Mission Statement

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

The global Special Olympics movement started on July 20, 1968, when the first International Special Olympics Games were held at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois, USA. However the concept of Special Olympics was thought of much earlier, when Eunice Kennedy Shriver started a day camp for people with intellectual disabilities at her home in 1962. Since 1974, when Special Olympics Tennessee (SOTN) became registered as 501(c) (3) non-for-profit organizations, has continued to achieve the original mission.

Goals

Special Olympics Prince George's County Maryland (SOMDPG) is a program which through quality sports training and competition improves the lives of people with intellectual disabilities and, in turn, the lives of everyone they encounter. SOMDPG strives to empower the people we serve by helping them to realize their full potential and develop skills through year-round sports training and competition.

Our Vision

The Vision of Special Olympics Maryland is to help bring Special Olympics athletes into the larger society under conditions whereby they are accepted, respected and given the chance to become useful and productive citizens.

Our Values

• Community connections and bridges.

• Friendships for life.

• Integrity by “doing the right thing”

• Opportunity to excel

• Sportsmanship and fairness to all

Prince George’s County Program Facts

• Became a local county Special Olympics Program in 1968 with 72 athletes from 4 schools,

• A team of eight athletes joined a Special Olympics Maryland delegation of athletes and coaches to attend he first International Special Olympics Summer Games at Soldier’s Field in Chicago, Illinois in 1968.

• The Special Olympics Prince George’s County Program expanded over the past thirty-six (36) years and now provides sports training and competition for approximately 750 Special Olympic athletes and approximately 400

• Motor Activities Training Program athletes with profound and severe disabilities who are able to train but not compete in sports competition.

• Special Olympic Prince George’s County athletes from forty (40) schools and independent affiliations compete in athletics, ten-pin bowling, aquatics, cycling, bocce, basketball, soccer, softball and skiing.

• Special Olympics Prince George’s County athletes compete in local, regional, State and International World competitions. In the June of 2003 a World Games contingent from the State of Maryland send a delegation to the 2003 International Special Olympic Games in Dublin, Ireland. A Unified Ten-Pin Bowling Team from Prince George’s County participated In the 2003 World Games. A Unified Team is composed of l Special Olympics athlete and l partner, a person without intellectual disability. The SOPGC Team come home with a remarkable 10 GOLD medals.

• The Special Olympics Prince George’s County Program is a totally volunteer program. There are no paid staff or coaches.

Sports

Special Olympics Prince George's County conducts 17 different sports throughout the year. SOMDPG supports 32 area programs that include all Tennessee counties. Area Programs are lead by volunteer teams, who recruit and train athletes, conduct local and area competitions and raise funds to support their efforts. Full participation is granted to every athlete regardless of his or her economic circumstances. Over 12,000 Special Olympics athletes are registered with Special Olympics Prince George's County.

Special Olympics Prince George's County offers the following sports:

• Alpine skiing
• AquaticsAthletics (Track and Field)
• Basketball
• BocceBowling
• CyclingFloor Hockey
• Gymnastics
• Golf
• Motor Activities Training Program (MATP)
• Nordic Skiing
• Powerlifiting
• Soccer
• Softball
• Snowshoeing
• Tennis
• Volleyball
  

Unified Sports®

Special Olympics Unified Sports® is a training and competition format that combines approximately equal numbers of Special Olympics athletes and athletes without intellectual disabilities (called Partners) on sports teams for training and competition. Age and ability matching of athletes and Partners is defined on a sport by sport basis.

Unified Sports® enables athletes to:

Have new competition experiences;
Experience meaningful inclusion as each athlete is considered a valued member of the team;
Socialize with peers and form friendships (Unified Sports® provides a forum for positive social interaction between teammates and often leads to long-lasting friendships);
And participate in their communities and have choices outside of Special Olympics.