The World Games are the flagship event for the Special Olympics movement and take place every two years, alternating between summer and winter Games. The World Games feature more than a week of intense, yet inspiring, competition among thousands of athletes.
The National Team Program (NTP) was developed by Special Olympics Canada to better equip our athletes, coaches and mission staff attending World Games. Utilizing a fair and transparent process to identify and select members for Special Olympics Team Canada (SOTC), the NTP is designed to provide these athletes, coaches and mission staff with a formalized approach to training and preparation for World Games. The program ensures that Special Olympics athletes in Canada have access to quality training, coaching and competitive opportunities to ensure optimal performance and a positive experience as a member of the National Team.
Areas of focus for the National Team Program include:
- Sport Science – emphasis on fitness, nutrition and mental performance
- Training Camps – one full team training camp and one sport specific training camp
- Training Monitoring – regular reporting through an online tool, development, assessment and revision of training plans, baseline and pre- Games fitness testing
- Communication – ongoing contact between Training Coaches and National Team Coaches
- Professional Development – individual and group opportunities for coaches and mission staff including the provision of funds to support these initiatives
- Mission Meetings – one in-person and one virtual meeting for all coaches and mission staff
For an overview of the National Team Program and information on how to become a member of Special Olympics Team Canada (SOTC) please check out the following documents.
The next Special Olympics World Summer Games will be held in Berlin, Germany in June 2023.