This is an innovative sports play program for children ages 2-7 with
intellectual disabilities and their peers, designed to introduce them
into the world of sports. The benefits to this program have been proven
worldwide. First and foremost, these activities will help the children
improve physically, cognitively and socially. This program will also
raise awareness of the Special Olympics program and serve as an
introduction to the resources and support available within Special
Olympics Florida families, agencies and schools.
Program Goals
This program is designed to address two specific levels of play.
Level 1 includes physical activities focused on developing fundamental
motor tracking and eye-hand coordination. Level 2 concentrates on the
application of these physical activities through a sports skills
activity program and developing skills consistent with Special Olympics
sports play. The activities will consist of fundamental sports skills,
such as walking, running, balance, jumping, trapping, catching,
throwing, striking, and kicking.
Types of Programs
There are two ways the program may be offered.
The Young Athletes program can be offered at home by a family member
or friend. These volunteers become play pals on a one-on-one basis with
their family member. This would be called a home-based Young Athletes
program.
The second option is offer a site program. A site program may be a
school or agency such as a Parks & Recreation Department, Hospital,
Daycare, ARC, UCP, YMCA, and Church, school or Camp. The agency agrees
to offer the program under the name of Special Olympics Florida Young
Athletes Program. A site program may also be under the direction of a
volunteer approved by Special Olympics Florida who finds a donated site
to conduct activities. Such sites might include but not limited to a
church, community center, YMCA, playground, ARC, UCP, or Housing
Development Community Room.
Both types of groups will follow all guidelines for the Special
Olympics Young Athletes program. Group site must have at least 6
registered Young Athletes to begin a program as they will receive an
equipment kit free of charge.
The Official Central Florida Health Home for Special Olympics Florida.
Little ELITES
Little ELITES (Elementary Level Introduction To Entry-level Sports)
is a sports program that bridges the gap between Special Olympics Young
Athletes (ages 2-7) and competitive Special Olympics sports (ages 8+)
concepts and models. The program is ideal for children in 2nd through
5th grade who have an intellectual disability (ID) or developmental
disability (DD) diagnosis.
Why Little ELITES Is Needed
Special Olympics Florida offers an inclusionary sports play program
for children who are between the ages of 2-7 called Young Athletes. We
currently have over 20,000 Young Athletes participants involved and the
program is continuing to grow. As children age out of Young Athletes,
there can be a lack of Special Olympics Florida sports opportunities for
children who are in grades 2-5. This is where Little ELITES comes in!
Through Little ELITES, children who age out of Young Athletes can
continue to work on their skills in specific sport(s) through structured
school-based means of participation and eventually compete within the
community. Ultimately, the goal is to keep young children and their
families engaged in the Special Olympics Florida support network for
life.
What is offered through Little ELITES
Schools can sign up for the following sports: Soccer, Athletics
(Track and Field), Flag Football, and Basketball. Special Olympics
Florida provides everything that is needed to run the program. This
includes a training on the materials, full kits for each sport, a sports
activity guide, and t-shirts and ribbons for a school-hosted Special
Olympics Florida Little ELITES sports day!
Rising Stars is a school or campus-based, non-competitive program designed to serve students in grades six through 12. It offers nine weeks of sport-specific training, helping athletes develop fundamental skills.
Rising Stars provides a school-centered Special Olympics experience for students who have aged out of our Little ELITES program – which serves grades two through five. It gives those students a chance to improve their skills, preparing them to compete later in other Special Olympics programs such as Unified Sports. The goal is to keep athletes and their families connected to the Special Olympics Florida support network for life.
Special Olympics Florida provides participating schools with everything needed to run the program. The following sports are offered through Rising Stars: soccer, athletics (track and field), flag football, and basketball.
Rising Stars is part of Special Olympics Florida’s Unified Champion Schools program. Unified Champion Schools is an education and sports-focused strategy for schools pre-K through college that promotes social inclusion by bringing together students with and without intellectual disabilities.
Here are our schools participating in this program during the 2021-2022 school year:
County
School
Alachua
Sidney Lanier Center
Baker
Baker County High School
Brevard
Astronaut High School
Brevard
Eau Gallie High School
Broward
Parkway Middle School
Citrus
Citrus Springs Middle School
DeSoto
DeSoto County School District
Duval
Alden Road
Duval
Englewood High School
Duval
Jean Ribault Middle School
Duval
Landmark Middle School
Duval
Mandarin Middle School
Duval
Mt. Herman
Duval
Oak Hill Academy
Duval
Pine Castle
Escambia
Bellview Middle School
Escambia
Beulah Middle School
Escambia
Escambia High School
Escambia
Ferry Pass Middle School
Escambia
Jim C. Bailey Middle School
Escambia
Pensacola High School
Escambia
Pine Forest High School
Escambia
Tate High School
Escambia
Washington High School
Escambia
Workman Middle School
Hendry
Clewiston High School
Hendry
Clewiston Middle School
Hendry
LaBelle High School
Hendry
LaBelle Middle School
Hillsborough
Freedom High School
Hillsborough
Gaither High School
Hillsborough
Sumner High School
Hillsborough
Turkey Creek Middle School
Jackson
Hope School
Lake
ABELS Academy
Lake
East Ridge High School
Lake
East Ridge Middle School
Lake
Lake Minneola High School
Lake
Lake Pointe Academy
Lake
Mt. Dora Middle School
Lake
The Key to Learning
Lee
Bonita Springs High School
Lee
Cypress Lake Middle School
Lee
Diplomat Middle School
Lee
Ida Baker High School
Lee
Lehigh Acres Middle School
Lee
Oak Hammock Middle School
Lee
Three Oaks Middle School
Leon
Deerlake Middle School
Leon
Gretchen Everhart School
Leon
Leon High School
Leon
Raa Middle School
Manatee
Braden River High School
Manatee
Easterseals Academy High School
Marion
Belleview Middle School
Marion
Hillcrest School
Martin
Hope Center for Autism
Miami Dade
Crystal Academy
Miami Dade
Great Heights Academy
Miami Dade
Nautilus Middle School
Miami Dade
Promised Land Academy
Miami Dade
Robert Renick Educational Center
Miami Dade
Southwest Miami Senior High School
Orange
Dr. Phillips High School
Orange
Horizon High School
Orange
Meadow Woods Middle School
Orange
The First Hope at The First Academy
Orange
Union Park Middle School
Osceola
Harmony High School
Osceola
Harmony Middle School
Osceola
Narcoossee Middle School
Osceola
Parkway Middle School
Palm Beach
Boca Raton Community Middle School
Palm Beach
Coalition of Indpendent Living Options Inc (CILO)
Pasco
Cypress Creek Middle School
Pasco
Hope Ranch Learning Academy
Pasco
Reconnections Education Center
Pinellas
Carwise Middle School
Pinellas
LiFT Academy
Pinellas
Northeast High School
Polk
Crossroads Christian School
Polk
Our Career Centered Academy
Putnam
Mellon Learning Center
Santa Rosa
Hobbs Middle School
Santa Rosa
Pace High School
Sarasota
Sarasota High School
Seminole
Jackson Heights Middle School
Seminole
Lyman High School
Seminole
Milwee Middle School
Seminole
South Seminole Academy
St. Johns
Alice B2 Landrum Middle School
St. Johns
Bridgehaven Academy
St. Johns
Life Work Transition Program
St. Johns
Tocoi Creek High School
St. Johns
Valley Ridge Academy
Volusia
River Springs Middle School
Volusia
The Arc of Volusia, Inc
Walton
Emerald Coast Middle School
Walton
Freeport High School
Walton
Freeport Middle School
Walton
Paxton School
Walton
South Walton High School
Walton
Walton Middle School
Walton
WISE
Motor Activities Training
The Motor Activity Training Program (MATP) is designed for those
athletes with severe disabilities whose physical and/or behavioral
limitations preclude participation in traditional Special Olympics team
and individual sports competitions. The emphasis in MATP is on training
and participation rather than competition. MATP seeks to improve the
athlete’s basic motor skills in the following areas: dexterity,
striking, kicking, manual wheelchair, electric wheelchair and aquatics.
Athletes participating in the Motor Activity Training Program must be
registered as Special Olympics Florida athletes (medical & release
forms) or as a School Roster Program. Training Programs are established based on the individual needs of
the athlete. The program utilizes goals, short-term objectives,
task-analyzed activities, assessments and teaching/coaching suggestions
for individualizing motor activity instruction so that people with
severe disabilities can participate in appropriate activities geared to
their ability levels. Training and participation are done onsite.
In school settings, MATP can help physical education teachers
integrate students with severe disabilities into regular physical
education classes in activities including warm-ups, conditioning,
gymnastics and track and field through the use of partial participation
and game modifications. After completion of a training program, a “training day” can be held
which provides each athlete a chance to demonstrate his or her personal
best in an activity and be recognized for his or her accomplishments.
MATP challenge ribbons and medals are awarded for personal bests during
training day activities.
