Be An Athlete

Special Olympics athletes have fun, make friends and are empowered to succeed on and off the field

Join Our Team as a Special Olympics Athlete

Special Olympics Northern California provides FREE year-round sports, health and leadership programs for more than 23,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

How to participate:

Step

1

Submit
Athlete Application.

Step

2

Wait for email confirmation that your application has been approved.

Step

3

Important details:

Participation in Special Olympics Northern California sports requires an annual renewal of the Athlete Application.
Only renew when you have been notified via email by SONorCal or your coach.
If you are unsure of your Athlete Application Status, check the SONorCal Athlete Status Check Form before applying.
Once you have an approved Athlete Application, you must register for each sport you want to play.
Programs are offered throughout Northern California.

To Apply

New athletes:
- Complete the Athlete Application.
- Look for an approval email (may take up to 5 business days).
Returning athletes:
- Look for a renewal email notice 45 days prior to your application expiration date.
- Complete the form and look for an approval email.
- Once approved, your Athlete Application will be valid for one (1) year, and you can register for any available sports during open registration periods.

Athletes may not participate in sports activities or practices until their Athlete Application has been approved.

Apply Here

To Register for Sports after Athlete Application Approval

Go register during open registration periods.
Find your county, season and sports.
Complete the online registration form.
Look for a confirmation email from Special Olympics Northern California.
The coach of the team you registered for will contact you within 10 business days of the close of registration with information about practices and the season.

Frequently Asked Questions

Special Olympics athletes are children and adults with intellectual disabilities. An intellectual disability (or ID) is used to describe certain limitations in cognitive functioning and other skills, including communication, learning and self-care.

Athletes can begin training at age 6 and compete at age 8. There is no maximum age limit for Special Olympics.

For athletes younger than 6 years old, please visit our Young Athletes Program page to see what opportunities may exist in your community.

We believe that everyone deserves to experience the joy of sports. Special Olympics offers a welcoming and inclusive environment for children and adults with intellectual disabilities to learn new skills, have fun and make friends. Our trained coaches help everyone from beginner to advanced athletes and provide modifications for every ability level. No matter the disability, every athlete is welcome in Special Olympics.

Special Olympics offers up to 11 different sports in 43 counties across Northern California. Visit the Find a Program page to learn about programs in your area.

In addition to 11 different sports, Special Olympics Northern California athletes may participate in a variety of non-competitive programs:

Athlete Leadership – Training in public speaking, advocacy and professional-development skills.
Health & Wellness – Health screenings, resources and classes, virtual social activities and more.
Schools Partnership Program – The Schools Partnership Program, which includes our flagship Unified Champion Schools (R), helps ignite friendships and belonging between students with and without disabilities. Programming spans Pre-K to Transition schools, and includes an inclusive sports curriculum, youth leadership and resources for educators.

No. As of October 7, 2024, athletes are no longer required to complete a medical examination as part of the Athlete Application process. Although this is no longer required Special Olympics still encourages annual doctor visits as a good way to maintain your health and wellness.

Athletes who complete a new application on or after October 7, 2024, will need to renew their application annually (once each year) and will be notified by SONorCal via email, 45 days prior to their application expiration date.

No. Athletes who have an existing application on file as of October 7, 2024, will NOT need to renew until their current application expires, which occurs three (3) years from the date of the doctor’s signature. SONorCal will contact athletes 45 days prior to their application expiration date with instructions on how to renew their application.

No. As long as you have a current athlete application on file, you do not need to submit a new one. However, you must register for each sport, each season.

If you are unsure of your application status, before you do anything, please complete the SONorCal Athlete Status Check Form with the athlete’s information and our team will respond to you within 3-5 business days with status information. Please do NOT complete an application while you await a response.

Complete the Athlete Application form.

If you need a PDF or paper application, please contact us.

No. We are no longer accepting old application forms.

No. We only accept the SONorCal Athlete Application.

Please contact us here and our staff will reach out to assist you.

Athlete Application

“Joining Special Olympics proved to be the best decision I’ve made in my entire life. It has allowed me to create a large network of friends while also increasing my strength, and self-confidence.”

Justin

Special Olympics Athlete

Resources

Be An Athlete

Join Our Team as a Special Olympics Athlete

How to participate:

1

2

3

Important details:

To Apply

To Register for Sports after Athlete Application Approval

Frequently Asked Questions

“Joining Special Olympics proved to be the best decision I’ve made in my entire life. It has allowed me to create a large network of friends while also increasing my strength, and self-confidence.”

Resources

Find Your
Local Program

Sports Offered

Athlete & Family Resources

Be An Athlete

Join Our Team as a Special Olympics Athlete

How to participate:

1

2

3

Important details:

To Apply

To Register for Sports after Athlete Application Approval

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can participate?

Why become an athlete?

Where can I participate?

What about non-sports programs?

Do I need to get a medical examination or “physical” from a doctor/physician?

How long is the new application valid?

If I have an application on file already, do I need to renew now?

Should I submit an Athlete Application each sports season?

My athlete’s application expired more than 3 years ago, what should I do?

I don’t have a way to complete the online application above, what can I do?

I found an old version of the Athlete Application for Participation Form, can I complete and submit it?

I found a Special Olympics, Inc. or Special Olympics North America Athlete Application for Participation form online, can I submit that to SONorCal?

Who can I contact if I need help completing the new application?

“Joining Special Olympics proved to be the best decision I’ve made in my entire life. It has allowed me to create a large network of friends while also increasing my strength, and self-confidence.”

Resources

Find YourLocal Program

Sports Offered

Athlete & Family Resources

Find Your
Local Program