UNIFIED SPORTS
Special Olympics is dedicated to promoting social inclusion through shared sports training and competition experiences. Unified Sports joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. It was inspired by a simple principle: training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding.
In Unified Sports, teams are made up of people of similar age and ability. That makes practices more fun and games more challenging and exciting for all. Having sport in common is just one more way that preconceptions and false ideas are swept away.
Bocce School Tournaments
The sport of Bocce is a game of skill and strategy that challenges athletes to work together as a team trying to roll their bocce balls closer to the pillana than the opposing team. Games are played on a variety of surfaces in an open-court format.
2026 Bocce Tournaments
*all events begin at 10:15 a.m. and end by 1:00 p.m.
Tues, 10/7- Smyrna High, Smyrna (football stadium)
Wed, 10/8- Dover High, Dover (football stadium)
Tues, 10/14- Christiana High, Newark (soccer field)
Wed, 10/15- McKean High, Wilmington (soccer field)
Thurs, 10/16- Newark Charter, Newark (football stadium)
Fri, 10/17- William Penn High, New Castle (football stadium)
Wed, 10/22- Sussex Central High, Georgetown (football stadium)
Thurs, 10/23- Seaford High, Seaford (football stadium)
Fri, 10/24- Odessa High, Odessa (football stadium)
Tues, 10/28- Lake Forest High, Felton (football stadium)
Wed, 10/29- Caesar Rodney High, Camden (football stadium)
Thurs, 10/30- Cape Henlopen High, Lewes (field hockey stadium)
Wed, 11/5- Woodbridge High, Greenwood (football stadium)
Fri, 11/7- Laurel High, Laurel (football stadium)
Wed, 11/12- Brandywine High, Wilmington (soccer field)
Other Information
Spectators-please check with your school.
Concessions will NOT be available for purchase at the event. Participating students should bring a bag lunch as they would for any school field trip.
BOCCE LEVELS OF COMPETITION
Unified or Traditional
Teams are made up of either 4 Special Olympics athletes OR 2 athletes and 2 Unified Partners.
Competitive Division
Teams are experienced and vie for gold, silver and bronze.
Developmental Division
Focus is on learning the skills and strategies of the game with a goal of playing competitive the following season.
Bocce Young Athletes
Children ages 5-7 learn the basic rules and skills for the game of bocce in a non-competitive atmosphere.
Soccer School Competitions
The Soccer Tournaments and Unified Sports Experience EXPO are offered to athletes and Unified partners of all abilities.
2026 Soccer Tournaments & Unified Sports EXPOs
*all events begin at 10:15 a.m. and end by 1:00 p.m.
Dates to be announced
Unified Sports Experience
5 v 5 Soccer
SOCCER LEVELS OF COMPETITION
Unified Sports Experience EXPO
Sports skills, games and activities set up in station format for students not yet able to play on a 5 v 5 soccer team.
Motor Activity Training Program and Young Athletes participants
Young Athletes and MATP participants are included as part of the Unified Sports Experience EXPO.
Developmental 5 v 5 Unified Soccer
Focus is on learning the skills and strategies of the game with a goal of playing competitive the following season.
Competitive 5 v 5 Unified Soccer
Teams are experienced and vie for gold, silver and bronze.
Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association partnership
Special Olympics Delaware (SODE) and the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association (DIAA) have partnered to promote Unified Sports in the sports of Flag Football (fall), Basketball (winter), and Track & Tield (spring).
Through this partnership, high school students with and without disabilities train and compete on the same team in the Unified Sports division that is recognized by the DIAA.
Participating schools, along with their athletic departments and administration, support Unified Sports and treat their SODE Unified teams as they do all other varsity sports — accepted, respected, and celebrated.
Unified Sports is changing attitudes … and changing lives.
HOW TO GET YOUR SCHOOL INVOLVED
For information on how to start a Unified flag football, basketball or track and field team at your school, contact Nate Threatts at nate.threatts@sode.org or 302-831-4669.
Connect
With Us!
Special Olympics Delaware
619 South College Ave.
Newark, Delaware 19716
302.831.4653 / info@sode.org