News on Special-Needs Sports

A post on Big Blueberry Eyes points out that sometimes the big feel-good stories aren't the best examples of inclusion. (5/5/12)

NPR interviews one-handed pitcher Jim Abbott. (4/30/2012)

Will your child run out of sports eligibility before running out of high school? (4/9/12)

Ams Vans blog looks at the advantages of the prosthetics used by athletes with disabilities. (3/20/12)

From Disability Scoop, news on a program that will pit Special Olympics athletes against basketball legends. (2/15/12)

A Fast Company post describes the Nike Sole, made to fit prosthetic running blades. (2/7/12)

A high-school sophomore dreams of it in an inspirational essay on the World of Special Olympics blog. (1/21/12)

eSpecially Ben visits with the US Paralympic Sled Hockey team. (1/19/12)

From IPC: "The Laureus World Sports Awards recognize the top sporting achievements from the 2011 calendar year, and the winners are voted on by the Laureus World Sports Academy, which is made up of 47 of the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen of all time." Categories include Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability. (12/15/11)

Congratulations to Mary Fehrenbach, gymnastics coach for Lexington, Kentucky. (11/2/11)

Kids with disabilities are 38 percent more likely to be obese than those without, according to an Ability Path report mentioned on the blog The World of Special Olympics. (11/2/11)

More on the announcement that the 2015 Special Olympics Summer Games will take place in L.A., from The World of Special Olympics. (9/16/11)

According to Disability Scoop, L.A. beat out South Africa to host the summer games in 2015. (9/15/11)

Staying in high school past age 18 is a great option for many students in special education, but not if they want to participate in sports. (8/11/11)

A YesNetwork.com post tells the story of a girl with cerebral palsy who sells lemonade to raise money for Special Olympics. (8/3/11)

A Special Olympics press release tells about the upcoming partnership between the soccer club and Special Olympics athletes. (7/21/11)

According to a Special Olympics press release, the first-ever games were held on July 20, 1968, at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois.

Ellen at Love That Max has tips from a Little League Challenger Division coach. (7/18/11)

A article from About.com Basketball looks at Unified Sports, in which individuals with and without intellectual disabilities play together. (7/13/11)

On the World of Special Olympics blog, Michelle Kwan writes from the World Games in Greece. (7/2/11)

Disability Scoop describes the contenders in the categories of Best Male and Female Athlete with Disabilities. (7/2/11)

From The World of Special Olympics: "Two of our SO Iceland athletes got engaged at our World Games Opening Ceremony on Saturday. How cool is that?" (6/30/11)

Are we going to confirm the impression that no one who matters will get mad if you mock people with disabilities? (6/29/11)

Exciting news from the blog The World of Special Olympics. (8/3/11)

Gathering around the computer screen to read reports and watch videos just isn't the same. (6/29/11)

From The World of Special Olympics, news from the World Special Olympics games in Athens, Greece. (6/28/11)

ESPN3.com will be the "exclusive live media home for the opening and closing ceremonies" for U.S. viewers of the games, which start June 25 in Athens, Greece. (6/22/11)

From the World of Special Olympics, a day spent at the delegation welcoming center for the world games. (6/20/11)

In a post on the blog The World of Special Olympics, Tim Shriver seeks your ideas for his speech at the start of the World Special Olympics in Athens. (6/10/11)

A post on the blog Different Dream tells of the skater's work on behalf of camps for children with special needs. (5/23/11)

If you're looking for a nudge, Our Special Families Village has some great inspirations for participating. (6/3/11)

When I mention here that Procter & Gamble has a really beautiful Mother's Day-themed Special Olympics video and will donate $1 to Special Olympics for everyone who shares and comments and likes its Facebook page, up to $250,000, I want to tell you why this is one you should really follow through on. When you're done reading this, you need to go there, and you need to tell your friends. (5/6/11)

From the World of Special Olympics: "Today SportAccord’s Spirit of Sport Award Commission revealed the shortlisted nominees for the Spirit of Sport Awards 2011, and Special Olympics made the cut!" (3/28/11)

From The World of Special Olympics: "Just a quick post to share two notes we just received from our friends at Special Olympics Nippon (Japan) during this historically tragic time. I think it is so important that we all feel a connection to the great spirit of our leaders in Japan." (3/16/11)

I was pretty psyched to read today that the USA National Special Olympics, held every four years, will be hosted by my home state in 2014. (3/16/11)

From The World of Special Olympics: "Through on-going partnerships with the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Federal Government, Special Olympics has been able to provide critical services to people with intellectual disabilities (ID) in the areas of health, education and employment. The proposed House Appropriations Continuing Resolution (CR) Bill for 2011, schedule for vote as early as February 17, proposes dramatic cuts, if not total elimination, of the Federal money that serves as the majority of funds that allow these programs to operate." (2/17/11)

From The World of Special Olympics: "The Infinity Coaches’ Charity Challenge is taking place through March 11 where 14 NCAA men’s basketball coaches picked a charity of their choice, the coach with the most votes will have a $100,000 donation made in his name to his selected charity." (2/11/11)

From eSpecially Ben: "Last Saturday, we saw the U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team practice at a nearby ice rink. Afterward, we ate dinner with them and were able to ask questions about their training schedule, at what age they got involved with hockey and if being on the team was a full-time gig." (2/10/11)

The World of Special Olympics: "As a huge fan of sports, I always love to see the professional sports community embracing Special Olympics and our amazing athletes. I’ve been seeing a lot of great stories this week about professional athletes working with Special Olympics athletes, so I’m very excited to share." (1/28/11)

Whether or not you care about who wins the Super Bowl, here's something we can all cheer about: sales of the "Terrible Towels" that Pittsburgh Steelers fans will be waving in the stands benefit people with developmental disabilities. (1/28/11)

From Disability Scoop: "The towels that fans will wave in the stands at the Super Bowl next week will support not only the players on the field, but also people with developmental disabilities." (1/27/11)

Calling all knitters and crocheters! A call has gone out again from the 2011 Special Olympics USA Scarf Project for workers in yarn to create handmade scarves to keep athletes competing in winter Special Olympics events around the U.S. warm and cozy. (1/12/11)

Vanessa Williams introduced a segment honoring Special Olympics and inviting viewers to text a $10 donation to the US Special Olympics Team. (1/6/10)

From Disability Scoop: "Los Angeles and South Africa are the final locations in the running to host thousands of Special Olympics athletes in 2015 for the organization’s world games. Alternating winter and summer games are held every two years in locations around the globe. This summer athletes will compete in Athens, Greece and in 2013 winter games will be held in South Korea." (1/5/10)

From Support for Special Needs: "[The] idea has worked its way around City Hall, and 5th District City Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske announced last week that she is supporting the proposal." (10/8/10)

From Wheelchair Pride: "Philippe Croizon lost all four limbs 15 years ago. While recovering in the hospital he decided to swim the English channel. Two years ago he could not swim two lengths of a standard swimming pool. But he trained hard swimming up to 30 hours per week!" (9/20/10)

From Disability Scoop: "A Special Olympics surfing program launching this summer in Florida could mark the first step towards adding the water sport to the international movement for athletes with intellectual disabilities." (6/14/10)

From Ouch!: "wenlock and Mandeville are their names. wenlock represents the Olympics whereas Mandeville is cheerleader for the Paralympics. The metallic character with a camera as an eye, is named after Stoke Mandeville hospital in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, where the first Paralympic-style games were held in 1948." (5/21/10)

See a photo of mascot Mandeville, along with his Olympic mascot pal, Wenlock. (5/21/10)

From JFActivist: "NBC Sports and Universal Sports announced today the multiplatform broadcast coverage of the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games presented by GE. Coverage on NBC Sports will include a ... a two-hour highlights program on Saturday, April 10 (3-5 p.m. ET)." (4/9/10)

From Disability Scoop: "As the Cornell basketball team tore through Temple and Wisconsin and gets ready to face Kentucky, coach Steve Donahue has been getting coaching advice from an unexpected source %u2014 Jason McElwain, or J-Mac, who became a national sensation four years back when he scored 20 points during the last four minutes of his high school basketball game." (3/25/10)

From Disability News: "Organizers said they had sold 230,000 tickets, or 85 percent of those available, making this year's Winter Games the most successful ever held by the International Paralympics Committee.  Canadian broadcaster CTV televised the closing ceremony live across the country in both English and French." (3/23/10)

Looking at those photos and reading details of the events and how accommodations are made for the athletes' disabilities made me marvel at the feats these competitors achieve. Just how hardcore do you have to be to fly down a hill on one ski, to ski and shoot without the convenience of eyesight, to play hockey almost at eye level with the sticks and the puck? (3/18/10)

From Disability News: "Writing in the Vancouver Sun, Jeff Lee says the 2010 Winter Paralympic Games, which kicked off this weekend in Vancouver, is 'Can event that organizers say should help change the way people view others who are missing limbs or eyesight or have bodies that don't function the way theirs do.'" (3/18/10)

From CNN: "Watching the Paralympics on television or on the Internet helps show newly disabled people that they have the potential to become active again in a variety of recreational activities." (3/17/10)

From Disability News: "Vancouver Sun columnist Miro Cernetig reacts to the decision by CTV not to broadcast the opening ceremonies of the Paralympic Games across Canada. The Canadian television network subsequently reversed itself and broadcast the ceremonies, but only in British Columbia." (3/16/10)

From Samantha's Mom: "At one point in time these people may have thought their life was over....their legs were gone, their spine was severed....the person they were had been altered. And look at them now." (3/16/10)

From JFActivist: "With glowing hearts, Canada welcomed the world's top winter Paralympic athletes Friday, as the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games kicked off with the Opening Ceremony in front of a sold-out crowd of 60,000 spectators." (3/15/10)

Here's a novel idea for getting more attention for the Paralympics: Hold it at the same time as the Olympics, instead of trailing along a few weeks later when everyone's mostly gone home. (3/13/10)

From Disability News: "Under Steadward's idea, the two games would remain separate in terms of athletes and events, but could share resources like housing and transportation. Such a move would reflect a new level of acceptance of people with disabilities and bring more visibility to the Paralympic Games, which generally garner far less media coverage than the Olympics." (3/12/10)

Alas, coverage of the Paralympics is nowhere near as vast or as live as the Olympics. However, there's a smattering of showings you can follow -- live online, taped on TV -- and the best way to demonstrate that we'd like more, please, is to heavily view what we've got. Here are some places you can follow the action: (3/12/10)

From Disability Scoop: "A new legion of so-called 'inclusion companions' or 'leisure buddies' is helping kids with disabilities by providing extra, personalized coaching on the sidelines. The assistance enables these kids to play organized sports right alongside their typically developing peers." (3/11/10)

From JFActivist: "The U.S. Team, made up of athletes from 20 U.S. states, will compete in five sports (alpine skiing, biathlon, cross country skiing, sled hockey and wheelchair curling). A projected 600 elite athletes with a physical disability from more than 40 countries are expected to compete at the Games." (3/5/10)

Want to celebrate last night's gold-medal victory by the U.S. Men's Bobsled team at the Vancouver Olympics? Get a team pin when you make a $15 donation to one of six charities, including Autism Speaks, Make a Wish Foundation, and Seattle Children's Hospital. (3/1/10)

From Be Free for Me: "Looks like Drew Brees, the winning quarterback of Super Bowl XLIV, won't be on the front of a Wheaties box anytime soon. Brees is allergic to wheat & gluten, as well as eggs and dairy." (2/8/10)

Kids complaining about gluten-free waffles, or bacon without eggs? Tell them it's the breakfast of champions. A post on the blog Be Free for Me this morning alerted me to the fact that Drew Brees, quarterback for the Super Bowl-winning New Orleans Saints, is allergic to gluten, eggs, and dairy. (2/9/10)

From About.com Knitting: "Remember last year, when everyone was knitting blue and white scarves for the Special Olympics? This year, the Special Olympics competition in Idaho is hoping to be able to welcome participants with hand knit scarves, this time in red and gray (in particular, Red Heart Super Saver in Cherry Red and Gray Heather)." (2/5/10)

From Diability News: "Ben Smith, writing in politico.com, says the Special Olympics disputes a claim from an unnamed White House source that Tim Shriver accepted Rahm Emanuel's apology for calling liberals 'f---ing retarded.'" (2/4/10)

There's no shortage of ways to help victims of the earthquake in Haiti, but if your family has been touched by Special Olympics, you may want to consider this one. (1/21/10)

From Disability News: "Special Olympics organizations around the country are cutting back on services and staffing as contributions and sponsorships decline. Special Olympics Inc. saw its year-end assets fall to $58.4 million in 2008, a 33 percent drop from $87.8 million in 2007." (1/11/10)