Special Olympics is the world’s largest program of sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, currently serving 5 million athletes in over 170 countries.
In Montana, we are currently serving 2,000 athletes with support from over 4,000 volunteers. Special Olympics Montana has programs in 65 communities across the state offering 18 sports as well as the Motor Activities Training Program (MATP).
Physical exercise positively impacts health, mood and anxiety. Emphasis on sports training helps athletes maintain a healthy weight.
Through sports, our athletes see themselves for their abilities, not disabilities. They become confident and empowered by their accomplishments.
Athletes have many opportunities to make friends and socialize in an accepting environment. They discover they are not alone.
To be eligible to participate in Special Olympics Montana, you must be at least 8 years old and identified by an agency or professional as having one of the following conditions: intellectual disabilities, cognitive delays as measured by formal assessment, or significant learning or vocational problems due to cognitive delay that require or have required specially designed instruction.
NOTE: Persons with functional limitations based solely on a physical, behavioral, emotional, specific learning disability or sensory disability are not eligible.
In order to participate in Special Olympics Montana’s sports programming, all athletes and unified partners/teammates must submit required paperwork. This paperwork accounts for:
Click HERE to find participation forms and resources.
For more information about enrolling an Athlete or Unified Partner in Special Olympics Montana or about paperwork, contact Lisa Romig at 406.216.5327 or via email at lromig@somt.org.
For the athlete who does not yet possess the skills necessary to participate in official Special Olympics sports or whose disability is more profound, the Motor Activities Training Program fits the bill. MATP activities are highly adaptive and will provide every athlete the opportunity to experience success. Athletes who participate in MATP experience both the joy of adapted sports activity and the uplifting advantage of socialization with other athletes and volunteers.
Games conducted in the Areas, as well as State Summer Games and the State Basketball Tournament, include MATP components. MATP training takes place in programs all over the state. .
Along with shining on the sports field, athletes have the opportunity to shine off the field through the Athlete Leadership Program. Athletes are empowered to utilize their voices to assume meaningful leadership roles, influence change in the Special Olympics movement, and help create more accepting and inclusive communities around the world.
Keeping our athletes healthy so they can compete is a key goal of Special Olympics. That’s why athletes can receive free health screenings during select competitions. At Healthy Athletes, healthcare professionals and students provide podiatry, hearing, optometry, dental, dietary, and fitness screenings. The screenings are held in a welcoming and fun environment that remove the anxiety of doctors visits.
