Indiana Special Olympics

Games: to organize, operate, promote and conduct athletic competition in a variety of olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics Indiana (soin) provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in more than 20 olympic type sports, reaching more than 18,000 athletes across Indiana.

Program initiatives: soin conducts activities designed to promote the growth of Special Olympics programs so that the organization can better serve existing athletes and reach out to those athletes who have not yet had an opportunity to participate in Special Olympics. This includes the unified champions schools program, healthy athletes initiatives, and the athlete leadership programs. Unified champions schools is a collaborative partnership between the Indiana high school athletic association and Special Olympics Indiana that promotes servant leadership among student athletes while changing their lives as well as the lives of those with intellectual disabilities. This program is also expanding to include middle and elementary school students. Unified champions schools' goal is to activate youth in an effort to develop school communities where all young people are agents of change, fostering respect, dignity, and advocacy for people with intellectual disabilities. The Special Olympics healthy athletes initiative is designed to help Special Olympics athletes improve their health and fitness. Developed in 1996, the mission of healthy athletes is to improve each athlete's ability to train and compete in Special Olympics as well as life. The goal of all healthy athlete initiatives is to create communities where Special Olympics athletes and others with intellectual disabilities have the same access to health and wellness resources and have the opportunity to attain the same level of good health as all community members and where there is no "wrong door" for someone with an intellectual disability to walk through. This initiative includes the following disciplines: healthy hearing, opening eyes, Special smiles, health promotion, fit feet, and fun fitness. Athlete leadership programs (alps) provide training and support for athletes who desire to expand their participation in Special Olympics both on and off the competition field. Through alps, athletes receive leadership training and have opportunities to hold positions of leadership and influence. In these roles, athletes help determine policy and set direction for Special Olympics. Ultimately, alps helps to create a "culture of welcome" throughout the organization as athletes are welcomed into their leadership roles and serve alongside other volunteers.

Training and volunteer management: soin provides training and leadership opportunities for our athletes and volunteers in a variety of ways, including an annual state conference, training camps, leadership retreats, and retreats, and continuous communication with our incredible volunteers. Soin also provides ongoing training to volunteer coaches to empower people with intellectual disabilities to realize their full potential and develop their skills through year-round sports training and competition. The annual soin state conference targets program leaders, volunteers, coaches, and families. The state conference exists to provide valuable training in Special Olympics sports and program management. Soin would not exist today and could not have been created without the time, energy, commitment, and enthusiasm of more than 9,000 soin volunteers throughout the state. Soin relies on volunteers at all levels of the Special Olympics movement to ensure that every athlete is offered a quality sports training and competition experience.