Youth Development Programs:
We offer program streams are offered by Special Olympics Yukon:
Active Start
A dynamic program that uses sport through play to physically engage younger children (ages 2-7) with intellectual disabilities. This program aims to involve the whole family in the world of sport and physical activity and is a great stepping stone into the Special Olympics Yukon Community. A number of daycares and day homes offer Active Start as part of their program.
FUNdamentals
This is the continuation of the Active Start program. In this program, children aged 7 to12 years of age participate in activities that introduce the fundamentals of basic motor skills with elements of training for sports and competition. The program also teaches nutrition, physical fitness and the important role that the family plays in the development of a healthy athlete.
The volunteer leaders of the above-mentioned programs are trained to work with young athletes.
School Based Programs
Special Olympics Yukon (SOY) School Based programs were founded in 2001 in response to the need for more physical activity for Yukon students with an intellectual disability.
Elementary Schools
The goal of the program is to introduce elementary school aged Yukoners with an intellectual disability to sport and basic sport-related motor skills. This program sees students practice a sport for several weeks in order to prepare for a fun inter-school competition. Athletics, bocce, bowling and swimming are sports that have been offered in past years.
Secondary Schools
For those unfamiliar, Special Olympics Unified Sport programs bring together students with and without intellectual disabilities on teams in a variety of sports. Across Canada and the world, these programs have inspired secondary school aged Yukoners to have fun while being physically active and promoting social inclusion. Unified bocce is currently offered in a number of Yukon Secondary Schools with the hopes of offering Unified Basketball in the near future. Each School can enter as many Unified teams as they like.
The cost to participate in School Based programming is currently free to any Yukon school to participate and all equipment will be provided (where applicable).
For more information on these programs, please contact your child's school to see if they are registered to participate in the Special Olympics Yukon school-based program.
Community Based Program
Are programs that are run by volunteer coaches. Athletes aged 13 and up train during the evening and weekends and have the opportunity to advance onto Regional, Provincial/Territorial, National and/or International competition. These programs are coached by certified volunteers.
Sports Currently offered in the Community Based Program:
- Athletics (Year Round)
- Bocce (Spring/Summer)
- Golf (Spring/Summer)
- Powerlifting (Fall/Winter)
- Rhythmic Gymnastics (Fall/Winter)
- 7-a-side Soccer (Year Round)
- Swimming (Fall/Winter)
- 5 Pin Bowling (Fall/Winter)
- Cross-Country Skiing (Fall/Winter)
- Curling (Fall/Winter)
- Figure Skating (Fall/Winter)