Young Athletes Shared Practices

Thanks to generous support from the Mattel Children's Foundation starting in 2005, Special Olympics launched Young Athletes™ in 2006, an innovative sports play program for children ages 2-7 with intellectual disabilities. Young Athletes is designed to introduce children to the world of sports prior to Special Olympics eligibility for training and competition at the age of 8.  Young Athletes offers families a community experience that supports the development of their young children, focusing on developing motor skills and hand-eye coordination, and applying those physical skills through sports. After the 2006 pilot test in 21 Special Olympics Programs in 11 countries, Young Athletes has grown to include over 13,000 youth in more than 60 countries.