We are so excited you’ve decided to join the Special Olympics New Jersey family. SONJ provides opportunities for children and adults with intellectual disabilities to participate in sports programs. Take a look at the steps below and let’s get started!
1. Determine Eligibility
To become a registered athlete, applicants must be at least 8 years old and identified by an agency or professional as having one of the eligible conditions:
- Intellectual disability
- Cognitive delays measured by formal assessment
- Significant learning or vocational problems due to cognitive delay
Athletes ages of 2 – 7 may participate in Young Athletes. Athletes ages 6 and 7 are known as athletes in training and have the unique opportunity to participate in Young Athletes and begin training with a Local Training Program (LTP).
2. Complete the Online Athlete Registration Form
All athletes must complete the Athlete Registration Form prior to participation in Special Olympics New Jersey sports training and competition. This form is required to be renewed annually. Learn more about our Online Athlete Registration Form
3. Pick Your Sport(s)
Look at the sports SONJ offers and pick what you’d like to play! During the year, we conduct more than 260 competitive events in 24 different sports across the state.
4. Contact Our Office
Please contact the corresponding County Coordinator for your area. Contact information is on the individual county pages.
Please contact an SONJ representative, we can assist in the process of finding a local training program near you, after submitting the Athlete Registration Form.