentation aimed at sharing the goals and impact of Young Athletes.
Let’s Play Together YA

Promotional video introducing Young Athletes.

Activity Guides and Videos

Instructions for running the games and activities in Young Athletes. This version is for online viewing (PDF): English | Chinese | French | Spanish | Arabic | Russian | Estonian | Slovak
Activity Guide for Printing (English) A high resolution file for printing the instructions for running the games and activities in Young Athletes.

Young Athletes Activity Videos

Watch Young Athletes have fun demonstrating activities that build critical skills for a healthy life. Gifs are short and repetitive videos that can be downloaded and easily shared over text, WhatsApp, or any messaging service. Gifs are perfect for reaching parents, coaches, and volunteers who need quick examples on how to lead Young Athletes activities at home, school, or in the community.

Foundational Skills

On Now

Foundational Skills

On Now

Walking and Running

On Now

Balance and Jumping

On Now

Trapping and Catching

On Now

Throwing

On Now

Striking

On Now

Kicking

On Now

Advanced Sports Skills

Enhancing Program Quality
Resources to Support Implementation
Non English Resources

Enhancing Program Quality

Quality Young Athletes activities begin with well-trained coaches, supported family members and individuals engaged in supporting children through Young Athletes and as they transition to competitive Special Olympics sports opportunities.

Training Young Athletes Coaches

Young Athletes Coaches Training (PPTX) Standardized resource for SO Programs to use in training new Young Athletes coaches in all three models of Young Athletes.
Young Athletes Coaches Training Facilitators Guide (PDF) Guide for SO Programs on how to implement the Young Athletes Coach Training.
Young Athletes in Schools (PDF) One-page PDF to support coaches training and implementing Young Athletes in schools.
Young Athletes in Communities (PDF) One-page PDF to support coaches training and implementing Young Athletes in communities
Young Athletes in Homes (PDF) One-page PDF to support coaches training and implementing Young Athletes in homes.

Development Sports

Development Sports
Developmental sports activities can provide an age-appropriate introduction to sports for children with and without intellectual disabilities, ages 6-12 years old, and support their transition from Young Athletes to traditional or unified sports.

RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES

Young Athletes at Home Young Athletes offers families a collection of resources and activities for inclusive play at home.
Guide for New Parents of Children with ID (PDF) This is a resource guide to support parents and families of children newly diagnosed with intellectual disabilities.
Young Athletes Family Flashcards (PDF) Fun and engaging flashcards for families to use at home to run Young Athletes activities.
Young Athletes at Home Guide (PDF) Guide for families and caregivers to continue at home the Young Athletes activities their child is doing in a school or community program.
Special Olympics Coloring Book (PDF)
Overview & Equipment Recommendations (PDF) One-pager to support families implementing Young Athletes activities at home.
Young Athletes at Home: Training with Special Olympics Athlete Leaders

Special Olympics Athlete Leaders from around the world have come together to showcase activities that Young Athletes can do at home.• Overview & Equipment Recommendations (PDF): One-page PDF to support families implement Young Athletes activities at home.

Resources to Support Implementation

Additional tools and resources for coaches, teachers, families and Special Olympics Programs supporting Young Athletes.

Resources for School and Community Programs

Young Athletes in Unified Champion Schools (PDF) Overview of using the YA Activity Guide in Unified Champions Schools for US Programs.
Young Athletes Educator Flashcards (PDF) Flashcards for teachers to use in the classroom in building social emotional learning (SEL) skills.
Young Athletes Inclusive Adaptation Cards (PDF) These flashcards include the same activities from the original Young Athletes Activity Guide and Flashcards, but they also include recommendations for adapting the activities so that all children, regardless of their challenges, can participate in the same activity. The categories of challenges include Limited Mobility, Assistive Devices, Hard of Hearing, Visual Impairment, Non-verbal and Sensory Processing Disorder. (ZIP)
Young Athletes Inclusive Adaptation Cards
American Indian/Alaska Native Implementation Guide (PDF) The Special Olympics Young Athletes AIAN Implementation Guide is a comprehensive resource to empower indigenous through inclusive play. The Young Athletes Indigenized games nurture the foundational motor and movement skills essential for all children, while also connecting them to Traditional Games within each American Indian/Alaska Native community and honoring tribal languages and traditional foods. (ZIP)
AIAN Implementation Guide
Young Athletes Motor Assessment (PDF) A tool designed for educators, parents, caregivers and coaches to have an objective measure of motor performance.
Special Olympics Elementary School Playbook (PDF)
School to Home Resources (English)
Bring the fun of YA from the classroom to the living room! Package (ZIP) of resources (1 package = 1 classroom) include sport skills packets (Foundational Skills, Throwing, etc.) which consist of activity booklets, cards, and certificates. Materials also include stickers, wearables (crown, party hat, medallion) and an interactive tracker. Design files available upon request: Foundational Skills • Walking and Running • Balancing and Jumping • Trapping and Catching • Throwing • Striking • Kicking • Advanced Sports • Stickers • Wearables • Tracker
Unified Young Readers Club Guide (PDF) (ZIP)
Lesson Plan Template (PDF)
Young Athletes Lesson Plan (PDF) Visual template for creating a lesson plan.
Young Athletes in Libraries Learn about how to conduct Young Athletes in library settings.
Young Athletes in Motion - Presented by Special Olympics and Hip Hop Public Health

Featuring 100+ young athletes representing 28 countries, this video promotes fitness and health by inspiring children and families with and without intellectual disabilities to warm-up, cool down and stay active as we transition more and more into remote and blended learning environments.

Registration Forms

Young Athletes Registration Forms Young Athletes registration forms, including an overview of policies and practices.

Design Materials

Lock Up (ZIP) Official Young Athletes lock-up.
Design Standards (PDF) Branding information for Young Athletes.

Early Childhood Development (ECD) Brand Guidelines

Design Standards (PDF) Branding information for our holistic ECD programming, including Young Athletes, new parent education and support, Healthy Young Athletes, and more.
Programming Logos (ZIP) Official ECD Programming Lock-ups.
All Design Materials (ZIP)

Best Practices from SO Programs

SO New Jersey School Guide (PDF) Special Olympics New Jersey’s Learn. Practice. Play. UNIFIED. Guide to Inclusive Physical Education and Sports Activities.
SO Canada Young Athletes Nutrition Guide (PDF) Resource from Special Olympics Canada to support children and families with healthy eating.
Community Program Suggestions (PDF) Resource from Special Olympics New Jersey with tips and suggestions for starting a community program

Non English Resources

Resources to support implementation of Young Athletes that are in one of Special Olympics’ five (non-English) primary languages: Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, French and Russian. (More resources coming soon.)

Atletas Jóvenes en Español

Young Athletes Activity Guide (PDF) Instructions for running games and activities.
Guide for New Parents of Children with ID - Spanish This is a resource guide to support parents and families of children newly diagnosed with ID.
Young Athletes Coaches Training - Spanish (PPT) Standardized resource for SO Programs to use in training new coaches in all three models of Young Athletes.
Young Athletes Coaches Training Facilitators Guide - Spanish (PDF) Guide for SO Programs on how to implement the Young Athletes Coach Training.
Young Athletes Curriculum (ZIP) in Spanish Curriculum lessons and resources (all 8-weeks included in one PDF).
Young Athletes Fact Sheet - Spanish (PDF) Introductory overview.
Young Athletes Brochure - Spanish (PDF) Marketing brochure.
Young Athletes Poster - Spanish (PDF) Promotional poster.
Meet Gael (MOV) A 1-minute video highlighting the impact of Young Athletes on Gael and his family.
Meet Megan (MOV) A 1-minute video highlighting the impact of Young Athletes on Megan and her family.
Meet Isaí (MP4) A 1-minute video highlighting the impact of Young Athletes on Isai and his family.
Olimpiadas Especiales - Atletas Jóvenes A 2-minute video about the power of Young Athletes, as part of the #activatopoder campaign.
Activa tu poder con Atletas Jóvenes A 3-minute video highlighting Young Athletes activities at the Special Olympics Latin America Regional Games.
Individual Registration Form - Spanish (PDF) Young Athletes participant registration form.
School Registration Form - Spanish (PDF) Registration form for schools.
Photo Release Form - Spanish (PDF) Release allowing use of photos from Young Athletes participants.
School to Home Resources (Espanol)
Bring the fun of YA from the classroom to the living room! Package (ZIP) of resources (1 package = 1 classroom) include sport skills packets (Foundational Skills, Throwing, etc.) which consist of activity booklets, cards, and certificates. Materials also include stickers, wearables (crown, party hat, medallion) and an interactive tracker. Design files available upon request: Foundational Skills • Walking and Running • Balancing and Jumping • Trapping and Catching • Throwing • Striking • Kicking • Advanced Sports • Tracker

Jeunes Athlétes en Français

Young Athletes Activity Guide (PDF) Instructions for running games and activities.
Young Athletes Curriculum (ZIP) Curriculum lessons and resources (all 8-weeks included in one PDF).
Guide for New Parents of Children with ID (PDF) This is a resource guide to support parents and families of children newly diagnosed with intellectual disabilities.