Program areas at SOCT
Special Olympics Connecticut (soct) provides year-round sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. We served 9,875 athletes and partners throughout the state through local, regional and state programs. This year, soct hosted over 292 tournaments and competitions in 30 different sports. We pride ourselves on contributing to the lifelong physical, social, and personal development of individuals with intellectual disabilities in the state, offering many vital non-competition programs such as unified sports fitness clubs, which combine athletes with and without intellectual disabilities in the same clubs to participate in a variety of fitness activities. The athlete leadership program (alps), which allows our athletes the opportunity to be trained in communication and presentation skills and, in turn, serve as spokesperson for the organization; the healthy athletes program which is designed to help our athletes improve their overall health and fitness by receiving a variety of health services conducted by certified clinicians; and the young athletes program which focuses on developing gross and fine motor skills, eye/hand coordination and skills necessary for these children with intellectual disabilities to complete in Special competition once they reach age 8. Total donated goods and services of $2,107,317 supported these programs initiatives.
Summer games - 3,229 athletes and partners from across the state trained and completed in the olympic-style summer games sports of athletics: track & field, cycling, aquatics, soccer, and tennis. Athletes also participated in the healthy athletes' program, designed to help improve their overall conducted on-site at southern Connecticut state university throughout the duration of sports competition is broken up into 7 major categories; Special smiles, healthy hearing, opening eyes, fun fitness, healthy promotions, fit five, and fit feet. Total donated goods and services of $232,777 supported these program initiatives.
Winter games - 619 athletes and partners from across the state trained and completed in the olympic-style winter sports of snowshoeing, cross country skiing, alpine skinning, snowboarding, figure and speed skating, curling, floor hockey and gymnastics. Athletes also received free health promotions and fun fitness screenings as part of our healthy athletes' program. Total donated goods and services of $191,702 supported these initiatives.
Unified sports holiday classic - 2,777 athletes and partners from across the state trained and competed in the olympic-style sports of basketball, bowling, power lifting, and volleyball. Athletes also received free dental screening as part of the "Special smiles" segment and stressed counseling as part of the "strong minds" segment of our healthy athletes' program, respectively. Total donated goods and services of $48,577 supported.