FLORIDA ELITE SOCCER ACADEMY

Promoting Social Inclusion Through Sport

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.

Many high-profile, professional sports organizations and events have also showcased Unified Sports as a vehicle to show the power of inclusive sports! This support includes:

National Basketball Association (NBA)

Major League Soccer (MLS)

Union of European Football Associations (UEFA)

National Collegiate Athletic Association, D-III

ESPN's X Games Aspen

National Federation of High Schools (NFHS)

National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA)

CURRENT PROGRAMS - SPRING 2025 COMING SOON

Program Overview:

This program fosters inclusivity and teamwork among Junior Special Olympics Florida Athletes (ages 11-15 with intellectual disabilities or developmental delay) and Partners (ages 11-15 without an intellectual disability) through an engaging and structured unified soccer league.

Program Structure:

• Location: Veterans Park Field 6 (Turf) (1332 Veterans Park, St. Johns County 32259)
• Fall Season: October 6th - November 24th
• Cost: Free
• Teams: 4 teams (24 athletes and 16 partners)
• Age Group: Junior (Athletes: 11-15, Partners: 11-15)
• Game Time: Sunday 4 pm-5 pm
• Fields: 2 fields, each team allocated half a soccer field for practice, and one referee for games
• Week-by-Week Schedule:
• Week 1: Practice
• Week 2: Practice/Game *30-minute running clock 
• Week 3: Practice/Game *30-minute running clock 
• Week 4: Practice/Game *30-minute running clock 
• Week 5: Practice/Game *30-minute running clock 
• Week 6: Game
• Week 7: Game
• Week 8: Game

Registration and Deadlines:

• Registration Opens: July 30th, 2024
• Forms Deadline: September 15, 2024, for athletes and partners (all forms must be turned in) *Please Note: If athletes have a medical form on file from a previous season, they are good to go. Additionally, if Partners already filled out partner paperwork last season, they do not need to update it.

Coaching Training: In-person training TBD at Veterans Park Turf field located at 1332 Veterans Parkway, St Johns Florida 32259. Special Olympics Florida staff will be training the coaches.

Key Objectives:

• Inclusion: Create a welcoming environment for athletes and partners of diverse backgrounds and abilities.
• Skill Development: Foster the growth of soccer skills while emphasizing teamwork and sportsmanship.
• Community Engagement: Encourage community participation by inviting new athletes and partners to join the inaugural unified soccer league with Florida Elite.