Special Olympics announces Unified Soccer Tournaments and Sports EXPOS

GEORGETOWN – Special Olympics Delaware will hold four Unified Soccer Tournaments and Sports EXPOS this spring, including an event at Sussex Technical High School on April 30.

The event at Sussex Tech will feature 260 students from 15 Sussex County and Kent County elementary schools. It will run from 10:15 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Events are also scheduled in Kent County at Polytech High School May 2, with two at the Kirkwood Soccer Complex in New Castle County, on April 23 and April 25.

Nearly 1,500 Special Olympics Delaware athletes and Unified partners (peers without a disability) representing 63 schools will compete in soccer events across the state during the next several weeks.

At the competitions, athletes participate individually or with a unified partner in various sports skills stations as part of the Unified Sports EXPO, or on unified teams in 5 vs. 5 round-robin tournaments.

“Our athletes enjoy striving to improve their skills in a variety of sports, which also improves all of the fine and gross motor skills that they use in their daily lives,” said Jon Buzby, spokesperson for Special Olympics Delaware in a press release. “Add to that the socialization they get with their Unified partners leading up to this event and then also the interactions with the high school student volunteers on the day of the event, and it’s a win-win for everyone involved.”