Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) is reorganizing its sports seasons to be able to serve more individuals with intellectual disabilities.  Beginning immediately, the number of sports offered will shift from 20 to 12, allowing for more athletes to be served with a more efficient use of resources. Programs will continue to be free of charge to athletes and their families.

"The weakened economy has required us to be realistic and thoughtful about the way we use our resources," said Bill Shumard, CEO and President, SOSC. "By offering fewer sports, our volunteers and staff can more effectively develop and manage our remaining 12 sports programs. This, in turn, will allow us to provide a more meaningful experience to our current and prospective athletes."

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SOSC will continue to offer aquatics, athletics (track & field), basketball, bocce, bowling, floor hockey, golf, gymnastics, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball. These provide a good mix of team and individual sports and have the greatest potential for accommodating larger numbers of athletes.

Special Olympics plans to expand opportunities by recruiting and training more coaches and developing new partnerships with community organizations and facilities.  The realignment will distribute the 12 sports into new seasons, which will be announced later this year.