Assessing Players, Forming Unified Sports Teams and Determining the Best Unified Sports Model All programs and coaches should use this guide at the beginning of the season to assess athletes and partners.
Unified Sports Models (video)
Athlete Behavior/Characteristics & Strategies to Improve Learning
Meaningful involvement requires that every player must be given the opportunity to contribute to the success of the team through their unique skills and qualities. It is the guiding philosophy of Unified Sports.
This means that every teammate:
Demonstrates sufficient sports-specific skills and an understanding of sport concepts.
Contributes to the team through unique personal strengths.
Can play without significant health or safety risks.
Plays according to the rules.
Makes an effort to include all teammates.
Selecting the proper sport is important. Choose one which allows all teammates to be successful, be meaningfully involved, and have fun. The sport should align with the ability of your players. However, it is equally important that it provides a challenge. Factors of appropriate sport selection include:
Athletes and partner's interest
Available facilities and equipment
Coaches
Knowledge and skill
Competition opportunities
Recruiting qualified coaching staff is the third criteria for success. Understanding and properly implementing Unified Sports is the most important aspect for coaches.
In addition to sport-specific knowledge, trained Unified Sports coaches MUST:
understand and promote social inclusion
ensure all players contribute to the team
enable teammates to build connections through other activities
design drills to challenge all players
match players' ability to roles on the team
use team tactics to maximize the strength of players with lower abilities
demonstrate & expect sportsmanship
foster additional social experiences
Once a sport is selected, and reflects the interest and abilities of potential team members, you need to determine which Unified Sports model best fits. Selecting poorly matched teammates can result in player dominance, loss of enthusiasm and even injury. Appropriate team selection is the fourth criteria for success in Unified Sports. Factors of appropriate team selection include:
Ability grouping (Are your athletes and teammates of similar ability?)
Age grouping (Are the teammates in the same age group?)
Readiness (Are your players physically and mentally ready to play this sport?)
Recruiting (How will you find players that match the above criteria?)
The fifth criteria for success is providing your team with the chance to train and compete regularly. It is imperative that coaches are prepared for competitions both on and off the field of play, and the necessary steps to be able to participate.
Is everyone registered?
How long is the season? Is there at least one competition to work towards? When are your training sessions? How long is each training session?
Is the coach promoting healthy living and proper training techniques to ensure that everyone is equally prepared for the competition?
All Special Olympics rules and regulations apply equally to athletes and partners within all levels of competition.
Unified Sports competition protocols clearly ensure Unified Sports teams:
Incorporate and enforce the principle of meaningful involvement.
During competition, all members (athletes and partners) are presented with numerous opportunities throughout the course of a game/match to contribute to their team’s performance.
Decrease the potential for domination by higher ability teammates.
roster size (based on sport)
line-up (based on sport)
divisioning based on ability
Non-playing coach
Evaluation Committee Protocol Sanctions:
Conversation, education to ensure meaningful involvement is understood and incorporated
Verbal and written warnings, which may include specific sport sanctions (encourage voluntary substitution, technical foul, warning, yellow card, ejection)
Coach or individual players removed from the field of play
Game Forfeit
Disqualification
Coaches are responsible for the health and safety of all players. It is is their top and primary priority. This responsibility should guide coaches in the selection of appropriate athletes and partners to participate on any Unified Sports team.
Every attempt should be made to keep all teammates as closely matched as possible, especially in the sports where strength, speed and size are factors. Ability matching decreases risk of injury and provides a more meaningful sports experience for all.
For more information about Unified Sports, please refer to the Unified Sports Section of the Article 1 rules, found here (section 14), and please click here for the Special Olympics Unified Sports Coaching Course on the Special Olympics Learning Portal.