ATHLETES
Eligibility For Participation
Special Olympics training and competition is open to every person with intellectual disability who is at least eight (8) years of age* and who registers to participate with Special Olympics (required by Special Olympics General Rules).
* Athletes may begin training at six (6) years of age, but will not be permitted to compete until they turn eight.
Participation in Special Olympics is open to all persons with intellectual disability regardless of the level or degree of that persons disability, and whether or not that person also has other mental or physical disabilities.
A person is considered to have intellectual disability (for the purposes of determining eligibility for Special Olympics participation) if that person meets any one of the following requirements:
The person has been identified by an agency or professional as having mental retardation as determined by their localities;
The person has a cognitive delay, as determined by standardized measures such as Intelligent Quotient, or IQ, testing, or other measures which are generally accepted within the U.S.as being a reliable measurement of the existence of a cognitive delay.
The person has a closely-related developmental disability. A closely-related developmental disability means having functional limitations in both general learning (such as IQ) and in adaptive skills (such as in recreation, work, independent living, self-direction, or self-care). However, persons whose functional limitations are based solely on physical, behavioral, or emotional disability, or a specific learning or sensory disability, are not eligible to participate as Special Olympics athletes.
One of Special Olympics founding principles is that Special Olympics must transcend all boundaries of race, gender, religion, national origin, geography, and political philosophy, and offer sports training and competition opportunities to all eligible persons with intellectual disability in accordance with uniform worldwide standards.
ATHLETE REGISTRATION
Each athlete, prior to participation in any Special Olympics activity, shall have on file with the VCSO office, a valid Application for Participation/Medical Form. These forms must be filled out properly, according to SOSC registration procedures, for an athlete to participate in any phase of Special Olympics training, competition, or event. Applications for Participation for all VCSO athletes are kept on file with VCSO and SOSC.
IMPORTANT: If the athlete has Down Syndrome, Special Olympics requires that the athlete has a full radiological examination establishing the absence of Atlantoaxial Instability before he/she my participate in sports or events which, by their nature, result in hyper-extension, radical flexion, or direct pressure on the neck or upper spine. The sports and events for which a radiological examination is required are: equestrian sports, gymnastics, diving, pentathlon, butterfly stroke and diving starts in swimming, high jump, alpine skiing, soccer, and squat event in power lifting.
Note to coaches, Parents & Care-Providers:
Make sure the Application for Participation/Medical Forms are completed properly, signed and dated prior to your athletes first training session or practice, otherwise he/she will not be allowed to participate. (Special Olympics General Rules. Section 7, pg.109)
Properly completed forms ensure the safety and well-being of your athlete and also protects yourself. All it takes is one serious problem involving an athlete who should never have been allowed to participate or who has no medical or parent authorization, to cause serious financial and civil problems for the coach, local coordinator, Area Director and the entire SOSC Program.
Directions for Completion
Every athlete must have a current Medical Application For Participation on file with VCSO before beginning his or her participation. This form serves many purposes:
We can
maintain current records on athlete medical history, medications, special
needs, and physical examinations so that in the case of an accident and/or
injury, that athlete can be treated correctly.
Athlete
contact information can be kept current in our database so that you can receive
updates on VCSO policy, upcoming events, training schedules, competition dates,
and our quarterly No Limits! Newsletter.
Coaches
will have medical and contact information on each athlete participating at
their training site, in the case of any emergency. (Coaches also are required
to have copies of these forms when they travel to other Special Olympics
tournaments for competition).
It is
important to note that the VCSO office will only accept the ORIGINAL form. No
copies or facsimile (faxed) copies will be allowed. VCSO does advise that each
athlete keep a copy of their form for their own records.
The Athlete Medical Application can be submitted to the VCSO office in two different ways:
1. The athlete, parent, and/or care provider can turn in the completed form to the
head coach of the athletes sport training site or 2. The completed form can be
mailed directly to the office. The mailing address is
Section A - Athlete Health Information
Required
initially for all new athletes, and updated every three years for all athletes.
Each line must be filled out completely.
Section B - Medical Certification
Must be completed by a licensed examiner. Required initially for all new athletes, and once every three years for ALL Athletes.
Examiner
must provide results from Brief Exam, Restrictions (if any), printed name,
address, phone number, examination date, and signature in order for this
section to be considered complete.
If an
athlete has had an exam within six (6) months of receipt of the form, results
from that exam can be used for this section. Examiner is still required to
complete and sign the necessary information.
Official Special Olympics Release Form (second-side)
Signature required by Adult Athlete (over 18
years old) or by a Parent or Guardian of a minor athlete (less than 18 years
old).
Notification of Update
Athletes, Parents, and/or care providers will be notified of expired or soon to be expired Athlete Medical Participation forms at the beginning of the year. All VCSO head coaches will also be notified as to which athletes will have expired/expiring forms.
Once
notified, it is the responsibility of the athlete, parent(s), and/or care
provider(s) to complete an updated form, and resubmit it to the VCSO office.
It is important to remember that an athlete will not be permitted to train and/or compete in Special Olympics programs and events if they do not have a current form on file with VCSO.
Please also remember to update the contact information if the athlete has a change in mailing address, physical address, phone number, and/or emergency contact.
For more information, or clarification on the Application for Participation/Medical Form, please contact the VCSO office.
Registration of Unified Partners
All Unified Partners must complete the Application for Participation for Unified Partners form. This forms includes elements of the Volunteer Application Form, and VCSO and/or SOSC may initiate a background check on applicants.
