GUIDELINES FOR SUCCESSFUL UNIFIED SPORTS™ COMPETITION

1) Conduct a Unified Sports™ training session for all coaches before they become involved with their Unified Sports™ teams. Most importantly, emphasize “Meaningful Involvement” and “Team Selection.” Emphasize the need for their team’s members to fully understand the philosophy and principles of Unified Sports™ by conducting an orientation for all team members before they become involved with the team. This information emphasizes their role of being teammates and participating to the best of their ability in both training and competition.

2) Make sure all participants are registered with Special Olympics. All Special Olympics rules and regulations apply equally to Athletes and Partners with the following exception: Partners are required to complete a “Unified Sports™ Partner Application” which includes an applicant’s medical history, release from liability, and background information. Partners are not required to have a medical form, though some programs make this a local requirement.

3) Require coaches to submit information on the ability level of their Unified Sports™ teams. This information includes Special Olympics Sports Skills Assessment Tests scores for all team-sport members and performance scores for all individual-sport team members. It also includes a team’s previous experience (if the team has participated together for more than one year). The information is placed on the Team Roster and Ability Assessment Form and submitted with the Unified Sports™ team’s entry to the competition. 

4) Before the competition, fully prepare your Sports Rules Committee and Officials. This will enable the Committee to effectively respond to situations and rules violations. Also, the Sports Rules Committee’s method of responding to these situations and protests should be carefully explained to the head coaches at the first coaches’ meeting.

Conduct on-site divisioning. In order to group teams (appropriately) in their proper ability division at competitions, it is important to conduct a divisioning round prior to the start of any event to the start of any event. Officials viewing the divisioning rounds will be able to accurately assess each team’s ability level and place teams in divisions with others of similar ability.