Announcements

Special Olympics Illinois and the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) will join forces for the 2016-2107 school year. The IHSA and Special Olympics Illinois share a common goal to promote athletic opportunities for student athletes.

Special Olympics Illinois provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community. The IHSA governs the equitable participation in interscholastic athletics and activities that enrich the educational experience.

History was made in 2015 when the IHSA Board of Directors announced that the IHSA and Special Olympics Illinois would jointly conduct a unified high school bass fishing tournament in conjunction with the 2015 IHSA Bass Fishing State Finals at Carlyle Lake. Both parties look to expand their involvement with one another during the 2016-2017 school year to create mutually beneficial athletic opportunities for student athletes throughout the state.

The IHSA will support Special Olympics Illinois Unified Sports opportunities including Unified Soccer, Track and Field, Flag Football, Volleyball and Basketball. Additionally, they aid in sport officials. recruitment and training as well as helping to champion the Spread the Word to End the Word movement. Unified® sports include players with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team competing against other Unified teams.