Sports Offered
Special Olympics Arkansas is proud to offer a wide variety of sports programs to all athletes in the state of Arkansas. Click on any sport below to view the coaching guides, rules, quick-start guides and more on all the sports we offer.
Athletics
Athletics is the largest sporting event for Special Olympics in Arkansas. We have area meets in 17 areas of the state with the number of athletes competing in the area meets ranging from 300 to 1,200. The area meets are usually held on Saturdays during the month of April. The State Athletics
Meet is held during the Summer Games with 2,000 athletes competing. Athletics includes 18 track events and six field events, as well as the Pentathlon.
Basketball
Basketball is getting more popular, with new teams entering each year! District Tournaments are held during the month of February with the State Basketball Tournament, now named Tournament of Champions hosted in March. Additionally Unified Champion Schools hosts a tournament in February and four High School teams play at the AAA State Basketball Finals in March.
Bocce
Italian Lawn Bowling, a sport offered for Masters Age Division athletes (22 & up). After the Arkansas Team represented our state so well in Minneapolis at the 1991 International Games, the sport has caught on like wild fire. Bocce is offered on the local level in April, during the Unified Sports Fall Games in November (open to all ages), and during Summer Games.
Bowling
Area Tournaments for Special Olympics take place during the months of October and November. The State Bowling Tournament is held at Professor Bowl in Little Rock in December. Bowling Is open for Singles, Doubles, Mixed Doubles, and Team entries. Unified Champion Schools bowling competing began in 2019.
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is the performance of athletic skills, jumps, dance and/or chanting to gain a response from spectators at an event (whether this is in support of a sports team, or simply to score points in a cheerleading competition). The State Cheerleading competition is held during the Tournament of Champions in March.
Cycling
Cycling events take place on the area level.
Flag Football
Special Olympics Flag Football is non-contact. In all aspects of Special Olympics Flag Football, rulings shall be made with player safety as the primary consideration. Unified Flag Football is held during Unified Sports Fall Games in November.
Floorball
Floorball is played with plastic sticks and a light ball and with a goalkeeper without a stick. Floorball has similarities with hockey sports and the main objective is to score more goals than the opposite team. For Special Olympics the game is slightly modified from the "regular" form of Floorball. Matches are played 3 versus 3 with goalkeepers, on a smaller court that measures 20 m long by 12 m wide. This form of Floorball was developed for the intellectually disabled.
Floor Hockey
Team Floor Hockey Competition takes place in February during the Winter Games. The sport is played on a floor (not ice), such as a gym floor or
roller rink. It is very competitive and exciting, which is obviously the reason the number of teams at the Winter Games seems to double each year.
Football (Soccer)
Unified Soccer competition takes place during the Fall. This is a sport that is growing in popularity in Arkansas and may soon find a home in conjunction with a State Competition.
Golf
Special Olympics Arkansas' focus is Individual Skills and nine-hole Unified Competition. Golf is a fall sport and competitions are held regionally.
Powerlifting
Special Olympics athletes competed in the State Championships- NASA ( Natural Athletes Strength Association) and will be competing year-round in regular competitions. Powerlifting is offered across the state at area competitions and at Summer Games.
Softball
The Unified Softball Competition takes place during the Unified Sports Fall Games in November (Unified competition consists of 50% Special Olympics athletes and 50% Unified Partners). Traditional Softball local competition is held in select areas and the state level competition is held at Summer Games in May.
Swimming
Meets are held during April and May with the State Swim Meet being held during Summer Games. Swimming is exciting to watch and we would
like more and more athletes to become involved in training and competition.
Tennis
Special Olympics Arkansas is partnering with USTA Arkansas and the Arkansas Cup to bring Tennis back to Arkansas. Athletes will be able to find Tennis Individual Skills Competitions and matches around the state.
Volleyball
Volleyball competitions can be found on the area level as well as regional competition opportunities around the state.
Special Olympics Arkansas is proud to offer a wide variety of sports programs to all the athletes in the state of Arkansas. If you are interested in any of these programs please contact our office 501-771-0222.
Athletics is the largest sporting event for Special Olympics in Arkansas. We have area meets in 17 areas of the state with the number of athletes competing in the area meets ranging from 300 to 1,200. The area meets are usually held on Saturdays during the month of April. The State Athletics
Meet is held during the Summer Games with 2,000 athletes competing. Athletics includes 18 track events and six field events, as well as the Pentathlon.
Basketball
Basketball is getting more popular, with new teams entering each year! District Tournaments are held during the month of February with the State Basketball Tournament, now named Tournament of Champions hosted in March. Additionally Unified Champion Schools hosts a tournament in February and four High School teams play at the AAA State Basketball Finals in March.
Bocce
Italian Lawn Bowling, a sport offered for Masters Age Division athletes (22 & up). After the Arkansas Team represented our state so well in Minneapolis at the 1991 International Games, the sport has caught on like wild fire. Bocce is offered on the local level in April, during the Unified Sports Fall Games in November (open to all ages), and during Summer Games.
Bowling
Area Tournaments for Special Olympics take place during the months of October and November. The State Bowling Tournament is held at Professor Bowl in Little Rock in December. Bowling Is open for Singles, Doubles, Mixed Doubles, and Team entries. Unified Champion Schools bowling competing began in 2019.
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is the performance of athletic skills, jumps, dance and/or chanting to gain a response from spectators at an event (whether this is in support of a sports team, or simply to score points in a cheerleading competition). The State Cheerleading competition is held during the Tournament of Champions in March.
Cycling
Cycling events take place on the area level.
Flag Football
Special Olympics Flag Football is non-contact. In all aspects of Special Olympics Flag Football, rulings shall be made with player safety as the primary consideration. Unified Flag Football is held during Unified Sports Fall Games in November.
Floorball
Floorball is played with plastic sticks and a light ball and with a goalkeeper without a stick. Floorball has similarities with hockey sports and the main objective is to score more goals than the opposite team. For Special Olympics the game is slightly modified from the "regular" form of Floorball. Matches are played 3 versus 3 with goalkeepers, on a smaller court that measures 20 m long by 12 m wide. This form of Floorball was developed for the intellectually disabled.
Floor Hockey
Team Floor Hockey Competition takes place in February during the Winter Games. The sport is played on a floor (not ice), such as a gym floor or
roller rink. It is very competitive and exciting, which is obviously the reason the number of teams at the Winter Games seems to double each year.
Football (Soccer)
Unified Soccer competition takes place during the Fall. This is a sport that is growing in popularity in Arkansas and may soon find a home in conjunction with a State Competition.
Golf
Special Olympics Arkansas' focus is Individual Skills and nine-hole Unified Competition. Golf is a fall sport and competitions are held regionally.
Powerlifting
Special Olympics athletes competed in the State Championships- NASA ( Natural Athletes Strength Association) and will be competing year-round in regular competitions. Powerlifting is offered across the state at area competitions and at Summer Games.
Softball
The Unified Softball Competition takes place during the Unified Sports Fall Games in November (Unified competition consists of 50% Special Olympics athletes and 50% Unified Partners). Traditional Softball local competition is held in select areas and the state level competition is held at Summer Games in May.
Swimming
Meets are held during April and May with the State Swim Meet being held during Summer Games. Swimming is exciting to watch and we would
like more and more athletes to become involved in training and competition.
Tennis
Special Olympics Arkansas is partnering with USTA Arkansas and the Arkansas Cup to bring Tennis back to Arkansas. Athletes will be able to find Tennis Individual Skills Competitions and matches around the state.
Volleyball
Volleyball competitions can be found on the area level as well as regional competition opportunities around the state.
Special Olympics Arkansas is proud to offer a wide variety of sports programs to all the athletes in the state of Arkansas. If you are interested in any of these programs please contact our office 501-771-0222.
