About Special Olympics Southern California
MISSION
The mission of Special Olympics Southern California is to provide 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.
HISTORY (back to top)
Eunice Kennedy Shriver started the concept of Special Olympics in 1963 as a day camp for people with intellectual disabilities to provide them with the therapeutic effects of physical fitness and sports. In 1968 she organized the first International Special Olympics Games, in which 1,000 athletes from the U.S., Canada and France competed. That year, Special Olympics was founded as a nonprofit organization.The first Annual Western Regional Special Olympics was held on July 26, 1969 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. A total of nine hundred athletes from Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, New Mexico, Nevada and Utah participated in the softball throw, the 50 and 300-yard dash and 25 and 50-yard swim. With the success of this event, each western state began to formulate plans to organize its own chapter program. And in the following years, the program was expanded to include opportunities for training, a multi-level competition structure and year-round programming.
In an historic move on July 1, 1995, California Special Olympics was divided into two separately incorporated Chapters, Special Olympics Southern California and Special Olympics Northern California. This division was a first in the history of the Special Olympics movement. The change afforded each new California Chapter a dramatic opportunity to greatly expand outreach efforts. The Southern California Chapter is bounded by San Luis Obispo, Kern and Inyo Counties in the north, and the state line in the south.
FACTS ABOUT SPECIAL OLYMPICS (back to top)
Special Olympics is an international program of year-round sports training and athletic competition for more than two million children and adults with intellectual disabilities and closely associated developmental disabilities. Special Olympics Southern California serves 12,500 children and adults. Children can join Special Olympics at age eight.
Special Olympics athletes receive a minimum of eight weeks of training from volunteer coaches in their chosen sport(s) prior to competitions. There are 2,000 certified Special Olympics coaches throughout Southern California. In addition, 13,000 volunteers donate more 250,000 hours annually, filling a wide variety of roles through all levels of programs in Southern California.
Special Olympics Southern California is composed of 31 local Areas/Programs in 11 counties. It is governed by a Board of Directors made up of a broad cross-section of Southern California leadership. Local Areas/Programs are accredited and offer an array of services including coach and volunteer leadership training, management consultation, fundraising and public education initiatives, Chapter-wide coordination and staging culminating in competitions in each of the 21 sports.
In addition to sports training and competition opportunities, Special Olympics athletes are also encouraged to participate in other Athlete Leadership Programs(ALP). In Southern California this includes:
- Four athletes who serve on the Board of Directors
- More than 40 athletes who act as Global Messengers and help to spread the word about Special Olympics through public presentations
- Training for athletes who wish to be certified as both coaches and officials
Special Olympics Southern California is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization accredited by Special Olympics, Inc. It is one of 52 accredited programs operating in the United States.
