Therapeutic Recreation

Special Olympics

The mission of Special Olympics is 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.  Athletes may compete as individuals, on a team with other Special Olympic athletes, and in Unified Sports, teamed with non-disabled peers.  Of the 26 official Special Olympics sports offered, Crotched Mountain currently participates in the following:

Alpine Skiing/Snowboarding Special Special Olympic Sport. Athletes attend one fitting session if needed and then practice once a week with a lesson for one hour and then free skiing after for 5 weeks. Athletes are practicing to compete in Winter State Games. More...

Prerequisites for practices:

1. Ability to use ski or snowboard equipment.
2. Ability to tolerate winter weather (snow, cold temp) for one or more hours.

Prerequisites for State Games

1. Attendance at and participation in all scheduled practices.
2. Ability to tolerate an overnight trip.
3. Ability to tolerate winter weather (snow, cold temp) for 2 hours.
4. Ability to tolerate unstructured free time.

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Basketball: Individual Skills

Special Olympic Skill group.  Athletes practice once a week for one hour for 6 weeks.  Designed to teach athletes basic basketball skills (shooting, dribbling, passing). Athletes are working towards competing in a Regional and State tournament. More...

Prerequisites for practices:

1. Athletes must be able to independently hold and throw a basketball.
2. Ability to tolerate an hour long practice.

Prerequisites for Regional and State Tournaments:

1. Attendance at and participation in all scheduled practices.
2. Ability to tolerate an active environment for 3 hours.

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Basketball: Team Special Olympic Sport.  Athletes practice once a week for one hour for 6 weeks.  Designed to teach athletes to play basketball with a team and learn skills (shooting, dribbling, passing). Athletes are working towards competing in a Regional and State tournament. More...

Prerequisites for practices:

1. Athletes must be able to independently hold and throw a basketball.
2. Athlete must be able to understand the rules of the game and play appropriately.
3. Ability to tolerate an hour long practice.

Prerequisites for Regional and State Tournaments:

1. Attendance at and participation in all scheduled practices.
2. Ability to tolerate an active environment for 3 hours.

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Candlepin Bowling

Special Olympic Fall Sport.  Practices are held once a week for 6 weeks for one hour.  During practices, athletes will bowl a minimum of one game.  Athletes are practicing to compete in Fall Games. Competitive events include singles, ramp unassisted, and assisted bowling. More...

Prerequisites for practices:

1. Able to tolerate loud, active environment for one hour.
2. Able to independently initiate movement of a bowling ball using hand or arm.

Prerequisites for participation in Fall Games:

1. Attendance at and participation in all scheduled practices.
2. Ability to tolerate loud, active environment for 5 hours.

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Golf: Unified Team Special Olympics Unified Team sport. Athletes and Partners practice once a week for 2 hours over 6 weeks. Designed to teach athletes basic golf skills and team work. Athletes are working towards competing in two tournaments. More...

Prerequisites for practices:

1. Ability to independently swing a golf club.
2. Possess the mobility skills consistent with golf.
3. Ability to follow or respond to at least 1 verbal/signed command.
4. Display interest in activity.
5. Ability to tolerate an active environment for up to 3 hours.

Prerequisites for tournaments:

1. Attendance at and participation in all scheduled practices.
2. Ability to tolerate an active environment for 3 hours.

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Motor Activity Training Program (MATP)

A non-competitive program which provides (motor?) and sport training activities for those individuals with severe physical and/or mental (behavioral?) challenges who traditionally have not been involved in such (competitive?) programs.  MATP focuses on the individual participant striving for his or her own "personal best" without the pressure of comparison to another individual's success.  The goal is to help individuals to develop the necessary skills to participate in other levels of Special Olympics. More...

Olympics Special Olympic individual skills group.  Athletes practice once a week for one hour for six weeks.  Designed to teach motor and basic sports skills.  Athletes are working towards competing on a Challenge Day.

Prerequisites for practices:

1. Athletes with a desire or need to work on basic sports skills or those not ready for official Special Olympics sports.

Prerequisites for Challenge Day:

1. Attendance at and participation in all scheduled practices.
2. Ability to tolerate an active environment for 3 hours.

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Nordic (Cross Country) Skiing Special Olympic Sport.  Athletes attend one fitting session and then practice once a week for one hour for 6 weeks.  Athletes are practicing to compete in Winter State Games. More...

Prerequisites for practices:

1. Ability to ambulate independently or with adaptive equipment (walkers, ski poles, etc.) with skis on.
2. Ability to tolerate winter weather (snow, cold temp) for one hour.

Prerequisites for State Games:

1. Attendance at and participation in all scheduled practices.
2. Ability to tolerate an overnight trip.
3. Ability to tolerate winter weather (snow, cold temp) for 2 hours.
4. Ability to tolerate unstructured free time.

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Adaptive Skiing/Snowboarding Special Olympic Sport. Athletes attend one fitting session if needed and then practice 3-4 times for 2 hours at a time. Athletes are practicing to compete in Winter State Games. More...

Prerequisites for practices:

1. Ability to use the adaptive equipment.
2. Ability to tolerate winter weather (snow, cold temp) for two hours.

Prerequisites for State Games:

1. Attendance at and participation in all scheduled practices.
2. Ability to tolerate an overnight trip.
3. Ability to tolerate winter weather (snow, cold temp) for 2 hours.
4. Ability to tolerate unstructured free time

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Snowshoeing Special Olympic Sport.  Athletes attend one fitting session and then practice once a week for one hour for 6 weeks.  Athletes are practicing to compete in Winter State Games. More...

Prerequisites for practices:

1. Ability to ambulate independently or with adaptive equipment (walkers, ski poles, etc.) with snow shoes on.
2. Ability to tolerate winter weather (snow, cold temp) for one hour.

Prerequisites for State Games:

1. Attendance at and participation in all scheduled practices.
2. Ability to tolerate an overnight trip.
3. Ability to tolerate winter weather (snow, cold temp) for 2 hours.
4. Ability to tolerate unstructured free time.

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Soccer: Individual Skills Special Olympic Skill group. Athletes practice once a week for one hour for 6 weeks. Designed to teach athletes basic soccer skills (kicking, dribbling, shooting). Athletes are working towards competing in Fall Games.

Prerequisites for practices:

1. Athletes must be able to independently kick a ball.
2. Ability to tolerate an hour long practice.

Prerequisites for Fall Games:

1. Attendance at and participation in all scheduled practices.
2. Ability to tolerate an active environment for 3 hours.

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Softball: Individual Skills Special Olympic Skill group.  Athletes practice once a week for one hour over 6 weeks.  Designed to teach athletes basic softball skills (throwing, catching, running, batting). Athletes are working towards competing in a State tournament. More...

Prerequisites for practice:

1. Athletes must be able to independently hold and throw a baseball.
2. Ability to tolerate an hour long practice.

Prerequisites for State Tournament:

1. Attendance at and participation in all scheduled practices.
2. Ability to tolerate an active environment for 3 hours.

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Softball: Unified Team Special Olympic Sport.  Athletes practice once a week for 1.5 hours for 6 weeks.  Designed to teach athletes to play softball with a team and learn skills (batting, throwing, catching, running). Athletes are working towards competing in a State tournament. More...

Prerequisites for practices:

1. Athletes must be able to independently hold, throw, and catch a baseball.
2. Athlete must be able to understand the rules of the game and play appropriately.
3. Ability to tolerate an hour and half long practice.

Prerequisites for State Tournament:

1. Attendance at and participation in all scheduled practices.
2. Ability to tolerate an active environment for 3 hours..

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Swim Team

Special Olympic practice that meets once a week for one hour for 8-10 weeks.  Athletes are working towards participating in competitions (mini meets and/or Special Olympic State Meets)  Staff must be prepared to accompany athletes in water during practices and competition.  Athletes compete in swimming events that are appropriate for their ability level. More...

Prerequisites for practices:

1. Ability to independently move arms and/or legs to propel self forward in the water. 
2. Ability to tolerate water temperature of 84 degrees for one hour.

Prerequisites for participation in competition:

1. Attendance and participation in all scheduled practices.
2. Ability to tolerate an active environment for 3+ hours.

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Track and Field Special Olympic sport Practices.  Athletes will practice once a week for 1.5 hours for 5-8 weeks.  Athletes are practicing to participate in Area Games and State Games.  Athletes compete in running, wheelchair events, softball throw, and long jump. More...

Prerequisites for practices:

1. Ability to tolerate and participate in activities in a busy environment for 1.5 hours. 
2. For race events: athletes must independently make forward progress towards the finish line.
3. For throwing events:  Athletes must independently grasp, throw and release the ball.

Prerequisites to Area Games:

1. Attend all scheduled practices.
2. Ability to tolerate active environment for 6 hours.

Prerequisites for State Games:

1. Attend all scheduled practices.
2. Ability to tolerate busy environment for 8 hours.
3. Ability to tolerate unstructured/down time.
4. Ability to tolerate an overnight trip

 

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