Sports

Sports training and competition for all ability levels is offered in 20 sports throughout the year.

Snowshoeing, figure skating and flag football are the most recent sports to be added to SODE's program.

Competing athletes train for six to eight weeks under the guidance of certified coaches before culminating their efforts at a final competition. When possible, league play, time trials and clinics conducted by local college and high school teams have been introduced to enhance the training process.

Competitions are held across the state throughout the year, highlighted by signature events including, Summer Games, Fall Sports Festival, Basketball Skills, Soccer Skills and the Winter Bowling Festival.

Along with state level competitions, Special Olympics Delaware athletes are also eligible to apply for National and International competitions. Most recently, Christy Theron, Jimmy McNeeley and Michael Pasquale represented Delaware at the 2009 World Winter Games in Boise, Idaho.

Recent national and international events included the 2007 World Summer Games in Shanghai, China; 2006 USA National Games in Ames, Iowa; the 2005 World Winter Games in Japan; and the 2003 World Summer Games in Ireland.

The 2010 USA National Games will be held in July on the University of Nebraska campus in Lincoln, Neb.