Young Athletes is an innovative sports play program for children with intellectual disabilities ages 2 through 7, and introduce them to the world of sports prior to Special Olympics eligibility at age 8. The program is designed to address the physical and developmental needs of children in the areas of physical activity and play, focusing on sports skills development. The Young Athletes program seeks to promote physical development and self-esteem for children by building skills for future sports participation and socialization.

The Young Athletes program is a sports play program designed to address two specific levels of play. Level 1 includes physical activities focused on developing fundamental motor tracking and eye-hand coordination play. Level 2 concentrates on the application of these physical activities through a sports skills activity program and developing skills consistent with Special Olympics sports play.

The Young Athletes Activity Guide offers instructions and suggestions regarding

sports play activities for children with intellectual disabilities under the age of eight. The equipment needed to perform each activity is included in the Young Athletes Kit. Included with the Activities Guide is a DVD/CD-ROM with examples of children performing the activities and using the equipment. Also included as an appendix are skill progression guides designed to track the progress of Young Athletes throughout their participation in the program. Download from: