Facts About Special Olympics Southern California
Special Olympics is an international program of year-round sports training and athletic competition for more than one million children and adults with intellectual disabilities and closely associated developmental disabilities. Special California Southern California serves 12,500 children and adults. Children can join Special Olympics at age eight.
Special Olympics athletes receive a minimum of eight weeks of training from volunteer coaches in their- chosen sport(s) prior to competitions. There are 2,000 certified Special Olympics coaches throughout Southern California. In addition, 13,000 volunteers donate more 250,000 hours annually, filling a wide variety of roles through all levels of programs in Southern California.
Special Olympics Southern California is composed of 31 local Areas/Programs in 11 counties. It is governed by a Board of Directors made up of a broad cross-section of Southern California leadership. Local Areas/Programs are accredited and offer an array of services including coach and volunteer leadership training, management consultation, fundraising and public education initiatives, Chapter-wide coordination and staging culminating competitions in each of the 21 sports.
In addition to sports training and competition opportunities, Special Olympics athletes are also encouraged to participate in other Athlete Leadership Programs (ALP). In Southern California this includes:
- Four athletes who serve on the Board of Directors
- More than 40 athletes who act as Global Messengers and help to spread the word about Special Olympics through public presentations
- Training for athletes who wish to be certified as both coaches and officials
Special Olympics Southern California is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization accredited by Special Olympics, Inc. It is one of 52 accredited programs operating in the United States.
