Sinking a basketball, hitting a home run and riding a wave are sports that can be enjoyed by people who use adaptive measures—from teamwork to special equipment. Unified basketball is one example, where special-needs athletes and general-education partners train and work together on the same team. It is offered through Special Olympics Florida with support from Lee County Parks & Recreation and the School Board of Lee County. Bob Wagner’s Wooden Bat Classic is another example, involving team players who are mentally or physically challenged. Surfers for Autism is yet another, providing a safe environment for autistic children and adults to surf.

Offering sports to this segment of the population provides players with a sense of teamwork and builds confidence. “They learn how to strategize and cooperate with others on the team,” says Don Payne, Lee County Parks and Recreation coordinator for Special Olympics. Indeed, the chance to participate in sports offers an opportunity to get out there and enjoy the results of their efforts, no matter what the final score is. “The results are always positive,” adds Payne. Notably, in 2019 the North Fort Myers High School Special Olympics unified bowling team won the Florida High School Athletic Association’s state bowling championship in the Unified Division.

Special Olympics began in the 1950s during a summer day camp—Camp Shriver—that Sargent and Eunice Kennedy Shriver held in the backyard at their Maryland farmhouse. The first year, they hosted 34 students and 26 counselors. In July 1968, the first International Special Olympics was held at Soldier Field in Chicago. This event paved the way for increasing worldwide sports opportunities for those with intellectual and physical disabilities. Special Olympics now attracts more than 3.1 million athletes from 175 countries.