Selecting Team Members
The key to the successful development of a traditional Special Olympics or Special Olympics Unified SportsŪ team is the proper selection of team members. We have provided some primary considerations below for you.
Gender Grouping
Whenever possible, teams should be grouped by gender. While there is no prohibition against co-ed teams, whenever possible female athletes should have the option of playing in a female-only division if they so desire. Not all programs will offer female divisions; please consult your local program.
Age Grouping
All team members should be as closely matched in age as possible:
- Within 3-5 years of age for athletes 21 years of age and under
- Within 10-15 years for athletes 22 years of age and over
Ability Grouping
Unified Sports teams work best when all team members have similar sports skills. Partners with abilities that are far superior to other teammates will either control competition or accommodate others by not competing to their potential. In both situations, the goals of interaction and teamwork are diminished and a true competitive experience is not achieved.
There is also an increased chance for injury when lower level athletes are trying to play defense against hard driven balls hit by substantially higher level opposing partners. Even when no injury occurs, these athletes may play "intimidated" and thereby be robbed of their enjoyment of the game.
