Special Olympics New York – Hudson Valley

Special Olympics New York – Hudson Valley is part of Special Olympics New York, which offers year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-style sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. The program includes Unified Sports, which brings people with and without intellectual disabilities together as teammates in shared athletic activities.

• Ages: 5–18 years old
• Schedule: Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, except New York State holidays

Eunice Kennedy Shriver founded Special Olympics in 1968, and Dorothy Buehring Phillips inaugurated the program in New York in 1969. Special Olympics New York was incorporated in 1970 with Phillips as its first State Director, and Rochester hosted the first State Summer Games in June 1970. Today, Special Olympics New York is the largest Special Olympics program in the United States and one of the largest in the world. The organization states that it provides inclusive opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities to discover and unleash the champion within, and that athletes with intellectual disabilities have the opportunity to challenge themselves in fair and even competition. Unified Sports within Special Olympics New York promotes inclusion by bringing people with and without intellectual disabilities together as teammates.

Last updated February 9, 2026.