Special Olympics Utah and Utah High School Activities Association
host inaugural 2014 UNIFIED SOCCER STATE TOURNAMENT ON MAY 3
WHAT: Special Olympics Utah (SOUT) and the Utah High School Activities Association (UHSAA) will host the 2014 Unified Soccer State High School Tournament at Hillcrest High School on Saturday, May 3. Approximately 144 student-athletes and 24 coaches will participate in the State championship.
Unified Sports®, a registered program of Special Olympics International, combines individuals with intellectual disabilities (athletes) and individuals without intellectual disabilities (partners) on sports teams for training and competition. The players compete side-by-side and all players serve as a meaningful and integral part of the Unified Sports® team.
In 2013, the Utah High School Activities Association and Special Olympics Utah created a partnership, Special Olympics Utah Unified Interscholastic Sports, to bring Unified Sports® to Utah's schools in spring 2014. Currently, Unified Soccer and Unified Track and Field are offered to Utah high school students in participating UHSAA member schools.
Through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and general operating support, Special Olympics Utah has underwritten school expenses for participation in this first interscholastic Unified Sports® program in Utah.
WHO: 12 Special Olympics Utah Unified Sports Soccer Teams will compete in the first-ever State Unified Soccer championship. The 13 participating schools are: Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind-Skyline (combined school team), Bingham, Wasatch, Hillcrest, Grantsville, Mountain Crest, Lone Peak, Brighton, Alta, Spanish Fork, Jordan and Sky View. Teams will play in three separate divisions based on season play results for place of finish awards and 1st and 2nd place trophies.
WHEN: Saturday, May 3, 2014 | 11:00 a.m. (bracket and full schedule included below)
10:00 a.m. Team Registration begins
10:45 a.m. Opening Ceremonies
11:00 a.m. Competition Begins (Game #1)
12:00 p.m. Competition Continues (Game #2)
12.45 p.m. Awards Presentation
WHERE: Hillcrest High School, 7350 South 900 East, Midvale
About Special Olympics Utah Special Olympics Utah provides year-round training and competition in 16 sports for more than 2,500 athletes living in the state of Utah. With the support of more than 3,500 volunteers and the generosity of Utah citizens, corporations and local businesses, Special Olympics Utah is able to offer more than 50 events annually to individuals with intellectual disabilities. Participation with other athletes, Unified Partners (typically developing peers), coaches, sponsors and volunteers builds confidence and creates opportunities to participate as productive and respected members of society by increasing public awareness of the athletes' capabilities. Special Olympics Utah is a registered Utah 501(c) (3) charity with a local governing Board of Directors comprised of Utah community representatives and leaders. Special Olympics Utah is 90% privately funded through donations contributed locally. For more information, visit www.sout.org.
About the Utah High School Activities Association (UHSAA) The UHSAA is the leadership organization for high school athletic and fine arts activities in Utah. Since 1927, the UHSAA has led the development of education-based interscholastic athletic and fine arts activities that help students succeed in their lives. The belief is these activities are an essential part of the high school experience and go a long way to improving academic performance and producing better citizens. The UHSAA reaches 136 member schools and over 88,000 participants in high school activity programs. The organization sanctions 10 girls' sports and 10 boys' sports and music, theatre and speech/debate in five different classifications. The UHSAA is governed by a 30 member Board of Trustees made up of elected school board members and superintendents representing all regions and areas throughout Utah, principals from each of the five classifications and a state board of education representative. The organization is committed to stressing educational and cultural values, improving the participation experience in activities, promoting life skills and lessons involved in competitive activities, fostering sportsmanship and mutual respect and assisting those who oversee high school sports and activities in UHSAA member high schools. For more information, visit the UHSAA website at www.uhsaa.org.
