State Championships
Special Olympics Illinois hosts 13 State Championships each year across the state. Athletes can participate at the state level by earning a gold medal in their regional qualifying tournament.
WINTER GAMES
Winter Games is one of 13 state sports competitions. It is the championship level competition for alpine skiing and snowshoeing. Winter Games is a three-day event, held the first week of February in Galena. Winter Games includes approximately 400 athletes, 170 coaches and 300 volunteers. Additional activities include an Opening Ceremony in downtown Galena, family registration and activity opportunities, souvenir sales and Victory Dances. Chestnut Mountain has been the host venue for alpine skiing since 1979 with additional Galena hotels providing housing for agencies since 2004. Beginning with the 2022 event, Eagle Ridge will become a housing venue and the host venue for snowshoeing. Alpine skiing became an official Special Olympics Illinois sport in 1979 and snowshoeing in 2002.
IHSA UNIFIED BASKETBALL STATE TOURNAMENT
Unified Basketball is one of 13 state sports competitions. It is the championship level competition for those participating in high school Unified basketball. Participation is limited to teams from registered Unified Champion Schools that are also IHSA member schools. Teams qualify for the Unified Basketball State Tournament by winning regional tournaments held across the state. Unified Basketball is a two-day event and is held in conjunction with the IHSA Boys State Basketball Tournament that is usually the second or third week of March. The tournament includes eight teams competing in two divisions. The tournament moved to the campus of the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana starting with the 2022 tournament. Unified basketball became an official Special Olympics Illinois sport in 2016.
STATE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
State Basketball is one of 13 state sports competitions. It is the championship level competition for those participating in team and individual skills basketball. The Young Athletes Program offers an individual skills demonstration opportunity. State Basketball is a three-day event usually held the second or third weekend of March in Bloomington-Normal. The State Basketball Tournament includes approximately 1,900 athletes, 550 coaches and 350 volunteers. Additional activities include a Victory Dance and athlete-centered activities on Friday and Saturday nights, family registration, and souvenir sales. Illinois State University’s Horton Fieldhouse has hosted the tournament since 1975 and the tournament expanded to include Illinois Wesleyan University’s Shirk Center in 2002. Basketball became an official Special Olympics Illinois sport in 1975
IHSA UNIFIED TEAM TRACK AND FIELD STATE TOURNAMENT
IHSA Unified Track and Field is one of 13 state sports competitions. It is the championship-level competition for those participating in high school Unified Team Track and Field. Unified Track and Field is a team track event where individuals compete and earn points towards a team total, individual awards are not given. A team is comprised of equal numbers of Special Olympics athletes and Unified Partners with a maximum roster size of 12. Individuals are able to compete in a maximum of two events consisting of 100M run, 200M run, 400M run, 4 x 100M relay, shotput and running long jump. Teams qualify for the IHSA Unified Track and Field State Tournament by winning regional tournaments held across the state. Unified Track will be a one-day event and is held in conjunction with the IHSA Boys State Track and Field Competition which is typically the last weekend in May. The Unified portion of the tournament will be the Thursday of that weekend. The tournament is located on the campus of Eastern Illinois University. Unified Track and Field is becoming an official sport in 2022.
SUMMER GAMES
Summer Games is one of 13 state sports competitions. It is the championship level competition for athletics, bocce, Unified bocce, powerlifting, soccer, swimming, artistic gymnastics, and rhythmic gymnastics. The Young Athletes Program offers soccer individual skills, 50 meter run, and softball throw demonstration opportunities. Summer Games is a three-day event usually held the second weekend in June in Bloomington-Normal. Summer Games includes approximately 4,000 athletes, 60 Unified partners, 1,750 coaches and 2,500 volunteers.
Additional activities include an Opening Ceremony featuring the Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg, a variety of Healthy Athlete initiatives, family registration and activity opportunities, an Olympic Town offering a variety of interactive activities, souvenir sales, and a Victory Dance held in Uptown Normal. Illinois State University has been the primary host venue since 1977 and, as the Games have grown, additional venues in the Bloomington-Normal community are utilized each year. Athletics and swimming became official Special Olympics Illinois sports in 1968, artistic gymnastics in 1975, soccer in 1977, powerlifting in 1986, rhythmic gymnastics in 1996, bocce in 1997 and Unified bocce in 2002.
STATE TENNIS TOURNAMENT
State Tennis is one of 13 state sports competitions. It is the championship level competition for those participating in tennis, Unified tennis and individual skills. State Tennis is a typically a two-day event, held the third or fourth weekend of August in Bloomington. The State Tennis Tournament includes approximately 110 athletes, 20 Unified partners, 50 coaches and 110 volunteers. Additional activities include an Opening Ceremony, bowling and a pizza party on Saturday night, family registration and souvenir sales. Evergreen Racquet Club became the event host in 2016. Tennis became an official Special Olympics Sport in 1986 and Unified tennis in 2002.
STATE GOLF TOURNAMENT
State Golf is one of 13 state sports competitions. It is the championship level competition for those participating in individual skills competition, 3-hole competition, 6-hole competition, 9-hole traditional competition and 9-hole Unified competition. The Young Athletes Program offers an individual skills demonstration opportunity. State Golf is a two-day event usually held the second or third weekend of September in Forsyth-Decatur. The State Golf Tournament includes approximately 135 athletes, 25 Unified partners, 75 coaches and 150 volunteers. Additional activities include an Opening Ceremony, family registration and souvenir sales. Hickory Point Golf Course has hosted the golf venue since 2007. Golf became an official Special Olympics Illinois sport in 1997 and Unified golf in 2002.
STATE SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT
State Softball is one of 13 state sports competitions. It is the championship-level competition for those participating in team and individual skills softball. State Softball is a typically a two-day event usually held the second or third weekend of September in Springfield. The State Softball Tournament includes approximately 425 athletes, 140 coaches and 125 volunteers. Additional activities include Healthy Athlete Initiatives, an Opening Ceremony, family registration, a family reception, a dinner and Victory Dance, and souvenir sales. 2022 is the first year that the Lincoln Sports Complex will host the tournament. Softball became an official Special Olympics Illinois sport in 1977.
FALL GAMES
Fall Games is one of 13 state sports competitions. It is the championship-level competition for those participating in equestrian, volleyball, modified volleyball, Unified volleyball and volleyball individual skills. The Young Athletes Program offers an individual skills demonstration opportunity in volleyball. The Games are a two-day event usually held the third or fourth weekend of October in Machesney Park and Poplar Grove, IL. Fall Games includes approximately 600 athletes, 45 Unified partners, 275 coaches and 400 volunteers. Additional activities include Healthy Athlete initiatives, an Opening Ceremony, family registration, a family dessert reception, a Halloween-themed Victory Dance, and souvenir sales.
Harlem High School has hosted volleyball activities since 2002 and Bravehearts at the Bergmann Centre has hosted equestrian since 2012. Volleyball became an official Special Olympics Illinois sport in 1977, equestrian in 1990 and Unified volleyball in 2007.
UNIFIED SOCCER STATE TOURNAMENT
Unified Soccer is one of 13 state sports competitions. It is the championship level competition for those participating in Unified soccer. Participation is limited to teams with players in the middle school through college age range. Unified Soccer is a one-day event usually held the first Saturday in November. Teams advance to the state tournament by winning a gold medal at one of the regional competitions. A typical tournament includes approximately 85 athletes, 65 Unified partners, 30 coaches and 35 volunteers. The Schaumburg Indoor Sports Center has hosted the tournament since 2019. Unified soccer became an official Special Olympics Illinois sport in 2014.
STATE FLAG FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT
State Flag Football is one of 13 state sports competitions. It is the championship level competition for those participating in flag football and Unified flag football. State Flag Football is a two-day event usually held the first weekend of November in Peoria. The State Flag Football Tournament includes approximately 185 athletes, 10 Unified partners, 60 coaches and 100 volunteers. Additional activities include an Opening Ceremony, a dinner and an athlete entertainment activity on Saturday night, family registration, and souvenir sales. The Louisville Slugger Sports Complex hosts the tournament. Flag football and Unified flag football became official Special Olympics Illinois sports in 2018.
STATE FLOOR HOCKEY TOURNAMENT
State Floor Hockey is one of 13 state sports competitions. It is the championship-level competition for those participating in team and individual skills floor hockey. State Floor Hockey is currently a one-day event usually held in November, on the second or third Saturday, in Chicago. The State Floor Hockey Tournament includes approximately 375 athletes, 110 coaches and 150 volunteers. Additional activities include an Opening Ceremony, Healthy Athlete initiatives, family registration, and souvenir sales. The current host is Northeastern Illinois University. Floor hockey became an official Special Olympics Illinois sport in 1975.
To accommodate growth, new venues in Chicago are being researched and the expansion to a two-day event is being considered.
STATE BOWLING TOURNAMENT
State Bowling is one of 13 state sports competitions. It is the championship-level competition for those participating in bowling. State Bowling is a one-day event usually held the first Saturday of December in Peoria. The State Bowling Tournament includes approximately 250 athletes, 130 coaches and 175 volunteers. Additional activities include an Opening Ceremony and souvenir sales. Landmark Lanes has hosted the tournament since 1989. Bowling became an official Special Olympics Illinois sport in 1975.