Please Contact Kelly Klein at LocalCoordinator@sobcnorthshore.ca for more information.
Special Olympics BC – North Shore, a non-profit sport organization, has been providing intellectually disabled individuals the opportunity to enhance their lives and celebrate personal achievement through positive sport experiences for 28 years. These sports provide athletes of all ages far more than the physical benefits of improved health and athletic ability. The participation in sports provides opportunities for athletes to develop social skills, cultivate friendships, strive for and achieve goals, and increase their self-esteem – ultimately enriching lives.
Special Olympics Canada has adopted a Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model, to guarantee that our athletes are encouraged to remain healthy and fit throughout their lifetimes. This model begins as early as age two and takes our athletes through specific age/skill appropriate stages, ensuring that they are active for life and they are taught about the importance of physical activity and proper nutrition. It is through the combination of our programs and this LTAD model that our athletes’ self-esteem is certain to increase, while meeting their full potential in sport and in life.
SOBC – North Shore currently offers 24 programs (3 new this year) including 5 Pin & 10 Pin Bowling, Active Start (ages 2-6), Alpine Skiing, Athletic Club (ages 12-18), Basketball, Bocce, Club Fit, Cross Country Skiing, Floor Hockey, FUNdamentals (ages 7-12), Golf, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Snowshoeing, Soccer, Softball, Sport Start Basketball and Swimming (13-21), Swimming and Track.
There are numerous benefits derived from the programs we deliver. Special Olympics is world-renowned and its programs have significant impact on the lives of everyone involved. Research has shown that active participation in our programs increases the self-esteem and improves the health of our athletes. Special Olympics athletes are found to have, increased their sport skill level, but also lost weight, improved their conditioning, and increased their awareness of proper nutrition. Many Special Olympics athletes become role models for other intellectually disabled individuals motivating them to get involved. SOBC – North Shore has and will continue to celebrate many individual success stories including but not limited to achieved short and long term goals, improved health, self-esteem, behaviour and socialization skills, overcoming phobias and life transformations. Various individuals have received acknowledgement and accolades from our community. Also beneficial is the fact that members of the general public gain a better appreciation of the abilities and gifts of individuals with intellectual disabilities.
