Gold Coast Basketball Club, a local sports club in Gold Coast, is excited to promote a special basketball event for Special Olympics Clubs. This event is in collaboration with Special Olympics Australia, an organisation dedicated to enhancing the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in sports across the country.
Together with Gymnastics Australia, Special Olympics Australia will work on various initiatives over the next three years to increase participation pathways for individuals with intellectual disabilities. This includes integrating Special Olympics competitions into state gymnastics competitions. The partnership between these two organisations has been ongoing for the past three years, focusing on promoting and delivering inclusive sport programs to develop participants' physical literacy.
Kitty Chiller AM, the CEO of Gymnastics Australia, expressed her enthusiasm for the extended partnership and emphasised the inclusivity of gymnastics as a sport for people of all abilities. She believes that gymnastics provides individuals with the necessary skills and experiences to develop their physical literacy, enabling them to lead active lives. The aim of this partnership is to create more opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to engage in and love the sport of gymnastics.
One important commitment of this partnership is leveraging the Australian Government's Sporting Schools initiative to offer a specially adapted program for students with intellectual disabilities. Additionally, the organisations will continue the national rollout of the Young Athletes program, a play-based program that helps children aged two to eight develop fundamental movement skills. This program has already reached over 640 participants in NSW, the ACT, and Victoria through the delivery of more than 40 programs since its pilot phase in 2018.
The partnership between Special Olympics Australia and Gymnastics Australia benefits both organisations. Special Olympics gains access to facilities and qualified coaches, something their clubs often struggle with, while Gymnastics clubs are able to utilise their facilities during quieter times. The focus of this partnership will be on the continued growth of the Young Athletes program, providing recreational gymnastics opportunities for young children with intellectual disabilities as a pathway into Gymnastics Australia's Kindergym program or Special Olympics club training.
For more information about the Young Athletes program, interested individuals can visit the SOA Learn website and Gymnastics Australia webpage. Additionally, the Memorandum of Understanding between Special Olympics Australia and Gymnastics Australia is available for viewing, providing further details about their partnership.
