Program areas at SOPA
Sports training and competition: despite the covid-19 pandemic, Special Olympics Pennsylvania (sopa) offered 240 traditional and unified competitions in 54 local programs with 38,000+ volunteers. Competition is offered in 21 olympic-type sports and 2 emerging sports for athletes 8 years or older. With the covid-19 pandemic, we offered a move challenge which was an 8-week movement challenge to see how many minutes of exercise participants can complete each week. Additionally, we offered the fitness heptathlon which is opportunity to train and compete in an event comprised of 7 different fitness exercises (chosen from a full menu of 26 options). All training and competition opportunities are provided free of charge to the athletes and their families, enabling everyone to experience the benefits of Special Olympics that extend well beyond the playing field. The Special Olympics experience fills a critical need in the lives of people with intellectual disabilities by providing opportunities for physical activity, social interaction, and the demonstration of competence to themselves, their families and the community. Athletes learn developmental and life skills As the benefits of participation translate beyond sports, helping them to live more independent and rewarding lives. Special Olympics also provides a positive venue for families, volunteers, and donors to become part of a caring community, and to become involved in the movement.
Special Olympics is the world's largest public health organization for individuals with intellectual disabilities (id), providing access to free health services for a population with significant, unmet health needs. We have a diabetes initiative in partnership with the Pennsylvania department of health that aims to reach athletes who may be at risk for or have diabetes. This program refers athletes to a 'diabetes self-management education and support' site within their community to facilitate further assessment and provide resources to support optimal health management. Data collected by the move challenge and fitness heptathlon, including height and weight/ bmi and blood pressure is evaluated and then determined if athlete is at risk or has diabetes. If athlete falls under category of at risk or diabetic, a referral to a dsme site follows.
Special Olympics unified sports creates an opportunity for individuals with and without intellectual disabilities to train and compete together As teammates. In 2020 sopa hosted 206 unified competitions. Interscholastic unified sports is a school-based unified sports program where students with and without intellectual disabilities are combined for school activities, youth leadership programs, and athletic competitions. At completion of the 2019-2020 school year, sopa was in 190 schools. Sopa's goal was to expand to at least 180 schools by the end of 2020.