All athletes must complete the Athlete Registration Form prior to participation in Special Olympics New Jersey sports training and competition.  You can complete this registration online using the button below. This form is required to be renewed annually.

Required Information:

  • Athlete demographic information
  • Health History information
    • It is important to have medical information on hand during training and competition, in case of a medical emergency
  • Waivers, Releases, and Policies

Once submitted, if no major health issues are present, you’re ready to go! A follow-up review may be required. In such cases, a more detailed Medical Form completed by a doctor will be necessary. This applies to athletes with conditions such as:

  • Down Syndrome with Atlantoaxial Instability
  • Doctor-Limited Participation without recent clearance

Athlete Registration Form

Renewing Your Form

Special Olympics New Jersey Participation Packets with an exam date before 11/01/2024 are valid for three years. Athlete Registration Form (no physical examination page required) are valid for one year from the date of submission, and must be renewed every year. Athletes and families are encouraged to keep track of when an athlete’s paperwork will expire.

No athlete may train or compete without valid and up-to-date Athlete Registration Form. If an athlete’s paperwork expires prior to the state and local competition for their current sport, they must renew their paperwork by the deadline date for the sport in order to be eligible for state competition.

Even though Special Olympics New Jersey will not require a licensed medical practitioner’s signature to participate, an annual physical exam is encouraged to promote overall athlete health. Special Olympics New Jersey provides opportunities throughout the year for athletes to receive a physical examination. To see upcoming MedFests, free medical screening events, visit the Events page of the website and filter by Health.

Eligibility Criteria

Please read below for our guidance on eligibility criteria for our athletes contained in the General Rules under Article 2 Sections 2.01 (c) and 2.01 (d):

2.01 (c)

Degree of Disability

Participation in Special Olympics training and competition is open to persons with intellectual disabilities who meet the age requirements of this Section 2.01, and whether or not that person also has other mental or physical disabilities, so long as that person registers to participate in Special Olympics as required by these General Rules.

2.01 (d)

Identifying Persons with Intellectual disabilities

A person is considered to have an intellectual disability for purposes of determining his or her eligibility to participate in Special Olympics if that person satisfies any one of the following requirements:

(1) The person has been identified by an agency or professional as having an intellectual disability as determined by their localities; or

(2) The person has a cognitive delay, as determined by standardized measures such as intelligent quotient or “IQ” testing or other measures which are generally accepted within the professional community in that Accredited Program’s nation as being a reliable measurement of the existence of a cognitive delay; or

(3) The person has a closely related developmental disability. A “closely related developmental disability” means having functional limitations in both general learning (such as IQ) and adaptive skills (such as in recreation, work, independent living, self-direction, or self-care). However, persons whose functional limitations are based solely on a physical, behavioral, or emotional disability or a specific learning or sensory disability are not eligible to participate as Special Olympics athletes but may be eligible to volunteer for Special Olympics.

More Information

  • Athlete Registration and Health History will need to be collected annually
    • A Physical Exam will not be required to participate
  • This is a slow rollout and is on the athlete’s timeline as their current medical expires
  • Starting with date of exams November 1st 2024 or later, we will no longer be counting as valid for 3 years. Anything with a date of exam, October 31st 2024, or prior will be valid for 3 years

FAQs

  • If a coach asks to require the physical exam page can they?
    • No.
  • Will SONJ stop accepting the physical exam page?
    • Date of exams November 1st 2024 or later, we will no longer be accepting this as valid for 3 years. Instead, it will be valid for 1 year.
  • Are physical exams required for USA, Regional, and World Games?
    • Yes, the date of exam must be within 12 months of the games.
  • Will schools still require the physical exam page?
    • Yes, in order to participate with the school, the school ay require the physical exam, however SONJ will only require the health history pages.
  • Do you need a physical exam page to participate in Unified Cup?
    • No.

Contact

Have questions about the Athlete Registration Form? Please contact our Health Programs Director, Amelia Hamilton, ARH@SONJ.org.