About Us DVSA was founded in 2014 with the goal being to provide opportunities for as many athletes with developmental or cognitive disabilities as possible in sports that may not be offered today in the area. The focus is on proper coaching, aiming to be as competitive as possible, while providing a fun and interactive environment for the athletes and their peers and families. What started as 1 skier and 5 football players has grown in 1 year to 8 skiers, 17 football players on two teams, 10 spirit squad members and 30 soccer players on 3 teams with a planned running club launching in 2016. DVSA intends to continue to expand and provide opportunities as long as it can provide appropriate coaching, supervision and development for the athletes - thus as we expand, volunteer coaches are always welcome and needed. Please do not hesitate to inquire and offer assistance if you are interested.
Sport Overviews
Flag Football - Fall and Spring Sessions Non contact sport played with 7 players on a team. Practice is usually 1 day a week for 1 hour primarily on Sundays. We attempt to practice indoors during the colder months, then move outside for warmer months. The sport is still growing in Illinois thus there is not a state championship. We expect to have tournaments to play in May and October so will be considering Spring and Fall sessions. Two 20 minute halves played with a running clock on a 40 yard field. Ages are 14 and up to play with DVSA. We will field as many teams as we can support with proper coaching, and the abilities of the athletes.
Unified Soccer - Fall Session Unified Soccer is an inclusive sports program that combines an equal number of Special Olympics athletes (individuals with intellectual disabilities) and Unified Peer Partners on the same team for training and competition. In its first year DVSA fielded three teams. Two earned State Championships in their respective divisions in the inaugural year. Registration for this program will start mid-summer and practices begin in mid-August and take place primarily on Sunday afternoons.
Soccer - Spring Session Special Olympics athletes will begin practice in mid-March leading up to a qualifying tournament in May and potentially the Illinois Special Olympics Summer Games in June. Peers who are interested in helping coach are encouraged to sign up, although this is a competition open to Special Olympics athletes only. Note if our teams make the State Championships and the athlete competes in track & field, swimming or power lifting you will only be able to participate at states in one of these events.
Alpine Skiing - Winter Session One of the top Special Olympics sports worldwide, DVSA brings the sport to suburban Chicago. With an emphasis on safety, Alpine Skiing requires that all skiers have a basic combination of endurance and strength to compete at graduating levels. Minimum testing assessments must be met prior to competition. Practices begin in late December at Four Lakes in Lisle, Ill, leading to a qualifying race in Wisconsin in early January. All athletes competing at this race are eligible for the Special Olympics Illinois Winter Games in Galena, Ill. in early February. Additional practices will be scheduled throughout January. Ski rentals and lift tickets are available for no charge at Special Olympics competitions, but participants will need to pay for lift tickets and ski rentals for practice if they don’t own their own equipment. Helmets are required of all participants. DVSA’s policy is 1:1 ratio of skiers and volunteers/instructors and ski enthusiasts are encouraged to be involved.
Road / Trail Running Club - Spring / Summer / Fall Sessions The DVSA Running Club will begin in 2016 (mid to late February) with a goal of promoting healthy and life long habits of running, jogging & walking while focusing on inclusion in the community by entering into various 5K and (maybe 10K if we have the athletes that want to compete) races in the community. We aim to have 3 levels of athletes eventually (the run/jog group, jog/walk and primarily walk group). Practice will be twice a week (likely Wednesday and Sunday) for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours - starting slow to identify all athletes ability then pushing runners to improve. Suggested training schedules will be provided to supplement at home. The goal is to enter 2-3 community races in 2016 as a team with training sessions wrapped around 12 week sessions. Year round participation is encouraged, but not required - athletes will be able to register for sessions individually, however, to run with the group / team in the actual races, registration in the training sessions is required.
Spirit Squad - Fall and Spring Sessions Not everyone wants to play athletics so DVSA offers a new opportunity for those interested in cheerleading with special needs. Practices take place on Sundays typically at the same time as Flag Football and Soccer practice. The Spirit Squad will attend selected events and cheer on DVSA teams.