Be an Athlete:
Eligibility
To be eligible to participate in Special Olympics, athletes must have an intellectual disability; a cognitive delay, or a development disability, that is, functional limitations in both general learning and adaptive skills. Participation in Special Olympics starts at age 8 years, and there’s no maximum age limit. Children with intellectual disabilities ages 2 through 7 can take part in the Young Athletes program, either at home or through a nearby Special Olympics program. People without intellectual disabilities can take part in Unified Sports, teams that mix people with and without intellectual disabilities. No child may participate in Special Olympics statewide competitions before his or her eighth birthday.
Find your local program
Special Olympics Tennessee is organized at the grassroots level with 32 accredited local programs serving every county in the state. Local programs are managed by local volunteer directors who oversee all aspects of athlete registration, sports training, competition, fundraising and volunteer management.
Click here to find your local area contact information.
