SOAC offers four local sports tournaments in conjunction with the Alamance Burlington School System: bocce, basketball, and Spring Games. Adult athletes are also involved in the Spring Games.
In addition to the local tournaments, SOAC offers 8 and 12-week training programs with tournament and state-level competitions available for bocce, basketball, bowling, golf, equestrian, and aquatics. Those competing and interested in attending a state-level event are randomly selected to attend each year.
Bocce and Golf athletes compete in Fall Tournament. Aquatics and Bowling athletes compete at Summer Games. Equestrian athletes compete in tournaments unique to these programs. Spring Games, held in April, is open to all athletes. To learn more about some of our sports, click on the tabs below.
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Basketball
SOAC offers 3 on 3 and 5 on 5 basketball during the spring season in preparation for summer games. Basketball will also be offered during the winter season as an extra training opportunity. Practices are typically held at The Lamb’s Chapel gym in Haw River.
Bocce
What IS bocce anyways? It’s Italian lawn bowling, where one team tries to bowl the pallino ball into the end zone of the court before the other team. Our season begins in august on Saturday mornings at the Kernodle Sr Center. Bocce state competitions take place at the Fall Tournament.
Bowling
SOAC has a great bowling program. Bowling practices are located in Mebane and are held in the Winter/Spring and Fall.
Elon Intramurals
Elon University created a program for students and Special Olympic Athletes that has become one of the best things we do here in Alamance County. It is a great opportunity for our athletes to be a part of the community and impact the lives of others through sports. Fall sports typically include soccer and flag football and in the spring we offer indoor soccer as well as other adaptive sports.
The Elon students who have been a part of this are amazing and have been a tremendous boon to the program. It is a part of their intramural program and is run through the school and we have been assured that it will continue indefinitely! Thank you to Elon University for being a great partner and supporter of Special Olympics Alamance County!
Equestrian
We are partnered with Koppertop Life Learning Center for our Equestrian Training. Deborah Meredith trains with our athletes 10 weeks prior to the state-level tournament.
Golf
Spring Season starts in April-July. The fall season gears up for competition starting in August.
Swimming
This sport is offered in the winter/spring to gear up for summer games competition and in the fall for practice. We are partnered with the Maynard Aquatic Center and the YMCA in Burlington that offer wonderful practices and training for our athletes.
Athletics
Athletes currently in schools that participate in Special Olympics activities will practice and collect qualifying scores for Spring Games participating in Spring Games can attend our test day to obtain their qualifying scores. Athletes compete in a track event consisting of 10M Wheelchair Race, 25M, 50M, and or 100M Walk/Run and a Softball Throw.