Find Your Program
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  • About

    Find Your Local Program

    Special Olympics Indiana energizes athletes by organizing 10 dynamic Areas, each led by dedicated volunteers to support County Programs and host exciting regional competitions. Athletes thrive in vibrant community events, competing in various meets to earn their place in state-level championships.
    Find Your Community

    Our Initiatives

    Engage with athletes and volunteers across Indiana through our different Initiatives.

    About us

    Special Olympics Indiana engages and energizes athletes and volunteers throughout Indiana.

  • Competitions

    Next up, State Bowling!

    Bowling has grown into one of the most popular sports offered in our program. The State Bowling Tournament, held annually in late fall, brings together hundreds of athletes and Unified partners from across the state for two days of fun and competition in Indianapolis.
    Explore the Competition

    State Competitions & Beyond

    Special Olympics Indiana hosts a variety of state-level competitions year round and participates in a different national or global competition each year.

  • Athletes

    Become An Athlete

    Join Special Olympics Indiana, where 19,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities compete year-round in over 20 sports, enhancing fitness, showcasing courage, and sharing joy. Our Unified Sports® program fosters teamwork and inclusion by uniting athletes with and without disabilities. Be a part of something extraordinary!
    Start Playing Now

    • GETTING STARTED

      Getting started is easy! The first step is to fill out the Athlete Interest Form. This will help us learn more about your interests.

      Fill out the Athlete Interest Form

    • SPORTS OFFERED

      Join us and compete year-round in over 20 sports, enhancing fitness, showcasing courage, and sharing joy. Be a part of something extraordinary!

      Check Out the Sports

    • NEW TO SPECIAL OLYMPICS

      Whether you're a beginner or not, we welcome athletes of all abilities to join and be part of an empowering and inclusive community.

      Learn more

    • EXPLORE OUR COMPETITIONS

      From local tournaments to state championships, there are events for every level of ability. Each competition promotes sportsmanship, teamwork, and fun.

      SEE WHAT’S HAPPENING
  • Volunteer

    Explore Volunteer Opportunities

    Whether you volunteer year-round, seasonally, or for just one event, you'll create unforgettable moments and make a significant impact. Support over 19,000 athletes to encourage their growth and foster meaningful connections.
    Become a Volunteer

    • why volunteer

      Volunteers are the heartbeat of Special Olympics Indiana! Make a meaningful impact and be part of something transformative.

      become a volunteer

    • become a coach

      Become a Special Olympics coach and drive athlete performance and well-being with exceptional training and support.

      become a coach

    • Event day volunteer

      Volunteering on event day is easy and impactful! Take on roles like referee, scorekeeper, announcer, or awards presenter to make a difference in just a few hours.

      volunteer

    • local volunteer opportunities

      Make a direct impact and foster a supportive environment by getting involved locally today!

      explore opportunities
  • Special Events

    • Polar Plunge

      Be Bold, Get Cold! Show your support and make a splash this winter.

      Polar Plunge

    • Plane Pull Challenge

      The Plane Pull features the ultimate tug-of-war competition! Teams raise funds for the opportunity to test their strength by pulling an aircraft as fast as possible.

      Plane Pull

    • Law Enforcement Torch Run

      Officers and athletes rally together to support The Summer Games and raise funds for Special Olympics Indiana.

      Law Enforcement Torch Run

    • Charity Golf Classic

      This annual tradition unites our loyal supporters for an exclusive outing at one of Indiana’s top public golf courses!

      Charity Golf Classic

    • Breakfast With Champions

      Inspiring events highlighting the stories and impact of athletes, coaches, and volunteers in SOI programs.

      Breakfast With Champions

    • State Conference

      Featuring the Spirit of Special Olympics Awards, the annual Indiana State Conference provides training for program leaders, volunteers, and families.

      State Conference
  • Ways to Give

    Featured Fundraiser

    Polar Plunge
    Polar Plunge

    • donate now

      You can support Special Olympics in a variety of ways with a gift that makes an impact now.

      donate now

    • planned giving

      Consider including Special Olympics in your will or trust to create a lasting impact.

      Learn More

    • become a sponsor

      With events ranging from local to global in scale, there is opportunity for sponsors of every size to support Special Olympics.

      become a sponsor

    • contribute clothes

      Don’t need it? We’ll take it! Donate clothes at over 400 Special Olympics Indiana bins statewide.

      contribute clothes
Find Your Program
Stories State Calendar Who We Are
Donate

Champions Together

Champions Together is a collaborative partnership between the Indiana High School Athletic Association and Special Olympics Indiana that promotes servant leadership among students with and without intellectual disabilities aimed at empowering a generation of students to change their school culture to be more socially inclusive.

With support from Special Olympics International, National Federation of High Schools, Office of Special Education Programs, Unified Champion Schools give educators, students, administrators and coaches the power to create a more inclusive world and help end the stigma around intellectual disabilities.
Champions Together is a partnership between Special Olympics Indiana and the Indiana High School Athletic Association(IHSAA) that facilitates participation in UCS programming by high schools throughout Indiana.


Level: High School

Unified® Sports Offered



Bocce

Bowling

Esports

Unified flag football

Unified track and field

State Office Contact

Headshot

Brian Avery

Champions Together Consultant

[email protected]
Headshot

Mike Hasch

Senior Director of Unified Champion Schools

[email protected]

Criteria for Success

Champions Together programs strive to excel In four areas: Inclusive youth leadership, whole school engagement, Unified Sports® and collaborative fundraising.

Inclusive Youth Leadership


All school-sponsored UCS activities should be planned, organized and administered by an “Inclusive Student Leadership Team” that strives to do things WITH students with intellectual disabilities, NOT FOR them.


Whole School Engagement


The school should participate in at least one activity designed around “Whole School Engagement” and/or a school-wide fundraiser for Special Olympics Indiana that promotes and encourages awareness, respect, and inclusion of persons with intellectual disabilities.



School Assemblies

Hosted by comedian Craig Tornquist, our high energy school assemblies are an uplifting and fun way to energize your school while learning about Champions Together and Unified Champion Schools. Best known for his love of audience participation, Craig has delighted more than 3,000 school assembly crowds across the country and is joined by Special Olympics Indiana staff and student ambassadors in providing an overview of our program.


To host an assembly at your school, contact Craig Tornquist at
[email protected] or (574) 360-0853.







Unified Sports®


The school should organize and participate in at least one Unified Sports® activity, such as a Unified Track and Field, Unified Flag Football, Unified Bocce, Unified Bowling, or a Unified competition involving students and/or local Special Olympics athletes.

Collaborative Fundraising


The school should fundraise a minimum of $1,500 for Special Olympics Indiana to assist in sustaining and expanding UCS activities such as the Champions Together program.

2023-2024 Banner Schools

Barr-Reeve Community High School
Bedford North Lawrence High School
Beech Grove High School
Bishop Chatard High School
Blackford High School
Bloomfield Jr-Sr High School
Bloomington North High School
Boonville High School
Borden High School
Brebeuf Jesuit High School
Brownsburg High School
Carmel High School
Carroll High School
Center Grove High School
Concord High School
Daleville High School
Danville High School
DeKalb High School
East Noble High School
Eastern Hancock High School
Edgewood High School
Edinburgh Community High School
Elkhart High School
Fishers High School
Floyd Central High School
Fort Wayne North Side High School
Franklin Community High School

Goshen High School
Greencastle Senior High School
Griffith High School
Guerin Catholic High School
Hamilton Southeastern High School
Harrison High School
Hobart Senior High School
Indian Creek High School
Indianapolis Cathedral High School
Jennings County High School
Jimtown High School
Kankakee Valley High School
Lafayette Central Catholic High School
Lafayette Jefferson High School
LaPorte High School
Lewis Cass Jr/Sr High School
Lowell High School
Madison Consolidated High School
Madison-Grant Jr/Sr High School
Manchester High School
Martinsville High School
McCutcheon High School
Merrillville High School
Mishawaka High School
Mitchell High School
Mooresville High School

Morristown High School
Mt. Vernon Senior High School (Posey)
North Knox Sr. High School
North Posey High School
North Putnam High School
Norwell High School
Penn High School
Perry Central High School
Perry Meridian High School
Plainfield High School
River Forest High School
Salem High School
Shelbyville High School
Sheridan High School
Silver Creek High School
South Dearborn High School
South Ripley High School
Speedway High School
University High School
Valparaiso High School
Vincennes Lincoln High School
Washington Township High School
West Lafayette Jr/Sr High School
Westfield High School
Woodlan High School
Yorktown High School

*Schools in bold are first time banner winners.

How to get involved at your school

Teacher or administrator should contact Brian Avery [email protected]. Parents and students should contact a teacher or administrator at the school first.

Additional Info

  • History
  • U.S. Youth Ambassadors

History

The establishment of the Champions Together partnership was announced at the IHSAA headquarters on December 17, 2012. The partnership evolved from IHSAA Commissioner Bobby Cox’s charge to the IHSAA Student Advisory Committee (SAC) to engage in “servant leadership” and discover ways to give back to their schools and communities.

 

The IHSAA SAC researched options and unanimously requested that an official partnership be formed with Special Olympics Indiana as the most appropriate fit for education-based athlete servant leadership. Special Olympics International has supported Champions Together as a model program to activate schools through “Project Unify” and subsequent Unified Schools initiatives, which also carries the endorsement of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and the Indiana Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (IIAAA).

 

During the first full year of the program: 26 schools were earned the Champions Together award banner for achieving all four (4) of Project Unify goals, while a total of 197 high schools achieved at least one goal; 13 schools participated in the inaugural IHSAA Unified Track & Field state championship; and all participating schools combined to raise in excess of $75,000 for the support of Champions Together activities. In the years since, these numbers have grown exponentially.

Alumni

Liam Price and Elizabeth Price, 2019-21

Resources