Ellis County United was formed in 2018 to have a more diverse sports offering within the county through collaboration with community partners. Over the last six years, we’ve partnered with Waxahachie Family YMCA, Waxahachie ISD, Waxahachie Golf Club, Hilltop Lanes, Daymark Living, Stonegate Church, and Midlothian ISD to expand the inclusive play and adaptive sports for individuals with disabilities.

Many school districts within Ellis County provide bowling, basketball, and track and field for their special education students during the school year. All athletes who participate with their school districts can also join us. ECU expands opportunities for these students by offering year-round sports, including summer sports such as golf, swimming, and bocce, along with less common sports such as powerlifting, cycling, and equestrian. In addition to offering more sports, ECU supports athletes under 18 who are not enrolled in the public school system. Most of our county’s private, charter, or parochial schools do not have a Special Olympics team. We are also uniquely positioned to support our homeschool families. We also have the option for any adult over 18 to participate. While some school districts continue supporting adult alums in Special Olympics, not all do. Additionally, with Ellis County being one of the top-growing communities in the nation, we are constantly bringing in new families who didn’t attend our public schools. ECU does not have the requirement for an adult to have been a student in the local school district to be able to participate.

Finally, one of our most significant opportunities for inclusion is through Unified Sports©. Unified sports connects athletes with disabilities to partners without disabilities. We recently took 10 unified bowling to Las Vegas to compete nationally. ECU also has unified partners in golf, bocce, and swimming. We plan to grow our unified athletics in basketball, flag football, and more in the next three years.

For more information about Ellis County United, please contact elliscountyunited@gmail.com

About Special Olympics Texas

Special Olympics Texas (SOTX) is a privately funded non-profit organization that changes lives through the power of sport by encouraging and empowering people with intellectual disabilities, promoting acceptance for all, and fostering communities of understanding and respect. SOTX provides continuing opportunities for more than 44,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities throughout the Lone Star State to realize their potential, develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage and experience joy and friendship. To learn more, visit www.sotx.org or call 800.876.5646. Engage with us on: Twitter @SOTexas; fb.com/SpecialOlympicsTX; youtube.com/specialolympicstexas.

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