Special Olympics NL 

Address: 40 Aberdeen Ave, Suite 005, St. John’s, NL A1A 5T3. 

Mandate:

To provide year-round sports training and competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

Target Population:

Children and adults with intellectual disabilities across the province.

Highlights of Programs/Services Offered:

Special Olympics NL is dedicated to enriching the lives of Newfoundlanders & Labradoreans with an intellectual disability through active participate in sport. 

• Youth Programs
  • Active Start: One of two initiatives developed by Special Olympics Canada for young athletes ages 2 to 6. Program leaders introduce children to the world of sport by developing fundamental movement skills like walking, running, jumping and balancing. 
  • FUNdamentals: FUNdamentals is one of two initiatives developed by Special Olympics Canada for young athletes ages 7 – 12. Program leaders help develop fundamental movement skills like running, jumping, throwing, catching, striking and kicking. Fore more information about Active start or FUNdamentals please email us at jennifer@sonl.ca
  • Unified Sports – In the Schools: Promotes social inclusion through shared sport training and competition experiences for individuals with and without intellectual disabilities. Unified Competitions will follow the same divisioning principles used in all of our Special Olympics competitions. Teams of comparable ability will be grouped together for meaningful competition. Individual schools choose to participate in Special Olympics Unified Sports®. Special Olympics NL offers two (2) sports programs Basketball and Bocce through the Unified Sports Varsity Program. Click here to view the full list of schools participating in the Special Olympics unified sports varsity program
• Athlete Leadership Programs
  • Athlete Leadership: Special Olympics Athlete Leadership allows athletes to explore opportunities for greater participation in the movement beyond sports training and competition as peer mentors, team captains, spokespeople and Board and committee members. These roles give athletes a voice in shaping the Special Olympics movement, and a chance to spread the word about the transformations Special Olympics can bring to individuals and families. For further information about Athlete Leadership programs, please contact our Program Director or Sport Coordinator
• Health Programs
  • Healthy Athletes: These events educate athletes on healthy lifestyle choices and also identify health related problems that may require additional follow-up. Currently Special Olympics NL offers two disciplines FUNfitness: Designed to assess and improve an athlete’s flexibility & Strong Minds. Special Olympics Canada offers one free health exam for all athletes during National Games.  
  • Fit Family and Friends: Six week challenge where Special Olympics Athletes throughout Newfoundland and Labrador, along with their family and friends join together to support a healthy lifestyle. The goal is to get outdoors and stay active with families and friends while understanding the importance of creating healthy habits
• Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD): The Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model guides the physical literacy of each individual with an intellectual disability. Special Olympics Canada uses the same LTAD model as sports organizations across Canada.  
• Community Clubs: Special Olympics Athletes train and compete in sport while having fun, developing life skills, and building self-esteem. We currently offer 16 official sports, and several of our Community Clubs offer a variety of non-official sports. Click here to view the list of community centre offering sports.