Special Olympics Kentucky flag football at TMU, 150 special athlete teams compete for state tournament

The 2021 Special Olympics Kentucky flag football season continues on Sunday, October 30, when more than 150 athletes on 14 teams compete at the Northern Kentucky Regional Flag Football Tournament at Thomas More University in Crestview Hills. Teams will compete for regional titles in four divisions.

Northern Kentucky Crushers in last year’s state tournament. (Special Olympics file photo)

Games get underway at 10 am and will run consistently through 2 pm. Three teams from Northern Kentucky will be competing. The other teams will come from Frankfort, Louisville, Madison County and Winchester.

This is the last of three Regional Tournaments that Special Olympics Kentucky is holding this flag football season. Teams that compete in any of the three tournaments will be eligible to play in the State Flag Football Tournament, which will be held November 12 at Tates Creek High School in Lexington.

Flag Football was added to the Special Olympics Kentucky sports program as an exhibition sport in 2009 and as a medal-awarding sport in 2010. It has seen a rapid rise in popularity.

For more information about the Special Olympics Kentucky Louisville Regional Flag Football Tournament, contact Director of Sports and Competition Holly Vincent, at 502-695-8222 or hvincent@soky.org.

NKY Flyers (Special Olympics file photo)

Special Olympics is the world’s largest program of sports training and competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Participation in competitive events is open to all individuals eight years of age or older. Training and competition in local, area, state, and national programs is offered year-round in Kentucky in 15 sports.

In addition to its traditional sports competitions, Special Olympics also offers early childhood programming through the Young Athletes Program and medical screenings though the Healthy Athletes Initiative. Special Olympics Kentucky began as a one-day event in Louisville in 1970 and has expanded to serve more than 11,300 athletes statewide annually. Special Olympics celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the global movement in 2018.