Inclusive Sports

When we began our work with Special Olympics North America to evaluate the Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools® (SOUCS) program, our initial goal was to deeply understand the program from those who are most closely involved: students, parents, and school staff. We wanted to learn in what ways students, both athletes and Unified partners, engage with the three components of SOUCS, how they, as well as parents and school staff, perceive participation as being beneficial to students, and how staff running the program see SOUCS impacting their schools as a whole. By listening to students, families, and educators, we sought to understand how the program is envisioned by school leaders, what motivates students to join, what their experiences are within it, and how these elements interact to affect the broader school environment. These are all aspects of the program that may not be easily quantified, but nonetheless make it unique.

To meet these goals, evaluators from the University of Minnesota’s Institute on Community Integration conducted focus groups in seven states: Illinois, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin. At each site, we met with athletes, partners, and parents, as well as school staff implementing the Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools® program. In total, 153 individuals participated in focus groups, including 50 athletes, 64 Unified partners, 28 educators and administrators, and 11 parents.

The SOUCS Experience

We started focus groups with partners and athletes by asking them about the reasons they joined SOUCS. Students shared a variety of ways they became involved in the program. Some athletes joined to be part of a sports team or have the opportunity to be in a club that would otherwise be difficult to be a part of in school. Others were encouraged by teachers or friends at school to join the program. Unified partners often described joining out of curiosity, encouragement from a friend or social media, or a desire to try something new. Some partners said something we found really interesting, being that they joined SOUCS because they liked the sports offered, and they were less competitive than being on a traditional sports team.

We also found that the experiences extended well beyond athletics. Although mentioned less often, opportunities such as youth leadership roles, school-wide events, and travel to regional or national competitions added additional layers to the experiences of both partners and athletes, supporting confidence, responsibility, and more engagement in the school community. Athletes, more often than Unified partners, highlighted Unified Sports as central to their experience, reinforcing the importance of access to inclusive athletic opportunities. At the same time, both groups pointed to sporting events, particularly inter-school competitions, as highlights, suggesting that offering a range of activity options is important for sustaining engagement and meeting diverse interests.

How Students and Schools Benefit

Across focus groups, we found that the core of the SOUCS experience is rooted in participation in the activities, especially Unified Sports and inclusive physical education. These were among the most frequently discussed aspects of the program and were consistently described as opening up athletic opportunities that are often limited in traditional school sports. Students emphasized that these experiences were not just about playing sports, but about being part of a team with shared goals. Through participation, students reported growth in sport-specific skills, as well as broader competencies such as teamwork, communication, patience, and the ability to connect with peers from diverse backgrounds. Students, parents, and educators all described SOUCS as a space where inclusion felt real and meaningful, with one parent capturing the sentiment that students come to feel part of something larger than themselves and are able to “find their people” wherever they go.

We found that one of the most meaningful benefits of the SOUCS program is the value participants place on the experience itself. Across athletes, partners, parents, and educators, SOUCS activities were consistently described as fun, welcoming, and emotionally safe spaces where students feel comfortable being themselves. Beyond enjoyment, participation in SOUCS was associated with greater confidence and a willingness to try new things, particularly for athletes. Just as important, we heard that students encourage, help, and learn from one another in ways that go both directions, creating a sense of belonging that extends beyond the activities themselves. As one partner shared, involvement in SOUCS expanded their social world, leading to new connections and relationships that would not have happened otherwise. These experiences point to the program’s role in helping students build friendships, strengthen social connections, and develop skills that carry into life after high school.

Other benefits of SOUCS that were discussed extend beyond individual participants into the broader school environment. Students, parents, and educators all described noticeable improvements in school climate, with schools becoming more inclusive, accepting, and connected as a result of SOUCS programming. Students reported increased interactions with peers of all abilities, both within and outside the program, which contributed to a stronger sense of community. Further, SOUCS was seen as supporting longer-term development, including preparation for graduation, job exploration, and independent living skills. Personal growth was also a highlight, such as increased confidence, communication skills, and sportsmanship. Taken together, our findings suggest that SOUCS not only creates meaningful experiences in the moment but also contributes to lasting individual growth and more inclusive school communities.

Changes Students Would Like to See

One essential goal of any evaluation is to find directions for improvement. During focus groups, we asked athletes, partners, parents, and school staff what would make SOUCS even better. The most common theme we heard from the groups was a desire for a greater variety of opportunities for student involvement and more ways to get the whole school involved in SOUCS, increasing awareness of disability. Students also expressed interest in expanded leadership roles, particularly for athletes, including opportunities to help plan events and take on more visible roles within their schools.

Building a Model

Based on our conversations with students, parents, and staff associated with SOUCS, we built a model depicting how they perceive the program. We approached this work using a grounded theory framework, beginning by setting aside any preconceived assumptions we might have had about how the SOUCS program operates. Our goal was to reflect the opportunities, experiences, benefits, and potential improvements of SOUCS programming, and how they all connect and influence each other.

As we brought these perspectives together, we began to see how different parts of the program connect. Students join for a variety of reasons, but their experiences are shaped by shared activities—especially sports, but also leadership, events, and competition. These experiences create opportunities for social interaction and relationship-building. Over time, these relationships lead to changes in how students see themselves and one another. Confidence grows, social networks expand, and students begin to experience a stronger sense of belonging.

At the same time, the engagement in school-wide SOUCS activities leads to broader changes within the school, including greater awareness of and improved attitudes toward disability, as well as greater demand to be involved in SOUCS. These changes help extend relationships between students with and without disabilities and contribute to a more inclusive environment.

Looking Ahead

The insights from these focus groups are already shaping the next phase of our work. We are building on this work and conducting a longitudinal evaluation, examining how participation in SOUCS contributes to outcomes such as social-emotional learning, development, school belongingness, self-determination, and student engagement. We are also exploring how schools can strengthen and sustain their programs over time. We are looking forward to learning more about how participating in SOUCS impacts students, both athletes and partners, and how our findings align with how those involved in the program describe its benefits.

As researchers, some of the more memorable moments from this project included the intense inter-group debates when developing the model to reflect the SOUCS program in a meaningful way, hearing from athletes and students with disabilities, and traveling with our team to hear directly from those involved in the program.