Frequently Asked Questions

Special Olympics serves individuals with intellectual disabilities. Eligibility requirements are established by Special Olympics Indiana.

Visit the Sports section of this website for current eligibility information and links to the appropriate Special Olympics Indiana resources.

Becoming a Special Olympics athlete and registering for an individual Hamilton County sport are two different steps.

If you are new to Special Olympics, begin with the information provided under Become an Athlete.

If you are already an SOHC athlete, visit Sports Sign Ups to see which sports are open and complete the appropriate registration form.

Registration is required for each sport and registration periods are limited.

SOHC offers year-round opportunities in a variety of sports. Offerings may change from year to year based on athlete interest, coaches, facilities, funding and available competition opportunities.

Visit the Sports section of this website for the current list of sports, seasons, registration information and sport contacts.

Athletes are never charged a participation fee to play a Special Olympics Hamilton County sport.

SOHC raises the funds necessary to support local programming, including sports, equipment, uniforms, facilities, competition expenses and athlete opportunities.

Visit the Donate section of this website to learn how our community makes that possible.

Athletes must meet all current Special Olympics Indiana eligibility and participation requirements before competing.

Please visit the Sports section of this website for current requirements and links to Special Olympics Indiana resources.

Questions about statewide athlete eligibility, required documentation or an athlete’s Special Olympics Indiana account should be directed to Special Olympics Indiana rather than the local Hamilton County program.

Special Olympics Hamilton County and Special Olympics Indiana work together, but they have different responsibilities.

Contact SOHC for questions about local sports, coaches, practices, Hamilton County registration dates and local programming.

Contact Special Olympics Indiana for questions involving statewide athlete accounts, login issues, eligibility requirements, required state documentation or the statewide registration system.

Thank you for helping connect someone with Special Olympics!

Visit the Sports section of this website for the steps to get started. The information there will direct you to the appropriate athlete interest and registration resources.

Once an athlete is registered for a sport, the coach or designated sport contact should be the first point of contact for sport-specific questions.

This includes questions about practices, team assignments, equipment, attendance, competitions and sport-specific communication.

Visit the Sports page for general season information.

Once an athlete is registered, coaches will provide team-specific schedules, competition details and other information directly to athletes and families.

Last-minute changes are communicated by the individual sport’s coaching team using the communication method established for that sport.

For the fastest and most accurate information about a specific practice or team event, contact your athlete’s coaching team directly.

For the most current or team-specific information, please use communication provided by your athlete’s coach.

Registration deadlines are necessary so coaches and volunteers have time to build teams, complete rosters, order uniforms or equipment and prepare for competitions.

If a registration period has closed, please review the information on the Sports Page. Late additions are not always possible and vary by sport and competition requirements.

Watch the Sports Sign Up page for upcoming opportunities.

Absolutely. SOHC welcomes ideas for opportunities that could benefit our athletes.

Adding a new sport requires more than athlete interest. SOHC must also consider qualified and committed coaches, appropriate facilities, equipment, funding, Special Olympics Indiana requirements, competition opportunities and the long-term sustainability of the program.

If you have an idea for a sport and are interested in helping us build it, visit the Contact Us section and select the appropriate option.