Basketball has players of all ages and all abilities, from young players learning to handle the ball and keep it under control while dribbling to older, more experienced players who have the moves and know more advanced strategies.

Participants will be divisioned by Special Olympics Minnesota based on ability level and age to give them a competitive experience.

This sport offers a Unified option. This gives individuals both with and without intellectual disabilities a chance to compete on the same team. This sport also offers Individual Skills, which gives lower-ability or new athletes a chance to compete and showcase the skills they are learning in that sport.

Events

Full court competition: 5-on-5
Half court competition: 3-on-3
Unified full court competition: 5-on-5
Level 1 Individual skills: 10m dribble, target pass, spot shot
Level 2 Individual skills: 12m dribble, catch & pass, perimeter shooting
Modified Individual skills: Speed dribble, target pass, spot shot

Competition Season

Basketball competitions take place April through June.

*Note: Athletes can compete in Unified Full Court AND Traditional Full Court at the state competition. If athletes want to compete in both events, they should compete on a traditional full court team at regionals, and the delegation will add a Unified Full Court team at state. Unified Full Court teams do not need to attend a regional competition to qualify in this scenario.

Become a coach!

All coaches and Unified partners who work with our athletes need to be Level 1 certified. We also offer additional trainings (Level 2) for each sport for coaches that want more sport-specific education. These trainings can be found through the Special Olympics Registration Portal, where you can begin your journey or, if you’re a current coach and/or Unified partner, update your certifications.

Coaching Resources