Special Olympics Indiana Memo | March 11, 2020

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:

All Practices, Competitions, and Social Events Suspended through March 31

In response to growing concerns about the spread of Coronavirus COVID-19, Special Olympics Indiana announced today that it would suspend all sport trainings, competitions, and other activities involving athletes through March 31, 2020, at which time the situation will be re-evaluated.

Notably, this will include the cancellation of the 2020 State Basketball Tournament, including all Men's Sectional competitions on March 21, the Youth State Tournament on March 28 , and the Men's State Finals March 28-29. Other impacted events will include the IHSAA Champions Together Unified Bowling Tournament on March 21, several upcoming Spring Area Meetings (which will be held via web conference), and all scheduled Unified Fitness Club meetings during the timeframe.

This decision was made carefully by the leadership teams of Special Olympics International and Special Olympics Indiana following extensive consideration of the latest guidance from the World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Indiana State Department of Health. Please watch the brief video message below further explaining our decision.

While postponing/canceling events is disappointing for athletes who have trained for months to compete — as well as for the volunteers, family, friends and our staff and board who look forward to cheering for them — we know that our love of sport doesn’t compare to the importance of protecting the health and safety of the athletes, which will remain our priority.

We will keep you updated as new information becomes available. In the meantime, we encourage all athletes, families, coaches, and volunteers to take a moment to review the infographic below and to read through this list of frequently asked questions on the topic of virus prevention and control.

Thank you for your patience as we navigate this constantly changing environment and strive to make the best decisions for the safety and well-being of our athletes and all constituents across the state. Feel free to reach out to me directly should you have any questions or if you need more information.

Sincerely,

Jeff Mohler

President & CEO