Contact Coach Bert Wachlin for more information.

FACT SHEET

As one of the world’s most popular sports, basketball is a big favorite in Special Olympics. Athletes learn teamwork while improving their athletic ability. Special Olympics basketball includes over 69,000 athletes in every U.S. program and 40 countries. As in all Special Olympics sports, basketball teams are grouped in competition divisions according to the athletes’ ability level, age and gender.

Basketball was first featured at the 1968 Special Olympics World Games. By the 1995 World Games almost 600 athletes from 40 countries entered the competition. There were 31 mens teams, 18 womens teams, and 10 Unified Sports® teams. Additionally, almost 100 athletes competed in individual skills. These events are for lower ability athletes and include target passing, dribbling and spot shot.

Unified Sports® teams combine athletes with and without mental disabilities onto one team. This allows brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers to compete alongside family member, with a mental disability.

Every National Basketball Association (NBA) team, as well as many college conferences and individual schools, have been long-time professionals of the Special Olympics basketball program. For example, Pete Babcock, General Manager of the Atlanta Hawks, has hosted a coaches clinic while Special Olympics athletes watched the pros practice. This clinic concluded with the professional players instructing the Special Olympics athletes in skill stations and team play.

Each year at the Men’s NCAA Final 4 Championships, the National Association of Basketball Coaches conduct a clinic for local Special Olympics athletes. At the Women’s NCAA Final 4 Championships, the All -Americans conduct a clinic for local Special Olympics athletes.

The International Association of Approved Basketball Officials (IAABO) has been instrumental in moving the Special Olympics Officials Program for Athletes® forward. Under the direction of Jacky Loube, Special Olympics athletes interested in becoming certified basketball officials have the opportunity to participate in this program.

The Official Special Olympics Sports Rules govern all Special Olympics basketball competitions. As an international sports program Special Olympics has created these rules based upon the Federation International de Basketball Amateur (FIBA) and the National Federation of State High School Association Rules for Basketball (NFSHSA). FIBA rules are employed in all international competitions and the NFSHSA rules are employed in U.S. competitions, except when either is in conflict with the Official Special Olympics Sports Rules. In such cases, the Official Special Olympics Sports Rules apply.

Special Olympics is the first organization other than a national Olympic Committee to be officially recognized and endorsed by the International Olympic Committee.

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