All athletes must complete the Athlete Registration and Health History Forms prior to participation in Special Olympics New Jersey sports training and competition.  You can do so online or with a printable and/or fillable pdf. These forms are required to be renewed every year.

Athlete Registration and Health History Forms

Instructions (PDF)

Here’s what is being asked for you to provide:

  • Basic information about the athlete – name, date of birth, emergency contact(s)
  • Necessary medical information – health history, health insurance information, medications
  • Release form that includes information on athlete participation and SONJ programs, policies and procedures

All participants are required to fill out the Communicable Diseases Waiver once.

Webinar: Athlete Registration Form Update
(from Oct 1, 2024)


Access the Release form and Emergency Medical Care Refusal form in Spanish below.

Acceda al formulario de liberación y al formulario de rechazo de atención médica de emergencia en español a continuación.

 Download the SONJ Release form (forma de liberación) in Spanish   Download the SONJ Emergency Medical Care Refusal form (forma de rechazo de atención médica de emergencia) in Spanish

The Emergency Medical Care Refusal form is only required IF one of the two boxes on the Release form is checked.


Renewing Your Form

Special Olympics New Jersey Participation Packets with an exam date before 11/01/2024 are valid for three years. Athlete Registration and Health History forms (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 and Health History Forms. If an athlete’s paperwork expires prior to the state 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.

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.

Other Acceptable Medical Forms

If an athlete currently participates in high school sports and has a NJPPE form completed, download the following to submit in addition to the completed NJPPE form. SONJ will not accept NJPPE forms that do not meet the requirements listed on the checklist and do not include the downloadable pages provided below.

SONJ NJPPE Participation Packet

If an athlete has a NJ DDD form completed, download the following to submit in addition to the completed NJ DDD form. SONJ will not accept NJ DDD forms that do not meet the requirements listed on the checklist and do not include the downloadable pages provided below.

SONJ DDD Participation Packet

Contact

Have questions about the Participation Packet? Please contact our Health Programs Director, Amelia Hamilton, ARH@SONJ.org.