Football (Americans call it soccer) is possibly the world's most popular team sport. It's also Special Olympics' most popular sport. This page draws together football-related information for all of Special Olympics.
.jpg "Action in the Unity Cup with several players going for the ball")
Former South African National Football Team captain, Lucas Radebe, makes a play for the ball in the 2010 Unity Cup. Pros and Special Olympics athletes made up teams that united people with and without intellectual disabilities.
About Football
Played in just about every country, the sport's success is due to the fact that it can be played by boys, girls, men and women of just about any physical build and ability. Football requires little in the way of specialized equipment and is organized using simple, intuitive rules.
It's so fundamental to the future of Special Olympics' growth plans that it is the focus of a Global Football initiative. Learn more about Special Olympics Global Football. Football is perfect for Special Olympics Unified Sports, in which people with and without intellectual disabilities play on the same teams. In 2010, Special Olympics held its first Unity Cup in connection with the World Cup. Learn more about Unified Sports.
The coming years will see more exciting global and regional football events for Special Olympics.
Football Coaching Guide Links
The Football Coaching Guide
Special Olympics coaching guides are the key source of coaching information for our volunteer coaches worldwide. The guides are written by experts in the sport who understand that people with intellectual disabilities need extra time and attention to master new skills. The guides are helpful to anyone teaching a sport but are especially valuable when coaching Special Olympics athletes.