Special Olympics Arkansas – Bryant

Special Olympics Arkansas – Bryant provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Their mission is to give individuals with intellectual disabilities 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. The organization is supported by individual donations, private and corporate sponsorships, state appropriations, grants, and special fundraising events. Their program is free of charge for athletes, and they offer training, equipment, and competition to approximately 19,500 individuals with intellectual disabilities in Arkansas. The direction of the program flows through numerous volunteers, with 17 areas in the state, each headed by a volunteer Area Director and various volunteers serving on team management committees. Special Olympics Arkansas offers a range of sports, including track and field, swimming, softball, volleyball, unified flag football, powerlifting, bocce, and cycling, as well as basketball, bowling, and floor hockey. They also provide certification in Special Olympics coaching and training workshops for coaches and athletes. The organization's goal is to properly train their special athletes by training their coaches first.