Benefits of Participation

There are many benefits to participating as an athlete in Special Olympics of Texas - Team Mesquite:

• Physical exercise positively impacts health, mood and anxiety.
• Emphasis on sports training helps athletes maintain a healthy weight.
• Athletes participate in activities that enhance their self-esteem and help them see that they can achieve goals that they set for themselves.
• Athletes have many opportunities to make new friends and socialize in an environment that is accepting and encouraging.

Eligibility

To participate in Special Olympics of Texas - Team Mesquite, a person must be at least eight years old. Children at the age of six may begin a training program, but are not able to compete until the age of eight. A person must also be identified by an agency or professional as having one of the following:

• Intellectual Disabilities
• Closely related development disability, which means having functional limitations in both general learning and in adaptive skills such as recreation, work, independent living, self-direction, or self-care.