“I believe Special Olympics has helped me with opening up to other people, taught me the value of teamwork, and gave me the chance to show that I can play athletic activities. Thank you for giving me a sense of belonging.” – Special Olympics Hawaiʻi Athlete
Improve physical fitness and motor skills
Greater self-confidence and positive self-image
Develop friendships and increase family support
Athlete Eligibility
To be eligible to participate in Special Olympics, you must be at least 8 years old and identified by an agency or professional as having one of the following conditions: intellectual disabilities, cognitive delays as measured by formal assessment, or significant learning or vocational problems due to cognitive delay that require or have required specially designed instruction. Athletes can begin training at the age of 6 and can compete in Future Stars divisions.
Our Future Stars program is for those athletes that are 6 and 7 years old who want to become a part of a team. They will train and participate in Area and State events in track and field, softball, soccer, and basketball. Future Star athletes are required to fill out the Special Olympics Registration, Medical and Release forms listed below.
For those younger than 8, the Special Olympics Young Athletes™ program was created for children with and without intellectual disabilities ages 2 through 7. See Initiatives for more information and the registration form
New Athlete/Partner Registration System
New Online Athlete/Partner Registration System begins February 1. Paper forms will no longer be accepted. When an athlete/partners’ current 3-year medical is no longer valid, they will be required to register in the online athlete registration portal. This registration portal is NOT for volunteer registration purposes.
Step 1: Online Registration & Health Review:
Create your athlete/partner profile and complete a simple health history.
During registration, complete a short Health History & Release Form. If no significant health concerns are identified, you’re all set!
If the initial screening indicates a potential issue, we will ask for an Additional Medical Information Form to be completed. That will help our medical team determine if a more detailed Medical Form (with doctor input) is needed to support athletes with conditions like:
- Limited participation in sports
- Concussion in last 30 days
- Heart condition
- Asthma
- Diabetes
- Epilepsy/Seizure Disorder
- Bleeding Disorder
Step 2: How to Begin:
To make the registration process as smooth as possible, select the option that best describes your situation:
I am an Athlete/Partner
registering myself
I am a Parent/Caregiver registering an Athlete
I am a Head of Delegation registering one or more athletes.
If you have your own email
address and want to manage
your own registration, visit the Athlete Registration Portal and
click on “Create an Account.”
For role, select: “I am an athlete”
If you are the parent/caregiver
of an athlete or youth Unified Partner, visit the Athlete Registration Portal and click on “Create an Account.”
For role, select: “I am a parent/caregiver”
If you are a Head of Delegation, an account has been created for you. You MUST have the permission of the adult athlete(s). Visit the Athlete Registration Portal and click on “Create an Account.”
Select: Coach Zone and My Participants
