Welcome to the 2022 SONL Summer Series!
We know Special Olympics athletes love to compete. To give athletes opportunities to challenge themselves and show their skills, Special Olympics NL will host competitions in Athletics (Track & Field), Bocce, Golf, Powerlifting, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Soccer, and Swimming, between July 1 - Aug 17, 2022. These competitions will also be qualifiers for the Special Olympics Team Canada 2023 Training Squad for the 2023 World Summer Games in Berlin.
Clubs will decide which competitions they take part in and athletes can select only one (1) sport in which to compete.
SONL Return to Program and Competition Plan will be followed at all times.
Because the pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2021 Special Olympics NL Summer Games and the 2022 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games, provincial and territorial Chapters across the country have worked together to develop a new pathway for athletes to qualify for spots on the national team for the 2023 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Berlin. SONL’s pathway will be the SONL 2022 Summer Series.
A HUGE thank you to all the dedicated volunteers who are working hard under unique circumstances, in order to rebuild opportunities for SONL athletes to compete.
Interested in volunteering? Go to: Seeking Volunteers for SONL 2022 Summer Series competitions.
2022 SONL Summer Series
Athletics
Saturday, July 16 2022 at Pearlgate Track and Field Complex, Mt. Pearl
Heat Sheets & Results
Bocce
Clubs can host intra-club or invitational competitions anytime between July 1 - Aug 17, 2022
Final Bocce Sport Technical Package
Singles / Doubles / Team Play Score Sheets
Golf
Saturday, Aug 6 2022 at Clovelly Golf Club, St. John's
Venue Emergency Action Plan (EAP)
Final Official Results
Powerlifting
Friday, May 13 2022 at the Sheraton Hotel, St. John's
Special Olympics Athletes will compete at 9:00 am on Platform 1
For more information & results please visit: https://www.cpunationals.com/
Rhythmic Gymnastics
Video Submissions will be accepted up until Monday, August 29, 2022
Soccer
Postponed until further notice
Sunday, Aug 21 2022 at King George V Soccer Stadium, St. John's
FINAL OFFICIAL RESULTS
Swimming
Saturday, July 9 2022 at Carbonear Pool, Carbonear
Heat Sheets & Results
Registration & Event Information
2022 SONL Summer Series Memo
Official Sport RulES
complete sport schedule
Frequently Asked Questions
HOW WILL ATHLETES QUALIFY FOR SPECIAL OLYMPICS TEAM CANADA 2023?
Typically, Special Olympics Canada athletes qualify for Team Canada by competing in National Games. This time only, because of the pandemic, each provincial/territorial Special Olympics Chapter will run its own qualifying process. All Chapters will follow the same national technical requirements for each sport, and all national policies and procedures.
For the 2023 World Summer Games, Canada will have a much smaller team than usual. This is for two reasons: 1. World Games team sizes are always determined by the relative numbers of Special Olympics athletes in the respective countries, and other countries have grown a lot in recent years, passing Special Olympics Canada in size. 2. Softball will not be offered at the 2023 World Games.
So we invite Clubs who are able to get involved in these competitions to focus on the joy of returning to competition – it’s going to be amazing to be back together – and set goals to push yourselves to achieve your personal bests! We know SONL athletes and coaches are incredible at achieving anything they put their mind to, and we are looking forward to getting back to in-person competitions again this summer.
HOW MANY SONL ATHLETES CAN QUALIFY FOR SO TEAM CANADA 2023?
Special Olympics Team Canada will be smaller than in years past. For these World Games only, each provincial/territorial Chapter is being given very specific spots to fill on the national team.
For the first time ever, because of the pandemic changing this Games cycle, SO Team Canada’s team sports will include a selection of athletes from across the country. For SONL this will affect Soccer. Usually, a team from a single province/territory advances together after competing at National Games.
The selection procedure, including endorsement for SONL athletes, will follow Pan-Canadian policies and procedures in consultation with Special Olympics Canada.
WHAT sports are included in the 2022 SONL SUMMER SERIES, where WILL they BE HAPPENING and when?
Please stay tuned for ongoing updates!
Some competitions will be provincial, and some will be intra-club or invitational, depending on the sport. Clubs will register their athletes and volunteers to participate by completing an online registration form provided to clubs by SONL.
General Registration Deadline Friday, June 3 by 11:59 pm.
Please contact your club directly to learn which sport competitions they are taking part in. Additional event details can be found here.
Sport Specific Registration Deadlines
Swimming Monday, June 20, 2022
Athletics and Soccer Monday, June 20, 2022
Golf Friday, July 8, 2022
Bocce and Rhythmic Gymnastics dates to follow
MY club IS THINKING ABOUT HOSTING A bocce COMPETITION, BUT WE NEED SUPPORT – WHAT next?
- SONL Staff will support clubs who wish to host an Intra-club or Invitational Bocce Competition – Contact Program Director, Kim McDonald-Wilkes kimm@sonl.ca by June 3, 2022 for more details.
- Athletes & Volunteers will still need to complete the General Registration form by June 3, 2022 for those clubs doing Bocce.
- These competitions are getting a significant amount of financial support from the Government of Canada, covering many costs in order to create competitive opportunities for Special Olympics athletes. They are also getting a great deal of in-kind support from Sobeys and Tim Hortons to offer healthy food options at these events.
IS THIS HOW SELECTION FOR THE NATIONAL TEAM WILL WORK IN FUTURE GAMES CYCLES?
NO. This is only happening because the pandemic meant we couldn’t host the 2021 SONL Summer Games and 2022 SOC Summer Games. Special Olympics provincial and territorial Chapters had to come together to develop an alternate, fair way to try to build a national team based on the current realities. In the next Games cycles, we will return to the usual qualifying process that is directed by Pan-Canadian Special Olympics policies.
I’M CONFUSED, WHERE ARE WE RIGHT NOW IN THE SPECIAL OLYMPICS GAMES CYCLE?
The pandemic has certainly made things a little tricky. Here’s a recap:
Winter:
- the 2019 SONL Winter Games, led to the 2020 Special Olympics Canada Winter Games, where SO Team Canada 2022 Training Squad members qualified for SOC National Team Training Program. Then the pandemic forced the delay of the subsequent World Winter Games. The SO World Winter Games Kazan 2022 is projected to be held in January 2023. Special Olympics Team Canada 2022 has withdrawn.
- Meanwhile, the new winter-sport Games cycle is beginning soon! 5-Pin Bowling Playdowns will begin in the Fall of 2022 and results need to be completed and submitted to SONL by Dec 31, 2022. The 2023 SONL Winter Games will be held in Grand Falls-Windsor from March 2 to 5, 2023, planning has already begun for these Games. There will be Special Olympics Canada National Winter Games in 2024, host TBD. The 2025 SO World Winter Games host community has not yet been announced.
Summer:
- You’ll recall that when the pandemic began in March 2020, all of the remaining competitions for 2020 had to be cancelled. Then the 2021 SONL Summer Games and 2022 SOC Summer Games had to be cancelled as well. Plans for the 2023 SO World Summer Games in Berlin are proceeding, and the 2022 SONL Summer Series competitions will be our province’s qualifiers for athletes interested and eligible for consideration for the SO Team Canada 2023 Training Squad.
- Our next Provincial Summer Games will take place in 2025 Location TBD, The SOC Summer Games in 2026, Medicine Hat and the SO World Summer Games in 2027, Location TBD.
